A honeycomb-backed porcelain raised access floor combines the decorative composite module with a separate supporting floor system. The space below the finished surface accommodates services, while the supporting panels, framing and pedestals carry the floor assembly. Funtek's product material shows two interfaces: a magnetic layer over a steel raised-floor panel, and an adhesive layer over a wood-based structural panel.
The system combines a porcelain finish with modular assembly and access to concealed services. A magnetic interface allows the finish to release from its steel supporting panel; the adhesive route treats the bonded finish and supporting panel as a coordinated module. Choose the interface with the service-access sequence so installation and later maintenance use the intended removable parts.
Separate the Finish Module from the Supporting Floor System
The porcelain composite forms the finished upper module. It has one ceramic face bonded to a PU fiberglass-faced aluminum honeycomb backing. The backing includes reinforced skins on both sides of its core; the underside is a rear skin, not a second ceramic slab.
Below that module, the product detail shows a supporting steel floor panel or wood-based structural panel. The support panels sit on the relevant raised-floor structure, with pedestals carrying the assembly above the original floor. Each part has a different interface: face to backing, composite to support panel, support panel to substructure, and pedestal to the building floor.
This separates an indoor access floor from porcelain bonded continuously to a leveled slab. The bonded floor has a continuous substrate immediately below its adhesive layer; the raised floor introduces discrete supports and a service void. The bonded composite porcelain flooring guide explains that alternative construction.
Overseas manufacturers also distinguish finish from supporting structure. Imola Tecnica lists several raised-floor support-panel materials, while Caesar's AEleva system describes raised modules and their substructure separately. These examples help explain the category: a porcelain surface does not identify the structural core used underneath it.
Compare the Two Build-Ups in the Product Detail
Magnetic layer over a steel raised-floor panel
The magnetic route places the composite finish over a magnetic interface and a steel supporting floor panel. The steel provides the mating material for that interface. The document's section then shows the supporting panel raised above the original slab on pedestals.
For this route, identify the complete magnetic contact area and the finished module outline. A cut module or equipment opening can change the contact region, so it should appear on the same drawing as the steel supporting panel. A magnetic attachment describes a connection between those surfaces; it does not establish the supporting panel's span or the floor system's load class.
Adhesive layer over a wood-based structural panel
The second route uses structural adhesive between the composite finish and a wood-based structural panel. Treat that bonded pair as an assembly when planning removal. If the finish is permanently bonded to its support, routine service access normally needs the intended supporting module to lift with it; removing only the porcelain finish would disturb the bond.
Show the relevant supporting structure beneath the wood-based panel. The product material discusses coordinated leveling and framing systems, but the final proposal still needs the actual supporting-panel dimensions and connections. A label reading “structural board” does not identify its thickness, fixing or support layout.
Swipe sideways on a phone to compare. Select a photograph to enlarge.
| Construction | Interface to coordinate | Access consequence |
|---|---|---|
|
Magnetic finish on steel panel |
The porcelain composite, magnetic layer and compatible steel supporting surface. | Show whether the finish lifts first and how the supporting floor panel is subsequently opened. |
|
Bonded finish on structural panel |
The composite rear skin, selected adhesive and wood-based supporting panel. | Plan the liftable bonded module and the joint around it; the cured bond is not a routine release layer. |
 Supporting substructure |
The supporting panels, framing, pedestal heads and connections to the original floor. | Keep the service opening clear while the remaining floor stays supported. |
Draw the magnetic and adhesive routes as separate assemblies. Combining their layers into one stack would describe a different floor from either arrangement in the product material.
Coordinate Module Sizes with the Support Grid
The visible joint pattern and the support pattern need to work together. Place the proposed finished modules over the supporting-panel and framing layout. Then check which supports remain beneath every module, including shortened pieces at walls and the edges of equipment openings.
Panel production size answers how large a piece can be supplied. A supported floor span answers how that piece or its supporting panel carries load between bearings. The two dimensions are different. The maximum format listed in the panel sizes and weight guide cannot be used as a pedestal spacing or an unsupported span.
Consider an office with a repeated module layout and a narrow strip remaining at one perimeter. Cutting the porcelain finish to fit the strip changes its shape but does not create support under the new edge. The support-panel and framing layout must follow that cut condition. Mark the full modules first, then resolve the perimeter strips, thresholds and openings before releasing the cutting schedule.
Service routing affects the same layout. A cable tray crossing below the floor can occupy the location where a support or pedestal was intended. Coordinate the routes and support positions before installation, keeping the service-access area usable while preserving the designed bearing arrangement.
Keep Service Access Practical
The practical benefit is local access: the planned module can be lifted to reach the services below, then returned to its original position. This supports later plumbing, electrical or cable work while preserving the surrounding porcelain finish. The lightweight reinforced finish helps keep the removable assembly manageable, with its actual mass determined by whether the supporting panel is lifted at the same time.
