The PAC is the most widely specified system in office, education and general corporate projects. Its lightweight construction, installation efficiency and LEED certification compatibility make it a natural choice for large surfaces with standard demands. But in environments where dynamic loads are relevant, wheeled equipment is common or long-term system stability is a priority, the PAC can fall short.
The Full Steel, on the other hand, is the reference solution for the most demanding environments — data centers, critical infrastructure, security facilities. Its load capacity, A1 fire classification and zero moisture absorption make it irreplaceable in those contexts. But specifying it in a banking office project, a transport terminal or a high-intensity university campus means assuming a cost the project doesn’t need — and in many cases, technical characteristics it will never use.
What makes the BANK different
The GAMAFLOR BANK incorporates a galvanised steel bottom tray into the high-density chipboard core — a constructive detail that significantly changes the behaviour of the system under real use conditions.
The steel tray provides additional rigidity that reduces deflection under point load, improves behaviour under dynamic and rolling loads, and increases long-term dimensional stability. The result is a system that maintains its levelling tolerances for longer, under conditions of use that the standard PAC cannot always sustain.
With performance classifications of up to Class 5A according to EN 12825 — and up to Class 6A21 in the Heavy version — the GAMAFLOR BANK covers the technical space between the PAC and the Full Steel with precision. The standard BANK 35/05 system delivers a distributed load of 33.33 KN/m² and a concentrated load of 4.54 KN. The BANK 35/05/05 Heavy version increases these specifications to 37.15 KN/m² distributed load and 6.71 KN concentrated load — without reaching Full Steel specifications, but clearly exceeding the capacity of the standard PAC.
The projects where BANK makes the difference
The BANK specification makes most sense in projects where some of these conditions apply: intensive use with frequent wheeled equipment, large surfaces where long-term system stability reduces maintenance costs, environments with temperature and humidity variations that compromise the dimensional stability of systems without a steel tray, or projects where LEED certification is a requirement and loads exceed the capacity of the standard PAC.
Banking buildings, research university campuses, transport terminals, large corporate spaces, high-intensity healthcare facilities — these are environments where the BANK responds with greater precision than either extreme of the range.
A decision made at design stage
Like any relevant specification decision, the choice of the right system must be made at the design stage — not on site. At Polygroup, we work alongside architects, engineers and project managers from the earliest stages of each project to define the most suitable system based on the real demands — not the catalogue.
Defining the raised access floor system for a project at design stage? Our technical team can help you choose the most suitable solution. Contact us.
