Raised Access Floor Calculator — Panels, Pedestals & Trim

Pedestals sit at the shared corners of the panels, so the count is (panel positions along the length + 1) × (panel positions along the width + 1). Take a 6m × 4m room on a 600mm grid: 6 ÷ 0.6 = 10 exactly, so 10 + 1 = 11 pedestal lines along the length; 4 ÷ 0.6 = 6.67, which rounds up to 7 panel positions (the 7th is a cut row at the wall), so 7 + 1 = 8 lines across the width. That gives 11 × 8 = 88 pedestals.

The standard UK size is 600 × 600mm. Panels are typically 30–38mm thick and made from calcium sulphate or steel with various finishes. Some systems use 610mm (2ft imperial) panels.

Typical heights are 50–300mm depending on the services running underneath. Office environments commonly use 100–150mm. Data centres may use 300–600mm for cable management and air distribution.

Stringers are horizontal bars that bolt or clip between pedestal heads to add lateral stability and edge support. Not every floor uses them: low-profile corner-lock (stringerless) systems rely on the pedestal head and interlocking panel corners instead, and are common for low office heights. Stringered (screw-down) understructures are specified for higher loads, greater lateral stability and taller voids. Turn the 'screw-down stringer system' option off in this calculator if you are pricing a stringerless floor — it will return zero stringers. Always confirm the requirement with your panel manufacturer's BS EN 12825 system data.

Where the raised floor abuts a lower level — for example a doorway onto a corridor — a threshold ramp keeps the change of level accessible. Approved Document M gives a maximum ramp gradient of 1:12 for very short flights, easing to 1:15 and 1:20 for longer goings; gentler is always better. Count one ramp per transition point and enter that figure under 'threshold transitions'. A floor that runs flush, or that abuts another raised floor of the same height, needs none.

Yes. Edge trim (also called perimeter trim) is needed where the raised floor meets walls or other fixed elements. It conceals the gap and provides a neat finish. Cut (infill) panels are fitted along any wall where the room dimension is not an exact multiple of the panel module.