July 11, 2014July 30, 2014 by Matt Seaton

London Central Build Blog – Week 26

Fantastic progress has been made once again this week, across various aspects of the project, from the office through to the core service areas.

Modifications made to meet me enclosures, to alloy for side cable entry

Template in place for mounting our logo in the office

Holes drilled and plugs inserted

Mounting points installed, and logo characters being placed

Sign mounted minus the logo tagline

Sign with tagline

The completed sign

The temporary divisional wall installed in ground floor data hall, until this area is converted into technical space

Ground floor lift shaft enclosure reaching completion

Channel installed for base of cold corridor enclosure

Top channel supports cut ready for installation

Top channel supports cut and ready for installation

Cold corridor enclosure taking shape, which is to become a complex frame-like structure with various air handling voids, rather than a basic wall

While hard work is most definitely the name of the game when building a world class data centre facility (especially whilst also keeping a large base of existing rack footprints running smoothly), it is safe to say that a break from time to time is welcomed. The entire build team enjoyed a private day of racing at the local Team Sport karting centre this week, which proved to be an incredibly fun afternoon away from the facility.

Our build team members were treated to go karting this week

July 4, 2014July 22, 2014 by Matt Seaton

London Central Build Blog – Week 25

This week has seen dramatic progress on shell construction in the first floor data hall, along with various other areas of progress which have brought the project forward considerably.

One of our multiple fibre entry ducts dug into our property

Internal access hatch for duct entry point

Cable management installed for running this entry point to the meet me cabinet stack

Custom built seating area behind NOC for casual meetings, with a nice technical view

Custom seating area awaiting final upholstery on rear and lower front

Lift shaft on first floor taking shape

Final bay reaching completion ahead of louvred panel installation

A look down the rear wall, which will handle incoming air

Far corner with fire escape access cut into wall

A look across the first floor data hall ahead of final shell works

A closer look at the fire escape access

June 27, 2014July 22, 2014 by Matt Seaton

London Central Build Blog – Week 24

Week 24 has seen major headway made on the installation of power and network containment systems which run from the buildings core through to each data hall. Great care was taken during the design phase of this project to ensure cable runs were accessible, free flowing and direct. The cable basket which is being employed throughout the facility provides an incredibly flexible method of cable distribution, from centralised core services right through to the rack level.

Spine basket for data runs to ground floor cold corridor

Another look at containment in the electrical intake room

Overhead cable containment installation in electrical intake area, for generators and UPS power feeds

Cable basket as it nears the data floors

This week has also seen the undertaking of roadworks outside of our facility, as Virgin Media Business become the first of our multiple fibre providers to enter the building. VM Business will be supplying us with major high speed fibre services, which will form a large part of our highly resilient core network and global connectivity services.

McNicholas engineers undertaking roadworks outside our London Central facility, for Virgin Media fibre

McNicholas engineers undertaking roadworks outside our London Central facility, for running VM Business fibre

Engineering works by McNicholas

Our new private road-side ducting and manhole

June 19, 2014July 8, 2014 by Matt Seaton

London Central Build Blog – Week 23

Works continue in earnest this week, with completion of the ground floor lighting and fantastic progress on shell construction on the first floor. The lighting rig is now active on its occupancy detectors, part of our green lighting commitment.

Once structural works have been completed on the first floor, an almost identical work set will be carried out, including the installation of the ceiling, lighting and containment systems. From there forwards, the pace of things coming together will speed up dramatically, with decoration and technical works running ahead with no interruptions.

Lighting installed into ceiling grid

First floor shell works continue

Klik boxes which allows for highly flexible lighting connections

Ground floor lighting switched on and tested

June 13, 2014July 7, 2014 by Matt Seaton

London Central Build Blog – Week 22

Progressions have been made in the ground floor data hall and warehouse areas this week, with the installation of the hung ceiling and the lighting system.