Mission Critical Facilities—
High Performance
Research Computing Center
Construction management services were provided for the 39,600sf mission critical facility. The project team worked closely with our client to ensure the data center:
- achieved LEED Gold and Energy Star certification
- met the administrative and academic research computing needs of today
- provided flexibility for future growth and deployment without interruption to the existing data center
The initial build included:
- a two-story building with 12,600sf of raised floor computer space
- energy density of 150W/sf
- N+1 uninterruptable power supply rated at 1.8MW usable power to support the IT load and is expandable to 3.0 MW
- N+1 cooling system with provision for economizer operation
- water cooled cabinets to support the high density research load
- thermal water storage tank to provide 20 minutes of back-up chilled water
- AHUs feeding raised floor, allowing for direct outside air
- gas generator to “peak shave” the load
- installation of a CHP plant with an absorption chiller to reuse the heat from the gas generator to provide chilled water to support the IT load
- overhead structure for cable tray support
Best Value for the University
Plans were carefully devised so the structure did not exceed the needs of the University. Modularity and day one needs were evaluated to reduce the initial capital budget. Our staff outlined various options for the facility and provided budgets, timelines and constructability analyses for the construction. Major concerns addressed by our team included:
- on-campus vs. off-campus location of the data center
- air cooled vs. water cooled chiller options
- single-story vs. two-story construction
- density variables (watts per square foot levels)
- levels of redundancy available to meet the client’s needs
- lead time of pre-purchase equipment (to highlight schedule considerations)
- TCO analysis of major electrical and mechanical equipment selections
When the concept was finalized, BIM was utilized during design/preconstruction for clash detection and pre-field coordination. At completion, a fully coordinated model, linked to as-builts, was turned over to the University’s facilities department.
