Facility Guidelines

The computer room floor must be able to support the total weight of the installed computer system as well as the weight of the individual cabinets as they are moved into position.

Floor loading is usually not an issue in non-raised-floor installations. The information presented in this section is directed toward raised-floor installations.

	NOTE: Any floor system under consideration for a Superdome server installation should be verified by an appropriate floor system consultant.

Raised-Floor Loading

Raised-floor loading is a function of the manufacturer’s load specification and the positioning of the equipment relative to the raised-floor grid. While Hewlett-Packard cannot assume responsibility for determining the suitability of a particular raised-floor system, information and illustrations are provided for the customer or local agencies to determine installation requirements.

The following guidelines are recommended:

• Because many raised-floor systems do not have grid stringers between floor stands, the lateral support for the floor stands depends on adjacent panels being in place. To avoid compromising this type of floor system while gaining under floor access, remove only one floor panel at a time.

• Larger floor grids (bigger panels) are generally rated for lighter loads.

	CAUTION: Do not install any raised-floor system until you have carefully examined it to verify that it is adequate to support the appropriate installation.

Typical Raised-Floor Site

This section contains an example of a computer room raised-floor system that is satisfactory for the installation of a Superdome server.

Based on specific information provided by Hewlett-Packard, Tate Access Floors has approved its Series 800 all-steel access floor with bolt-together stringers and 24 in. (61.0 cm) by 24 in. (61.0 cm) floor panels.

Due to the large amount of floor panel material that must be removed for the purpose of routing cables, this particular floor must be braced as shown in Figure 5-6 “Tate Series 800 Floor Bracing”.

In the event that the flooring is being replaced or a new floor is being installed, Tate Access Floors recommends its Series 1250 all-steel access floor with bolt-together stringers and 24 in. (61.0 cm) by 24 in. (61.0 cm) floor panels be used to support the Superdome installation.

Figure 5-6 Tate Series 800 Floor Bracing

	NOTE: If the specific floor being evaluated or considered is other than a Tate Series 800 floor, the specific floor manufacturer must be contacted to evaluate the floor being used.

Table 5-4 “Tate Series 800 Raised-Floor Tile Specifications” lists specifications for the Tate Access Floors Series 800 raised-floor system.

Table 5-4 Tate Series 800 Raised-Floor Tile Specifications

Item	Rating
Dead load	7 lb/ft 2 (34.2 kg/m2)
Live load	313 lb/ft 2 (1528.3 kg/m2)
Concentrated load[1]	1250 lb (567 kg)
Ultimate load	4000 lb (1814 kg) per panel
Rolling load	400 lb (181 kg)
Average Tile load	500 lb (227 kg)
[1] With 0.08 in (0.2 cm) of span maximum deflection

 

Avoid housing computers in a room with windows. Sunlight entering a computer room may cause problems. Magnetic tape storage media is damaged if exposed to direct sunlight. Also, the heat generated by sunlight places an additional load on the cooling system.

There should be enough clearance to move equipment safely from the receiving area to the computer room. Permanent obstructions, such as pillars or narrow doorways, can cause equipment damage.

Delivery plans should include the possible removal of walls or doors. The physical dimensions for applicable computers and peripheral equipment are summarized in Appendix A.

Other factors must be considered along with the basic equipment dimensions. Reduced airflow around equipment causes overheating, which can lead to equipment failure. Therefore, the location and orientation of air conditioning ducts, as well as airflow direction, are important. Obstructions to equipment intake or exhaust airflow must be eliminated.

The location of lighting fixtures and utility outlets affects servicing operations. Plan equipment layout to take advantage of lighting and utility outlets. Do not forget to include clearance for opening and closing equipment doors.

Clearance around and above the cabinets must be provided for proper cooling airflow through the equipment.

The service area space requirements, outlined in Appendix C, are minimum dimensions. If other equipment is located so that it exhausts heated air near the cooling air intakes of the computer system cabinets, larger space requirements are needed to keep ambient air intake to the computer system cabinets within the specified temperature and humidity ranges.

Space planning should also include the possible addition of equipment or other changes in space requirements. Equipment layout plans should also include provisions for the following:

The floor plan grid is used to plan the location of equipment in the computer room. In addition to its use for planning, the floor plan grid should also be used when planning the locations of the following items:

Copies of the floor plan grid are located in Appendix C.

Equipment footprint templates are provided in Appendix C to show basic equipment dimensions and space requirements for servicing. Be sure to use the appropriate templates for the equipment that is to be installed.

The service areas shown on the template drawings are lightly shaded.

Removable copies of the equipment footprint templates are located in Appendix C. They should be used with the floor plan grid to define the location of the equipment that will be installed in your computer room.

	NOTE: Photocopying typically changes the scale of drawings copied. If any templates are copied, then all templates and floor plan grids must also be copied.