How should an appropriate panel grade be selected for a project?
Panel grades are typically selected based on three loading criteria: concentrated, ultimate and rolling load capacity. Concentrated and rolling load ratings for panels are based on tolerable deflection and permanent deformation allowances under design loads. Ultimate load capacities are based on tolerable safety factors. The task for the project specifier is to match expected floor loads with floor capacity. For an explanation of how to translate panel load ratings into actual floor capacity numbers for concentrated and rolling loads, see Section 3 of the Best Practices Design Manual, Access Floors.
