Data Center Projects

Data Centers Require an Industrial Approach to Structural Design

Data hall floors are subjected to imposed loads many times greater than those in conventional commercial buildings. Battery rooms, UPS facilities, transformer rooms, and generator spaces introduce heavy concentrated loads and equipment foundation loads, as well as the need for vibration analyses. Cooling equipment installed on roofs and external plant areas requires dedicated support structures, maintenance platforms, and load assessments.

At Nodetec, these assessments are carried out using advanced FEM analysis. Structures are modeled using BIM as standard and designed with construction in mind. This allows the structural and MEP solutions of a highly technology-intensive building to be coordinated effectively during the design phase. Ultimately, however, the client remains at the heart of everything we do.

In data center projects, design and construction often proceed concurrently, while campuses are expanded in phases. This requires a proactive approach, rapid responses to changes, and continuous communication between the design team, client, and contractors. Alongside the Eurocodes, we take account of international clients’ own design and quality requirements, as well as the heightened confidentiality and security requirements associated with data center projects.

One of our particular strengths is converting existing industrial properties and sites for data center use. We combine expertise in renovation and industrial construction, including structural capacity assessments, alteration and demolition design, and realistic evaluations of what the existing frame can support and which elements should be constructed as new.

Our Structural Design Services for Data Centers Include:

• Lead structural design
• Structural frame and foundation design (concrete and steel)
• Design of data hall floor structures and assessment of heavy equipment loads
• Machine base and equipment foundation design for generators, transformers, and cooling units
• Vibration analyses and FEM calculations
• Support structures and load assessments for cooling and technical equipment
• Building envelope and precast element design
• Steel component design and fabrication detailing
• Structural capacity assessments and alteration and demolition design for existing industrial structures
• Structural frame solutions for phased campus expansions
• Third-party design reviews