Raised floor that's used for cabling AND for mechanical space has some benefits. Keeping the plumbing out of sight allows more usable floor space for access around racks and their contents while allowing the mechanical and electrical systems to be reasonably out of the way and protected from casual damage.
On the flip side it requires a higher deck to deck spacing for your structure. And you MUST make sure that you're not obstructing airflow when you use the raised floor space as your plenum air supply path.
The best setups seem to have a 3'-4' raised floor which allows for plenty of space for pipework and electrical lines as well as it's installation and maintenance and then 20'+ above the floors for the hot air to rise and then slowly circulate down to the air handlers. Generally, these sorts of spaces work best when the data cabling is then placed above the racks on 1-2 layers of ladder racking.
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CNN Internet Technologies
Data Center Manager
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