Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Why Raised Computer Floors Work As Well As They Do

By Iva Cannon


You may have noticed the special flooring that is under the massive number of computers setting in the computer room at work. These are designed for a specific purpose. This type of flooring is too expensive to install in just any room, however, the computers, and the data they hold is much more important than other things in other rooms. That is why the raised computer floors are critical for them.

All of the data that is stored and being manipulated on these computers, have to do with delicate things within the company. There is information, such as personnel records and client information that must be kept secured. A lot of that security is in programs to prevent hacking, however, other protections must be in place to preserve their physical state. The flooring, under them help in this regard.

Heat is a very dangerous thing for computers. They can slow down and even stop working, or stop working properly. This means they will not produce the results they are capable of. This also means, when it gets hot enough, they will stop and the vast majority of the data, stored on them, will be lost.

These special floors are raised from the sub floor by as much as one to three feet. All of the trunk lines and electrical wiring are run in these spaces. The floor, that you walk on, are actually perforated panels that permit the flow of cooled air from one space to the other. The cooling or, actually chilling systems are also run through this space keeping everything cool.

These square panels are set on stanchions through a unique design that requires a socket on the corner of each panel fitting over a post on the top of a stanchion. This design allows all panels to be installed in a tight way that does not allow the entire floor to shift. If it does, a reset of the whole room is a complicated procedure.

The engineering that goes into each panel and stanchion is an exacting science. The entire room is measured and the number of panels, based on the general size of each, is determined. The runs, or rows of panels are established, starting with the exact center panel and each next one is trimmed to align with one before it. If more than six to eight are removed, at the same time, the entire room may have to be reset. This is a costly project and people who routinely enter the floor work hard not to allow that to happen.

Cleaning must be accomplished under the flooring just as in any other area. Dust and dirt will fall through the perforations, so it must be removed. The custodial staff will lift each panel out, one at a time, and a vacuum or special cloths will be used to remove this contamination.

Since the computer room, when one is needed, is where all of the money is made for the company, these floors are very critical in keeping the data, stored in the computers, safe. This is not a job for just any construction company. They must have the training, the engineers and the experience to do this for you. The cleaning must be performed by professionals who deal with controlled environments as well.




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