• • • DATA CENTRE MANAGEMENT • • • Attention to detail
Pete Willsher, managing director at RMS Cable Management, explains why a correctly organised and well-maintained cabling infrastructure is essential and how modular and prefabricated cable management solutions are helping to meet quality, schedule and cost targets
C
able management is the unsung hero of the data centre and plays a vital role in ensuring uptime and optimising the use of
white space.
Effective cable management is more important than ever within data centres, where an increasing need for high density installations means that there is an abundance of optical fibre, copper and power cables installed within walls, under the floor, suspended from the ceiling or in overhead containment.
Once a cabling system has been installed, the cable management isn’t particularly prominent – it doesn’t have any attention grabbing elements such as flashing lights – but it really shouldn’t be neglected. Put simply, the post installation consequences of unravelling the problems caused by poor cable management can be significant.
Number crunching To paraphrase Charles Dickens, for the data centre sector it is the best of times and the worst of times. The demand for data centre capacity has never been higher and shows no signs of lessening in the foreseeable future, with research from Mordor Intelligence suggesting that by 2026 the sector is expected to be worth more than $105 billion a year. However, given that costs are rising across every other aspect of life, it should come as no surprise that data centre construction is facing record breaking inflation. According to research from Turner & Townsend, the average cost to build data centres has increased by 15% across global markets during 2022. Supply chain issues, material shortages and costs, and a lack of skilled labour are all having a massive effect on the ability to construct these facilities.
Knowledge is power In the Turner & Townsend study, 92% of respondents reported that they are struggling to meet construction demand due to a shortage of experienced site teams. The skills shortage is particularly noticeable when trying to find mechanical and electrical (M&E) fitters. Being able to reduce the reliance on these skilled contractors is proving to be key in reducing delays and making sure that projects are completed on schedule.
On-site construction challenges can impact the quality of an installation due to labour, materials and environmental factors. Therefore, as with most other aspects of data centre construction, increasing attention is being given to modular and prefabricated cable management.
As well as leading to faster and more accurate construction, it is helping to improve standards across the industry. Although they are often used interchangeably, it’s important to differentiate the two terms: • Prefabrication refers to any construction process that does not take place on-site. It is an umbrella term used to describe construction in a climate-controlled factory environment. Prefabricated building materials can be easily shipped or assembled and may be delivered to a building site as complete components.
• Modularity is type of prefabrication and specifically consists of the building of repeated sections, called modules, being built in a factory and then assembled on-site. Modules are essentially separate structural units which, post assembly, make up the entire structure.
Time and money
Modular designs can save huge amounts of installation time, specialist labour, waste and cost – helping a project meet quality, schedule and capital expenditure targets. Likewise, prefabrication is a big part of how data centres can be built in a far smarter, better way. A prefabricated cable management system that is produced and tested in a factory by skilled engineers ensures the highest standards of quality.
24 ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • FEBRUARY 2023
Modules should arrive on a just in time basis, ready for integration with a minimum requirement for on-site engineering services. They can be configured by those with little to no experience, with components that are simple for M&E contractors to install on-site.
Modular and prefabricated solutions also offer contractors improved confidence in budgeting and accurately achieving agreed product costs and labour rates.
There are fewer nasty surprises, as most jobs are delivered to an agreed quote, while faster installation increases the on-site productivity time contractors can achieve, due to avoiding the transfer times, security and environmental challenges that can reduce the number of useful hours they can work.
Joined up thinking Every data centre presents unique challenges in terms of navigating cables into and around a building. Many factors need to be considered during the planning phase of the installation to ensure cables are mapped, routed and organised in the most effective way. If insufficient consideration is given to cable management as part of the planning process, problems can occur post-installation.
Investment in robust cable management solutions during the planning and implementation stage of an installation can therefore help to
electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk
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