A data centre is essentially a facility for organisations to store their data. These facilities are vital for those who require the space for their data to be stored somewhere safely.

There are over 500 data centres in the UK and with technology constantly evolving, there’s a clear demand for the growth of more data centres. In fact, the global demand for data centres could triple by 2030. The main driver for this growth is due to the rise of AI. So with the rising demand of data centre capacity, it makes sense to expect to see a rise in global data centre construction.

What goes into data centre construction?

Building a data centre is a complex process. There are multiple aspects to consider in order to create a highly secure, efficient, and reliable facility.

Let’s take a look at some of the key elements of constructing such a facility.

1. Site and infrastructure planning

Before construction even takes place, choosing the right location is crucial for data centre efficiency. There are many factors to choosing an appropriate location such as climate, power availability, and connectivity which all have an influence on the design and operational costs involved.

Essentially, the infrastructure must be designed to support high energy loads, cooling systems, and redundancy to prevent downtime.

2. Cooling systms

Possibly one of the biggest challenges in data centre construction is heat management. This is due to the immense heat the servers generate.

Therefore, advanced cooling systems are required throughout the facilities to maintain the correct temperatures. Many data centres use chilled water systems to cool their server rooms. These systems require a complex network of pipes that transport chilled water to air handling units, regulating temperatures and preventing overheating.

Abbey Pipework Fabricators has worked on a variety of data centres to provide pipework for the cooling systems. More specifically, with the recent refurbishment at Telehouse North Two (TN2), we were tasked to provide our pipework fabrication services.

Telehouse London data centres are known as the UK’s foremost Internet Hub and Backbone for the Global Internet Network. They are located in the Docklands and facilitate the majority of the London Internet Exchange’s capacity. This is home to a huge proportion of all UK internet traffic flowing through it.

TN2 is an 11 storey bespoke Data Centre, standing at 65.9m tall, with switch rooms, battery rooms, a plant room and service corridors covering approximately 1,130m2.

The refurbishments included a new electrical infrastructure, a water mist system, a sprinkler system, and new cooling systems implemented.

Abbey Pipework provided the data centres with 2”NB to 12”NB in low temperature hot water (LTHW) and chilled water (CHW) for the cooling systems. This included the complete shell and core of the pipework.

3. Security and fire suppression

Data centres house very sensitive information. Therefore, require the highest security measures including surveillance and access controls.

They are also prepped with fire suppression systems to protect against potential disasters. This, of course, is vital to protect the buildings from encountering such issues.

Data centres must have very specific measures in place to ensure the safety and efficiency of the stored data. When it comes to constructing or refurbishing a data centre building, there are strict systems in place to ensure it all runs smoothly.

When it comes to choosing pipework for the cooling systems, it’s important to choose a reliable company that focuses on quality. Abbey Pipework focuses on prefabrication, meaning all pipework is fabricated off-site. This ensures reliability, enhanced quality and reduced project timelines.