What are floor loadings measured in?

Floor loading is measured in KN/m² where KN stands for Kilo-Newton. A newton (N) is the International System of Units (SI) for measuring the derived unit of force. Server rooms and datacentres typically have raised floors under which cooling and wiring is routed. The floors are made up of floor tiles that sit on a network of pedestals which are in turn fixed to a concrete base.

The floor loading on a tile and the four pedestals on each corner is important when calculating how much weight a floor can support in terms of a server cabinet or local uninterruptible power supply or computer room air handling unit. Spreader plates can be used to reduce the weigh on a single point loading. Structural engineers provide the necessary measurements and calculations for floor loading design and assessments.

It is important when designing a server room installation with a raised access floor to ensure the point loading value is not exceeded. Standard gravity is 9.80665 N/kg and so to convert KN/m² to Metric Tonnes/m² the following formula can be used: kN/m² X 1Kg/9.80665N = Kg/m².