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A caster does not spread load like a flat foot. It concentrates the entire share onto a small wheel contact patch. This tool returns the point load each caster puts on the floor and an estimate of the bearing pressure under the wheel, then checks both against your floor's rating so you do not crack a slab, dent an epoxy coat, or overload a mezzanine.
Floor point load per caster is the load one caster imposes, equal to the total load divided across the casters that are actually touching, times a dynamic factor for movement and impact. The bearing pressure is that point load divided by the wheel's contact patch, so hard, narrow wheels generate far higher pressure than soft, wide ones. Raised floors and mezzanines fail on point load; coated and finished concrete fails on bearing pressure. Check whichever governs your floor.
Results update as you type.
Typical ranges only. Always confirm against your slab design, mezzanine rating plate, or raised-floor spec. Punching shear and slab thickness govern concrete; the manufacturer rating governs raised floors and mezzanines.
| Floor type | Typical concentrated / point load | What fails first |
|---|---|---|
| 4-6 in slab on grade (3,000-4,000 psi) | High; often several thousand lb static | Punching shear, surface (psi) |
| Epoxy / urethane-coated concrete | Slab-governed; coating dents under high psi | Surface pressure (psi) |
| Raised access floor | ~500-1,250 lb concentrated (by class) | Point load (lb) |
| Steel / bar-grating mezzanine | ~250-1,000 lb point load (by design) | Point load (lb) |
| Tile / VCT over slab | Slab-governed; tile cracks under hard wheels | Surface pressure (psi) |
Point load per caster = (Total load ÷ casters carrying) × dynamic factor
Est. bearing pressure = point load ÷ (wheel width × contact length)
"Casters carrying" reflects that floors are uneven: the N−1 case assumes one caster lifts off; the severe case assumes half. Contact length is approximated from wheel hardness (soft wheels flatten into a larger patch, hard wheels ride on a near-line contact), so the pressure figure is a planning estimate, not a Hertzian contact-stress result. For finished or coated floors, treat the pressure number as directional and confirm hard-wheel selections against the floor finish.
To lower both numbers: add casters, go to a larger-diameter and wider wheel, choose a softer compound, or add load-spreading foot plates.
Larger wheels, more casters, or load-spreading mounts can bring point load and pressure under a raised floor, mezzanine, or coated slab rating. Send us the floor and the load and we will engineer it.
Request a Quote →Divide the total load by the number of casters actually carrying it, then multiply by a dynamic factor for movement or impact. On uneven floors assume one caster lifts off and divide by casters minus one. That worst-case number is what you compare to a raised floor or mezzanine point-load rating.
Damage comes from bearing pressure, not just weight. Hard, narrow wheels concentrate load onto a tiny patch and can dent coatings or spall thin slabs. Larger-diameter, wider, softer wheels spread the load and protect the finish. Use the pressure estimate as a directional check and confirm hard-wheel choices on coated floors.
It is set by the structure, not the caster. Raised access floors are commonly rated around 500 to 1,250 lb concentrated and mezzanines from a few hundred to about 1,000 lb point load by design. Read the rating plate or structural drawings and keep the worst-case per-caster point load under it.
Reviewed by Bob Camp, Director of Caster Sales, 45+ years in the caster industry. Updated June 14, 2026.
Point load and pressure are planning estimates. Floor capacity must be confirmed by the slab design, mezzanine rating, or raised-floor specification, and by a structural engineer where required. CasterHQ, Mansfield, TX · 844-439-4335.
