Tests and Compliance

600x600x20mm structural porcelain tiles from the same range and batch supplied by Beaumont tiles were used for all tests.

SafePave load test results

breaking point before SafePave

breaking after SafePave

There are no Australian standards for pedestal tiles. Unlike tiles installed directly to a substrate, when pedestal tiles fail, it is a complete failure with injury and damage the probable result. Tiles don't just crack, they shatter and fall into the space below the deck.

Current tile tests (ISO 10545 series) don’t reflect real pedestal tile conditions:

• ISO 10545-4 (Breaking Strength) needs modification for full-size tiles on pedestals.

• ISO 10545-5 (Impact Resistance) also needs to test 600×600 mm tiles on pedestals, not small rigid samples.

• Additional essential tests:

  • Dead load testing (sustained weight).

  • Sudden impact testing (e.g. hammer drop)

  • Breakthrough and residual load test. - how much weight can a tile support after breaking. The minimum standard should be to prevent breakthrough.

We are committed to making pedestal / raised access flooring safer, so we will be testing SafePave to a worlds best standard. We will test to ensure compliance with those standards that do apply, but will also include tests that we feel should be mandated.

To establish benchmarks we have chosen a strong, readily available tile that is currently accepted for raised flooring use. We have tested it to establish its properties and used those as the minimum requirements. These minimum standards are based on spans of 550mm between supports and are additional to the normal tests required for tiles, e.g. slip resistance and durability. As the tests are completed, we will add the details to this site. In the meantime, have a look at my blog on Pedestal tile standards.