Re: [SAGE] shipping rack servers

[Dan Rich <drich@employees.org>]

Brad Knowles wrote:
> At 9:46 AM -0700 4/20/07, Dan Rich wrote:
>
>>  One thing to check if you're going to move full racks -- we recently
>>  found out that our data center floor isn't rated for the rolling weight
>>  of a loaded rack (in our case just shy of 2000 pounds with 39 machines,
>>  PDUs, network switch, and a console server).
>
> I'm confused.  If your datacenter floor isn't rated for the rolling
> weight of a fully loaded rack, then how can you have fully loaded
> racks in your datacenter?  Isn't the rolling weight exactly the same
> as the stationary weight, and wouldn't that mean that the racks would
> tend to sink through the floor tiles?  Or do you just half-fill your
> racks, since you can't use the other portion?

Rolling a rack puts different forces on the floor than one that's
mounted.  Rolling a 1 ton rack across the floor puts shear forces on the
structure underneath, not to mention the wheels putting creases in the
surface of the tiles.  You are also putting weight on the edges of the
tiles and run a good chance of breaking or warping them.

If we had concrete tiles we would be ok, as they can take both forces
and you have to work very hard to damage the surface.

-- 
Dan Rich <drich@employees.org> |   http://www.employees.org/~drich/
                               |  "Step up to red alert!"  "Are you sure, sir?
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