Now that raised floors have started to go back down, and termination of cabling is essentially complete, impactful visual change has slowed down slightly, however progress is still pushing forwards at great pace.
We’ve been preparing for some of the final trades to land on site to end-out phase one, which will include the CRAC pipework team and the wall fabrication team from earlier in the project, who will be finishing off some of the final cooling system segregation now that the fans are installed.
Weekly overview
Much of the change this time centres around supplementary cooling, VESDA / fire panels, and data cabling for things such as CCTV, access control and monitoring / system control.
We’re now very much in the end-out phase of the project at this point, which means that various elements that until now were operating separately are coming together quickly.
For example, our evaporative cooling units are now connected back to both their power delivery and control systems, meaning that they will soon be ready for their first spin up and test. This is the same for a number of the core systems which make up the infrastructure of the facility.
We now have most of the building-wide comfort cooling in place for client and staff areas, including here in the build room and customer loungeHere we see the ceiling mounted AC unit mirrored on the other side of the building, and the same units are now also present in the NOC / officeWe’ve also got three high performance models installed in each of the LV rooms, with room for a fourth in due course as and when required based on UPS expansionOur VESDA pipework is now installed in Data Hall 1 and pre-emptively in Data Hall 2This is the view of the installation in Data Hall 2, which we are pre-staging for future use, along with all other baseline infrastructure – this will speed up the commissioning process for this hall dramatically once it’s neededThis is the view of the VESDA installation in Data Hall 1This is a slightly wider view of the VESDA installation in Data Hall 1, showing the various sampling pathways as they leave the main unit, and also showing the B-side PDUs for distribution to client racks, and the earthing bar for the hallHere we see the VESDA pipework installed in Data Hall 2, along the blanking system at the rear which will eventually house the CRECs for this hallThe CREC units in Data Hall 1 have now had their power and control system cables installed, which brings them up to readiness for commissioning in due courseThe ODFs in Data Hall 1 are starting to take shape, with containment now run in from both high and low levels – here, one of the newly installed cleaner sockets is also visible, as part of a wider ring installed throughout the building to support such requirementsThis is the B-side ODF, with a range of cabling now run back to it to support various functions in Data Hall 1, such as CCTV, monitoring and system controlsHere we see the entrance to the first committed private pod in Data Hall 1, which after some forthcoming adjustments to access control and visual identity, will be handed over to the client in Q4Another view of the pod entry door systems that we use with our APC racking and containment system, which are operated electronicallyThis floating, conduit-free cleaners socket is achieved by ensuring that it backs onto one of our risers, meaning all containment for the cabling is hidden from view, something we have done wherever possible for a clean installationThis is the cleaners socket as installed alongside ODF B in Data Hall 1, which due to its positioning does require conduit access to under floor containmentThe UPS boards are now landing back in place in both LV rooms, having been removed during the flood cabling processAnother view of the PDUs which distribute B-side power in Data Hall 1, with all internals now completely terminated, and ready to hand-off power to client racksWe now have our new reception desk standing in place, which will be finished with branding and a glass security and visitor flow system in due courseAnother view of the reception desk as placed in an approximation of its final position
We’re getting to the point at which photographing visual change is likely to slow down somewhat, as we move onto more detailed work such as the interconnection of critical systems, and the onlining of various electrical elements including CCTV and door access control.
Excitement is starting to build as the many months of extremely hard work from all those involved begins to show its final fruits, which will become all the more exciting as we start to see systems roar into life.
What’s next?
While build and installation works will continue in a few final areas – such as CRAC pipework, final airflow containment for extraction in Data Hall 1, and the end stages of general system containment – we are now also in a position to begin the early-stage commissioning process.
We are entering an exciting phase of the project, as things finally begin to slot back into place after a good few months of ordered chaos; a necessary evil associated with the extensive electrical work required to take the building from completed shell to functioning data centre.
Over the next few weeks, we expect to see the site visually return to a state of completion (for phase one), at which point the site will be onlined, and commissioning of critical systems will begin in earnest.
