Average load per square metre does not describe a wheel or rack foot. Check static, dynamic and point loads separately.
| Algor floor | Static rating | Other limits |
|---|---|---|
| pedestrian | 1,500 kg/m² | no dynamic vehicle rating; 100 kg point load on 40 × 40 mm |
| reinforced pedestrian | 3,000 kg/m² | 250 kg stated dynamic condition for approved rubber wheels; 140 kg point load |
| drive-in | 4,000 kg/m² | 1,000 kg dynamic; 140 kg point load; approved pallet truck/forklift use |
In short: pallet trucks and forklifts require the drive-in floor unless a separate engineered solution is confirmed.
For the first two floor types, spacers may reduce the stated rating by 60%. The reinforced floor's dynamic figure only applies under the manufacturer's specified wheel material and geometry.
The three floor types
All Algor floors share the same finish: anti-slip and abrasion-resistant. What separates them is load-bearing duty.
| Pedestrian (pedonalna) | Reinforced pedestrian (wzmocniona pedonalna) | Drive-in (najazdowa) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Static load | 1,500 kg/m² | 3,000 kg/m² | 4,000 kg/m² |
| Dynamic load | — | 250 kg | 1,000 kg |
| Point load | 100 kg | 140 kg | 140 kg |
| Forklift / pallet truck | No | No | Yes |
| Available with spacers | Yes — rating −60 % | Yes — rating −60 % | No |
Dynamic loads are defined for a rubber wheel with a contact length L > 40 mm / ø 120 mm. Point loads are defined over a 40 × 40 mm contact area.
MTH also lists rooms held at positive temperature as available without a floor. In the Frostbox range that option is offered specifically for the Cold Room 80 mm configuration — see Floor panels: when you need one.
How to read the three ratings
The three numbers answer three different questions, and a floor can pass one and fail another.
- Static load (kg/m²) — weight spread evenly over a square metre. This is the figure to use for racked or palletised stock standing still: total weight in the room divided by the floor area it occupies.
- Dynamic load (kg) — a moving wheel load, specified for a rubber wheel of L > 40 mm / ø 120 mm. It covers wheeled traffic such as roll cages and trolleys running on wheels of that type. It does not cover pallet trucks or forklifts — the manufacturer lists those under the drive-in floor. Narrow, hard wheels concentrate load far more aggressively than the specification assumes.
- Point load (kg) — a concentrated load on a 40 × 40 mm patch: a shelving leg, a pallet foot, an equipment mount. This is where floors are most often overloaded, because the pressure comes from the small contact area, not from the total weight.
The point-load column is the one most often missed. Shelving legs, pallet feet and equipment mounts press through a small contact patch, so a load that looks comfortable spread over a square metre can still sit above the point-load limit. Work out the load per foot, not only the load per square metre, before you sign off on a floor type.
Spacers change the answer
Spacers (distanziali) raise the floor to let air circulate underneath, which improves hygiene and insulation. The cost is structural: with spacers fitted, the load rating drops by 60 %.
Applied to the published static ratings, the −60 % rule works out as:
| Floor type | Static rating | With spacers (−60 %) |
|---|---|---|
| Pedestrian | 1,500 kg/m² | 600 kg/m² |
| Reinforced pedestrian | 3,000 kg/m² | 1,200 kg/m² |
| Drive-in | 4,000 kg/m² | Not available with spacers |
Two consequences worth planning around:
- A spacer-mounted floor can drop below the type beneath it. A pedestrian floor on spacers (600 kg/m²) carries less than half of what a plain pedestrian floor carries. If you want ventilation under the floor and real load capacity, you need to step up a floor type to pay for it.
- There is no drive-in floor on spacers. If the room takes forklift or pallet-truck traffic, the under-floor ventilation option is off the table — the two specifications do not combine.
Choosing by traffic, not by room size
The manufacturer's own selection rule is to specify on traffic intensity and load, not on the size of the room. A 6 m³ room where a loaded trolley is wheeled in and out forty times a day is a harder duty than a 40 m³ room stocked once a week by hand.
Work through it in this order:
- Does anything drive in? Forklift or pallet truck → drive-in floor. There is no partial version of this answer; the other two types are not rated for it. Pair it with a loading ramp if you are driving in over the threshold.
- Do wheels roll in, even without a driver? Roll cages and trolleys on rubber wheels → reinforced pedestrian, which is the lightest type with a published dynamic rating (250 kg). Pallet trucks are not in this group — they belong in step 1.
- Is it people and hand-carried stock only? → pedestrian.
- Then check point loads. Shelving legs and pallet feet against 100 kg (pedestrian) or 140 kg (the other two) on a 40 × 40 mm area.
- Then apply the spacer penalty if you want spacers, and re-check steps 1–4 against the reduced figure.
Floor type by sector
These are the manufacturer's ready-made recommendations for common sectors, shown with the panel thickness and door type they are quoted alongside:
| Sector | Temperature | Panel | Floor | Door |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurant | +2/+4 °C | 80 mm | Pedestrian | Hinged |
| Hotel / catering | +2/+4 °C | 80–100 mm | Pedestrian | Hinged |
| Supermarket (chiller) | +2/+4 °C | 80–100 mm | Reinforced | Hinged |
| Supermarket (freezer) | −18/−22 °C | 120 mm | Reinforced | Sliding |
| Distribution | −18/−25 °C | 120–150 mm | Drive-in | Sliding |
| Food processing | Varies | 100–150 mm | Drive-in | High-speed |
| Pharmacy | +2/+8 °C | 100 mm | Pedestrian | Hinged |
| Floristry | +2/+8 °C | 80 mm | Pedestrian | Hinged |
| Funeral services | +2/+4 °C | 80–100 mm | Reinforced | Hinged |
Note the pattern: the two sectors that get a drive-in floor — distribution and food processing — are also the two where goods arrive on pallets rather than in hands. The supermarket rows step up to reinforced not because the rooms are large, but because stock moves in and out on cages all day.
Related floor accessories
- Loading ramp — for forklifts and pallet trucks; the intended companion to a room built with a floor.
- PVC sanitary profiles — seal the wall-to-floor corner against moisture and bacteria.
- Spacers — under-floor ventilation, at the −60 % load cost described above.
Reference document
The load figures above are taken from the Algor model-comparison guide and the Algor product brochure.
- Porownanie_Modeli_Algor.pdf — the source of the floor-type comparison table, alongside the matching panel-thickness comparison (80 / 100 / 120 / 150 mm with temperature ranges), the door-type comparison (hinged vs sliding, dimensions, mechanisms, gaskets, door-openings-per-hour bands), and the full sector matrix including finish and typical room volume — all as a printable side-by-side layout.
- MTH_Algor_Komory_PL_Broszura.pdf — the same three floor types in the context of the whole system: panel construction and dimensions, the Camlock joint, semi-recessed doors, R290 wall monoblocks, the Alushelf shelving system, accessories, and the certification list. Includes product photography and the manufacturer's own drawings, which this article does not reproduce.
Both documents are in Polish.
Related articles
- Floor panels: when you need one
- How Frostbox sandwich panels are built
- Choosing panel thickness for your temperature
- Floor conditions and floor panels
- Sizing: volume and traffic
- Configurations by sector
- Accessories and options
Load ratings are the MTH Algor published figures for the three standard floor types. If your duty sits close to a limit — heavy point loads, unusual wheel types, or spacers under a high-traffic room — send us the layout and load case before ordering: [email protected].
