Datacentre Build – Progress Update 5
Whilst it has only been a week since we last posted an update to the build of our new datacentre plenty has been happening onsite and the structure of the building is now really taking shape.
What has been happening?
The internal composite walls have now been installed which really help to visualise the eventual space of what will be the first datahall. Below you can see what will be the entrance to the main datahall on the right with edge protection around the door frame area, both the front entrance and rear service/plant doors to the datahall are over 2.3m in height allowing for us to bring in fully assembled 48U racks. Ahead you can see a staircase to the first floor area with customer break out, meeting room and storage areas to the left.
Below you can see work has started on enclosing the steel colums that support the first floor above, the custom construction has allowed us to align and encase these steel colums the same dimensions as a rack footprint. The cut outs at the bottom of the steel encasements will allow us to use these as cable risers to run cables between floors and these will later be firestopped.
Work has started on installation on both fire suppresion and detection systems within the data hall. Both VESDA (Very Early Smoke Detection) and fire suppression systems will be installled above the ceiling void, within the datahall area and to the floor void. You can see the installation of both systems has been started with red plastic VESDA pipework shown to the left of the image below and steel suppresion pipework to the right of the image below.
Whilst our current Coventry datacentre site doesn’t boast a raised floor we have opted to install one within the new facility. Whilst modern datacentre trends are seemingly moving away from raised floor designs we have gone with the traditional access floor configuration using it as a cold air plenum which we belive provides more options to employ additional cooling where needed.
What's next?
For the build blog installment next week we are expecting to be able to show you the completion of the raised access floor installation aswell as further progress being made on the fire suppresion and VESDA systems.
We also have work starting elsewhere on site to the ground and first floor offices aswell as construction of a number of customer breakout areas.