Architects use raised flooring with multiple supports for buildings, also known as modular floor panels. These suspended modular panels over the actual floors are suitable for mechanical and electrical equipment accommodations. The raised floor panels are hollow from the inside, and these empty spaces have a variety of purposes. 

Technically, we call raised floor panels plenums that act as free spaces for providing building services like plumbing and HVAC. Plenums are a more viable option for allocating plumbing and wiring systems instead of putting them inside a suspended ceiling. Floor panels are most often made of floor materials, typically wood or tiles. 

We sometimes use specialized flooring materials, such as air diffusers, electrical-telecommunications terminals, etc. Specialized flooring panels give extra layout flexibility and easy configuration of HVAC, power supply, and computer interfaces depending on specific requirements. 

Routing services through the plenum is advantageous for several reasons:

●    Routing services through plenum provide easier and faster access to a building’s infrastructure so that repairs and maintenance can be done without working at heights on scaffolding or ladders.

●    Another advantage is cost-effectiveness - providing shorter routing for wiring, ductwork, and pipes, reducing the cost of these materials.

Furthermore, the underfloor air distribution offers lower operating costs while improving air quality.

The popularity of raised floor panels has increased tremendously in recent years due to their impeccable applications. The applications are more promising in commercial buildings and office flooring. While they became a popular choice for industrial and commercial buildings, raised access floors have initially been a hard sell for architects when designing office spaces.
 

There are different types of raised flooring panels for office floors and other building spaces. Ultimately, design and usage functions and minimum floor heights to accommodate building services will determine the choice. Usually, different building services demand minimum finished floor height (FFH) requirements. Let us see them. 

●    Routing for electrical wires and telecommunications cables    - 3-5”

●    Underfloor air distribution (UFAD) via pressurized plenum (small area) - 8”

●    Underfloor air distribution (UFAD) via pressurized plenum (larger area) - 12”

●    Horizontal wire management    - 12”

These access floors range between 6-24 inches and subsequently provide more plenum space. People often choose these raised flooring systems for new builds, as three is a requirement of coordination and integration of interior volumes and floor levels with the overall design of the building. 

The larger plenum space is needed to accommodate all necessary piping, wiring, and pressurized airflow delivery components of an underfloor air distribution (UFAD) HVAC system. Architects select Taller floor heights for improved accessibility and serviceability of under-floor parts.

The use of low-Profile raised floor systems is more suitable for retrofits. Also, it is practically impossible for buildings with floor-to-ceiling height restrictions to support a full-height installation. The support pedestals usually range from 2.5 - to 5 inches in height; however, the standard width of the floor panels reduces the plenum volume further. 

Summary: Hence that was the overview of raised flooring systems and their functionalities. The construction companies have already started adopting raised access floors, and the trend will continue to grow in the future.