For Data Centers / Laboratories Only: How to Choose Fire-Resistant Raised Flooring? A Complete Guide to Calcium Sulfate Core Systems
- Addtime: 2025-09-16 / View: 187
Fire-Resistant Calcium Sulfate Core Raised Flooring Systems: A Comprehensive Overview
In the evolving landscape of infrastructure design, professionals frequently grapple with three critical challenges when selecting flooring:
1. Fire Safety Risks: In high-density electrical environments like data centers, a single spark can trigger catastrophic equipment failure.
2. High Maintenance Costs: Traditional wood or composite flooring in high-traffic areas often require frequent replacements.
3. Difficulty Aligning with Global Sustainability Standards: Meeting LEED or BREEAM-certified building requirements can be challenging.
This document explores how fire-resistant raised flooring systems with calcium sulfate cores address these challenges, emphasizing their suitability for high-risk environments such as data centers, control rooms, laboratories, and industrial facilities.
Superior Fire Resistance
Pain Point Addressed: In critical facilities like data centers or military command centers, substandard flooring can act as a fire accelerant, leading to equipment shutdowns or even structural collapse.
Key Terminology Explained:
• EN 13501-1: A European standard classifying the fire reaction of construction products. The A1 classification denotes “non-combustible materials,” meaning they do not ignite, release flammable gases, or contribute to fire spread when exposed to high temperatures.
• REI Classification (per EN 13501-2): A European fire resistance rating measuring three key performance metrics:
○ R (Integrity): Ability to prevent fire penetration through the material.
○ E (Insulation): Ability to limit heat transfer (protecting equipment on the non-fire side).
○ I (Smoke Tightness): Ability to block toxic smoke leakage.
Calcium sulfate core raised flooring systems achieve an A1 classification and can be customized to meet REI 30 or REI 90 ratings, depending on system design.
Enhanced Durability
Pain Point Addressed: Traditional flooring often fails in high-load, high-traffic environments: wood cores warp under heavy server racks, while concrete cracks from frequent foot traffic.
Quantified Performance:
• Load Capacity: Supports ≥1,500 kg/m² uniform static load (per EN 12825) and ≥4,500 N point load.
• Abrasion Resistance: Meets EN 13329 AC 5 rating (withstands 60,000+ foot traffic cycles without visible wear).
• Dimensional Stability: Less than 0.2% expansion/contraction under temperature fluctuations (10–40°C) and humidity changes (30–80% RH).
Comparative Data (vs. Traditional Flooring):
| Flooring Type | Uniform Load Capacity | Abrasion Resistance (AC Rating) | Annual Maintenance Cost | Lifespan |
| Calcium Sulfate Core | ≥1,500 kg/m² | AC 5 (60,000+ cycles) | $500–$1,000 | 15–20 yrs |
| Wood-Core Raised | ≤800 kg/m² | AC 3 (20,000–40,000 cycles) | $3,000–$6,000 | 5–8 yrs |
| Concrete Slab | ≥2,000 kg/m² | AC 4 (40,000–60,000 cycles) | $2,500–$4,000 | 10–15 yrs |
Environmental Benefits
Pain Point Addressed: Sustainable construction projects often struggle to balance durability with eco-friendliness.
Quantified Environmental Impact:
• Recycled Content: 30–40% of the calcium sulfate core is derived from industrial byproducts, reducing reliance on virgin materials.
• Carbon Footprint: 0.35 kg CO₂e per kg of material—30% lower than concrete and 50% lower than vinyl flooring.
• End-of-Life Recyclability: ≥90% of the system can be recycled into new building materials or agricultural soil conditioners.
Standard Alignment:
• Meets LEED v4.1 MR Credit 4 (Building Product Disclosure and Optimization).
• Complies with BREEAM 2025 Mat 02 (Sustainable Materials).
• Aligns with China GB/T 50378-2019 (Green Building Evaluation Standard).
Applications
Fire-resistant raised flooring systems are purpose-built for environments where fire risk, heavy loads, or sustainability requirements create selection pressure:
• Data Centers: Supports high-density server racks and meets Tier 3/Tier 4 fire safety standards.
• Control Rooms (Power/Gas): Withstands 1,000+ daily foot traffic cycles and blocks toxic smoke.
• Laboratories: Resists chemical spills and is easy to sanitize.
• Industrial Facilities: Handles heavy machinery and high temperatures.
• Telecommunications Rooms: Complies with ITU-T G.654 standards for fire safety in fiber optic facilities.
• Military Command Centers: Meets NATO STANAG 4370 and has low VOC emissions.
• Banking Facilities: Protects cash vaults and server rooms from fire and reduces maintenance downtime.
About CWWIN Floor
CWWIN Floor is a global leader in innovative, sustainable flooring solutions—specializing in systems that resolve the “performance vs. sustainability” dilemma for critical infrastructure. Our calcium sulfate core raised flooring:
• Undergoes 12+ third-party tests to validate fire resistance, load capacity, and environmental impact.
• Serves high-end sectors including aviation, military, finance, and data centers.
• Offers customizable REI ratings and edge materials to meet site-specific needs.
• Provides EPDs and LEED/BREEAM documentation to streamline green building certification.
Guided by a commitment to excellence, CWWIN Floor’s products are engineered to deliver reliable performance—even in the world’s most demanding environments.
Note: The information provided is based on available data and may vary depending on specific product specifications and regional standards.