[Beowulf] removing tiles around heavy racks?

[Sean Dilda]

Mark Hahn wrote:
> around a heavy rack, how many floor tiles can you safely remove?
> 
> I'm about to embark on a large installation: compute racks will contain
> 38 1U servers and so weigh ~1500 lbs each.  the network (Quadrics) will
> be installed first, before rolling in the compute racks.  partly for 
> space reasons, but also because it doesn't seem safe to have a bunch 
> of 1500 lbs racks surrounded by a sea of missing tiles...
> 
> but it would be good to know what the threshold is - how many tiles 
> you can remove around a heavy rack before becoming crazily risky...
> any horror stories?  ;)
> 
> thanks, mark hahn.
> PS: 16" over slab, feet glued, stringers screwed-on, composite tiles.
>

I've not studied the physics of it, but I can't see where the 
surrounding tiles would have an effect.  You obviously don't want to 
remove the tiles the rack is sitting on.  And those tiles should be 
supported by a metal grid.  As far as I know, the metal grid and the 
poles under it support all the weight, and the tiles themselves only 
help support what is directly sitting on them.

If someone knows something I don't, please feel free to speak up.