Raised floor

A raised floor is a data center flooring system of removable tiles supported on pedestals 30-120 cm above the structural slab. The tiles typically measure 60 x 60 cm, and the plenum beneath them is used to distribute cold air through perforated tiles and to route power and network cabling. Raised floors dominated data center design for decades, paired with CRAC/CRAH perimeter cooling. Modern high-density facilities increasingly build slab-on-grade instead, with overhead cabling and ducted or in-row cooling, because floor plenums struggle to deliver enough airflow above roughly 10-15 kW per rack and cannot easily support the weight of liquid-cooled AI racks, which can exceed 1,500-2,500 kg each. Where raised floors persist, load ratings, grounding, and airflow management (brush grommets, blanking panels) are key specifications.