An access floor is useful when a maintenance worker can lift the intended module, reach the service and replace the module without damaging surrounding finishes. Record which layer is removed for each operation. With a separate magnetic finish, that may involve one release step for the finish and another for the supporting panel. With a bonded assembly, the finished module may be lifted as a single item.
Match the lifting method to the surface and the assembly mass. The chosen tool needs to work with the actual porcelain finish, and the lifted item needs support while it is moved away from the opening. Keep a clear place for the module during maintenance so that its ceramic face and corners are protected.
Check the route below the floor as well. Removing a panel directly over a cable tray may expose the tray while leaving too little room to reach a connection on its far side. Relocating the access position or opening a defined group of modules can solve that problem during layout coordination. Filling the entire void with services would remove the working space that makes access useful.
Test the complete access operation in the trial area: lift the intended module, reach the maintained item, set the module down safely and return it to a level position.
The pattern across neighboring modules should remain identifiable after maintenance. Keep a panel-reference plan for directional or strongly veined finishes. This lets the worker return each module to its intended location and orientation rather than rebuilding the appearance by trial and error.
The distinction is visible in Tate's Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus project in Bristol, which combines factory-applied porcelain finishes with raised-floor service access and a coordinated floor pattern. Its construction is a separate system, but the documented task is relevant: finish layout and access-module layout have to remain compatible.
Distinguish Panel Bending Tests from Floor-System Loads
The product material reports a 4,617 N breaking-load result for its tested porcelain composite. That result comes from a defined panel test. The panel bending and impact tests article explains the specimen and loading context.
A complete raised floor has other components and other loading arrangements. A concentrated load acts over a specified contact area at a particular panel location. A rolling load moves across the surface and its joints. Deflection concerns how far the supported assembly moves under the stated load. The supporting panel, pedestal heads, stringers, connection details and cut edges all affect those observations.
This is why dividing a coupon breaking force by a large panel area does not produce a useful access-floor capacity. It changes the test geometry and ignores how the load reaches the supports. Likewise, a panel's impact result does not select the support grid or establish the behavior of a chair caster crossing a finished joint.
For the project proposal, state the expected use and the relevant loads: regular foot traffic, the actual equipment feet, movable furniture and any wheeled maintenance equipment. Pair those inputs with the complete supporting floor arrangement and its evaluation. Use an assembly test or applicable floor-system classification that matches that arrangement when the specification requires one.
The same separation applies to fire, acoustics and electrical requirements. The porcelain face, the composite finish and the complete access floor are different assemblies. Identify the component and construction covered by a stated result so that a product property is used for the part it describes.
Resolve Cut Panels, Openings and Transitions
Perimeters and openings interrupt the repeated floor. A cut supporting panel may lose an original edge or require additional bearing. A service box may remove material from both the porcelain finish and the support panel. Show the finished outline and the supporting arrangement together at each interruption.
For a floor box, start with the equipment's actual opening template, fixing depth and access operation. Place it on the module plan, then check it against the supporting frame, pedestal heads and cable route. Moving the box a short distance within the room can substantially change those conflicts, so settle the location before cutting the finished modules.
At a doorway, establish the total finished floor elevation from the original slab upward. Include pedestal or framing height, supporting-panel thickness, attachment layer and the complete composite finish. Compare that total with the adjoining floor and the door clearance. A transition profile finishes the junction, but its geometry has to follow the actual level difference.
Preserve the intended access joint around removable modules. A continuous finish or adhesive application across a release boundary can tie neighboring modules together. Keep the connection area within the module arrangement selected for maintenance, and demonstrate that edge condition during the trial installation.
The panel fabrication details guide covers cutouts, exposed cores and edge closures. For modules moved repeatedly during fit-out or maintenance, the composite panel handling guide explains protection and inspection during lifting and storage.
Document the Complete Raised Floor Proposal
Begin with the finish-module drawing and a section through the complete floor. Identify the selected porcelain face and honeycomb backing, the magnetic or adhesive interface, the supporting panel, the framing and pedestals, and the original floor. State the finished elevation and show the parts to be lifted for service access.
On the plan, include the support grid, full and cut module references, service boxes, access zones, thresholds and perimeter details. Add the intended traffic and equipment inputs to the proposal so the load review concerns the actual assembly. A trial area should contain a normal joint, a cut edge and the service opening that will be most difficult to maintain.
Funtek supplies porcelain honeycomb panels for coordination with the selected supporting construction. Send the module dimensions, raised-floor height, supporting-panel type, service-access arrangement and project load requirements to discuss the composite finish and its interface. This gives the panel supplier and floor-system team a common drawing to work from.
Discuss Your Raised-Floor Finish Modules
Send Funtek the module dimensions, finished floor height, supporting-panel type and service-access needs. Include the project load requirements to discuss the composite finish interface and quotation information.