Applications of OA Bare Finish
Calcium Sulfate Raised
Access Floor Systems

An OA (Office Automation) Bare Finish Raised Access Floor is a raised floor system designed for commercial office environments. It creates an accessible void between the structural slab and the finished floor surface, used for distributing power, data, and communications cabling. "Bare Finish" means the structural panel is supplied without a decorative surface laminate -- the finish material (carpet tile, LVT, SPC, etc.) is specified and installed separately. Calcium sulfate panels are used as the structural core due to their dimensional stability, fire resistance, and load performance.

Steel Encapsulated (System A) refers to a panel where the calcium sulfate core is enclosed on all six sides by galvanized steel sheet. The steel shell provides maximum edge protection and structural rigidity, and is compatible with heavy finish materials including stone and large-format porcelain tile. Bare Finish panels (Systems B and C) have an unlaminated top surface -- the calcium sulfate or steel bottom is exposed to receive the applied finish material. System B uses PVC edge banding for edge protection; System C uses a machined tongue-and-groove edge profile. Bare Finish panels are lighter and more cost-effective but are not suitable for heavy finish materials that require the structural support of a full steel encapsulation.

A Grooved Calcium Sulfate Raised Floor (System C) is a panel with a precision-machined tongue-and-groove edge profile on all four edges. Adjacent panels interlock mechanically during installation, providing self-alignment and resistance to horizontal panel displacement without the need for inter-panel adhesive. The dry-lay installation concept allows individual panels to be lifted and replaced quickly. System C has a bare top and bare bottom surface -- no steel encapsulation or PVC edge banding -- making it the lightest and most cost-effective configuration in the OA Bare Finish family.

All three OA Bare Finish systems (A, B, and C) are compatible with carpet tile installation. Carpet tiles are typically installed using pressure-sensitive adhesive applied to the panel top surface. The calcium sulfate top surface of Systems B and C provides excellent adhesion for carpet tile adhesives. System A's steel top surface also accepts carpet tile adhesives. For projects where carpet tile is the specified finish and the load class is standard commercial, System B (PVC Edge-Banded) is the recommended specification due to its optimized cost-performance ratio for this application.

For standard commercial office buildings with carpet tile or LVT finishes and standard commercial load class requirements, System B (PVC Edge-Banded) is the most commonly specified configuration. It provides adequate edge protection, is compatible with all common commercial finish materials, and offers an optimized cost-performance ratio. System A should be specified for premium projects requiring stone or porcelain finishes, or where heavy load class is required. System C is appropriate for projects where future flexibility and ease of panel replacement are prioritized over edge robustness.

Yes. LVT is compatible with all three OA Bare Finish systems (A, B, and C). LVT can be installed using full-spread adhesive bonded to the panel top surface, or as a floating installation using click-lock profiles. For adhesive-bonded LVT, the panel surface must be clean, dry, and within the height tolerance specified by the LVT manufacturer -- typically ±0.5 mm panel-to-panel. For floating LVT, the tongue-and-groove alignment of System C is particularly advantageous as it minimizes panel-to-panel height variation. LVT thickness is typically 3-6 mm and adds minimal weight to the panel.

Yes. Individual panel replacement is a fundamental engineering advantage of raised floor systems. In all three OA Bare Finish configurations, a single panel can be removed using a panel lifter tool, the finish material removed from the damaged panel, a new panel installed on the pedestal, and new finish material applied. For System C (Grooved Interlocking), the tongue-and-groove profile aids re-seating of adjacent panels after replacement. Panel replacement does not require disturbance of surrounding panels or the pedestal system, provided the replacement panel is dimensionally identical to the original.

System selection should be driven by three primary factors: (1) the specified floor finish material -- stone and porcelain require System A; carpet, LVT, SPC, and rubber are compatible with all three; (2) the required structural load class -- heavy load requirements favor System A; standard commercial loads are served by all three systems; and (3) the project's maintenance and flexibility requirements -- frequent access and future reconfiguration favor System C; long-term durability with minimal maintenance favors System A. Budget is a secondary factor -- System C is most cost-effective, System A carries the highest material cost. The decision matrix in Section 6 of this guide provides a structured framework for system selection.

