With the ever-evolving demand for data center space that is quickly available, Aligned Data Centers (ADC) built the first consumption-based facility to deliver real estate infrastructure and power on-demand. The project encompassed three single-story buildings spanning 550,000-SF on an existing 51-acre site. The structure was originally built more than 30 years ago and had been vacant for seven years.
ADC’s goal was to centralize the facility’s distribution systems by constructing vertically while minimizing impact to the valuable real estate below. While the shell was strong, the roof was not built to support the equipment and machinery of the 300,000-SF data hall. To meet the structural requirements, the project team reinforced the mechanical and electrical spine by erecting an exoskeleton around the center bay and adding a concrete structural steel deck for the generators and other rooftop equipment.
The new data hall offered 62 MW of IT power for its first phase, and was expandable up to 120 MW at full build. The project also included high-end office space, shared conference rooms and drop-in office pods. The plant consisted of redundant generators, medium voltage UPS, static transfer switches, distribution gear, fluid coolers and chillers to support an ultimate load of 5,000 tons.
The majority of the interior space had to be gutted. The piping system required a major upgrade and was completed for the full build; however, the refrigerant and compressor trim components were able to be installed as capacity at the facility grew and could be deployed in smaller increments.
The data center did not have the traditional raised floor system or provide cooled overhead air. This facility used a modularized infrastructure system that was built into the facility and included their patented eSYNC heat removal systems and power. This approach employed a heat sink which drew the hot air from the servers and then passed it across coils to neutralize it.
The data center was built to Tier III design reliability and guaranteed a 1.15 PUE at all utilization rates. The unique design was predicted to operate on up to 80 percent less energy for cooling and use up to 85 percent less water compared with a traditional facility.
