by John Holzer, Director of Jurisdiction

COMPUTER FLOORS

Computer floors, also known as access flooring, is installed in areas that may require future access to conduits, piping, and duct work that are under the finished floor. It consists of raised support pedestals and removable floor panels.

In 1974,  Larry Daniels, Director of Jurisdiction & Research at the time, drafted a letter addressing the cutting of holes in computer floor systems. 

The document states, “the carpenter cuts the holes in the floor panels as required prior to the installation of the floor system,” (cuts around conduits and obstructions as panels are placed). It further states, “once the installation is made, additional holes for electrical purposes will be cut by the electrician,” (holes required during the installation of his conduit and cables that were not previously cut by the carpenter).

This is very logical. If a previously installed conduit is in the way of the floor panel installation, the carpenter would cut the panel around it. If the floor was complete and the installation of a conduit required a penetration in a floor panel, the electrician would cut the hole. This was and still is the intent of Daniels’ statement.  It is cost effective for the contractor, and makes good business sense Twenty-seven years ago, web sites and the Internet did not exist. Today’s technology requires computer hardware be placed row after row in storage racks on the raised floor system. These raised floors are assembled on pedestals; and the floor panels are then placed one against the other in sequence to maintain strength and stability until the floor is completely assembled and locked together.  The panels are then removed and the holes are cut to meet the requirements of the owner. There is nothing electrical about cutting a hole in an access floor  panel.

It is totally inconceivable that two electricians would get setup at a pair of saw horses with a power saw and cut holes in 300 computer floor panels for days at a time, not to mention moving and reinstalling the 300 panels. This was never the intent of Daniels’ letter. Computer floors  and their accessories is the work of the carpenter.  It clearly falls under the carpenter  jurisdiction.

The electricians have misunderstood the intent of the document. We will work with this issue as it was intended.  What makes sense?  What is cost effective for the contractor and ultimately for the buyers of our construction services? The access floor is unloaded and installed by the carpenter. Any penetrations cut into the floor should be performed in accordance with the above guidelines.