Pedestal height is determined by the volume of underfloor services to be accommodated, the HVAC design (if underfloor air distribution is used), and the structural slab level variation. For standard cable management in commercial offices, a plenum height of 100-150 mm (finished floor to slab) is typically sufficient. Where underfloor air distribution is required, plenum heights of 200-300 mm or greater are common. The pedestal height range must also accommodate slab level variations -- typical OA pedestals offer ±25 mm adjustment range. Coordination with MEP engineers is required to confirm the minimum plenum height needed for the project's service distribution strategy.

OA commercial raised floors are designed for office environments where the primary requirements are structural load capacity, dimensional accuracy, fire performance, and compatibility with decorative finish materials. Anti-static raised floors for data centers are designed to control electrostatic discharge (ESD) -- they are specified with conductive or dissipative surface finishes achieving a surface resistivity of 10⁶ to 10⁹ Ω, and are typically used without an additional applied finish material. OA Bare Finish systems do not provide ESD control and should not be specified as anti-static systems. Conversely, anti-static data center floors are not designed to receive carpet tile or LVT finishes and are not appropriate for commercial office applications.

The primary international standard for raised access floor systems is EN 12825 (Europe), which specifies test methods for concentrated load, ultimate load, residual deflection, rolling load, and impact resistance. In the United States, CISCA (Ceilings and Interior Systems Construction Association) publishes performance standards for raised access floors. Other applicable standards include MOB (German government building standard), AS/NZS 4600 (Australia/New Zealand), and various national building codes. Profloortech panels are tested in accordance with EN 12825 and CISCA standards. Specific test reports are available upon request for project documentation purposes.

Calcium sulfate raised floor systems, when correctly installed and maintained, have a structural service life exceeding 25 years in typical commercial office environments. The calcium sulfate core is dimensionally stable and does not degrade under normal service conditions. The finish material (carpet tile, LVT) will typically require replacement every 10-15 years depending on traffic intensity -- the structural panel remains in place during finish replacement. Individual panels with physical damage can be replaced without affecting the system's overall service life. Pedestal components are typically warranted for the life of the building.

Yes. OA Bare Finish calcium sulfate raised floor systems are compatible with underfloor air distribution (UFAD). When UFAD is specified, the underfloor plenum serves as a supply air plenum in addition to a cable management zone. This requires a greater plenum height -- typically 200-400 mm -- to achieve adequate air distribution. Ventilation panels (perforated raised floor panels) are installed at strategic locations to allow conditioned air to enter the occupied space. The calcium sulfate panel construction is appropriate for plenum use as it is non-combustible and does not off-gas into the supply air stream. UFAD design requires coordination between the raised floor engineer and the HVAC engineer.

The international standard panel size is 600 × 600 mm. This dimension coordinates with the 600 mm pedestal grid spacing and is compatible with standard carpet tile (600 × 600 mm) and LVT (300 × 600 mm or 600 × 600 mm) module sizes. Panel thickness typically ranges from 28 mm to 38 mm depending on the structural specification. Profloortech can supply non-standard panel sizes for project-specific requirements -- common alternatives include 500 × 500 mm and 610 × 610 mm (for North American projects). Custom dimensions are available through the OEM/ODM program.

Yes. OA raised floor systems are well-suited for office renovation projects, particularly where the existing infrastructure needs to be upgraded to support modern power and data distribution requirements. System C (Grooved Interlocking) is particularly appropriate for renovation applications due to its dry-lay installation concept, lighter panel weight (reducing structural load on the existing slab), and ease of future access. In renovation projects, the existing slab level variation should be surveyed before specifying pedestal height range. The finished floor height increase (typically 130-350 mm including panel and pedestal) must be coordinated with door threshold heights, ramp transitions, and staircase landings.