Why Raised Floor Systems Are Still Considered the Gold Standard in Today's Data Centers

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 When designing cabling distribution and air handling systems for data centers, professionals are frequently confronted with the question of whether or not to use raised floor systems or an overhead cable tray. This is a common occurrence during the design process. Although this was not even a topic for discussion twenty years ago because virtually all data centers used access flooring systems, the conversation surrounding this topic is now very contentious. While it is possible to make an argument in favor of either choice, Raised floors have long been considered the industry standard in data centers located in the United States. There are numerous reasons for this.

In any case, the vast majority of design professionals and IT departments are already familiar with raised floors, and the fact that these systems offer more possibilities for integrating infrastructure components than a data center that is built on a slab is a major advantage. However, adaptability and scalability are just the beginning of the benefits.
 

 

Raised floors offer both flexibility and scalability in their design.

 

- The vast majority of people who have worked in data centers for a significant amount of time have witnessed numerous types of technological advancements in the equipment used there

- These advancements began with extremely large mainframes and disk drive memory machines, and later evolved into routers, servers, and tablets

- The utilization of raised floors for the purpose of providing a platform is, of course, the one thing that has not changed

Incredibly simple to reconfigure to accommodate alterations and new additions, Raised floor pedestals systems also provide the flexibility to accommodate retrofits of next-generation machinery within the confines of the existing space. Raised floors continue to accommodate a wide variety of heat loads, despite the fact that density is increasing.

If you do not have a raised floor system, the power to the racks will need to be run overhead using a bus system, which is complicated for a number of different reasons. These systems are typically expensive, inflexible, and proprietary, with few available customization options. A single rack may be destroyed by a short circuit in an under-floor power cord; however, the same short circuit in a bus system may destroy an entire feed as well as dozens of racks. The cost of repairs and replacements is another significant burden.

When extra overhead cooling is required, it is easy to implement when using an under floor plenum-based cooling system, and repairs are much simpler as they only require the removal of a few Calcium Sulfate flooring panels tiles to access the space. Using an under floor plenum-based cooling system, on the other hand, makes it easy to implement.

Cabling Issues

Raised floors provide a clear distribution path for cabling, which eliminates the need for a ladder or other specialized structural cable trays and ceilings. This path can be accessed without any obstructions. Accessing overhead structures such as ductwork and sprinkler heads is necessary for installing overhead cabling. This access and subsequent maintenance typically calls for a large number of people as well as the utilization of a stepladder. It should be noted that there is an increased likelihood of inadvertent disconnection of cables when they are run overhead as opposed to when they are run under the floor.

It is possible for cables that are being run in a hot aisle to be run in the same space under a raised floor, providing the flexibility to terminate the cables wherever it is necessary to do so. When selecting this alternative, there will be no problems with the ceiling height or any overhead obstructions, such as sprinkler systems. The use of raised floors makes it simpler to access cabling worlds because it is possible to reach cables at any point in the space under the floor by simply removing certain Industrial Vinyl Flooring tiles. This is in contrast to the traditional method, which requires a convoluted system that involves a small number of people and ladders.

Last but not least, Raised floors have built-in grounding grids to ground sensitive equipment and water distribution lines to reduce the risk of damage in the event of water leaks. These features make raised floors an attractive option.

Problems with the Airflow

Adding dampers, integrated fans, and perforated data center floor tiles to raised floor system systems optimizes airflow control on a rack-by-rack basis, making them the ideal platform for supplemental cooling devices. This makes raised floor systems the ideal platform for supplemental cooling devices. The use of hot/cold aisle containment will provide the best airflow management for data centers, and there is simply no better way to implement this than by aligning computer floor tiles into hot and cold aisles to contain air without the use of special structures or walls. This can be accomplished by aligning computer floor tiles into hot and cold aisles.

The use of perforated floor tiles in a data center enables you to concentrate cooling and airflow precisely where it is required, and areas that are running hot can be remedied by replacing raised floors tiles with a version that has a higher air flow rate.

Manifestation

In conclusion, many people believe that raised floor systems provide superior aesthetics when compared to overhead cable trays. This is because running cabling under the floor helps to keep an interior space neat and clean. Wiring systems that are suspended from the ceiling frequently run underneath light fixtures, which casts shadows over work areas and cabinets. On the other hand, routing cables beneath the floor space keeps the entire data center bright, clean, and neat.

Although one could certainly make a case for either raised floor systems or overhead cabling trays, Raised floors continue to be the industry standard for a good reason. They offer the flexibility, scalability, and airflow management that is simply not possible with an overhead system. Additionally, they provide an environment that is cleaner and safer, which is something that people can appreciate.