Ventilation
The essential role of the flues in data centre design and construction
Continually growing demand for UK data centres means that disruption to a facility’s design, construction or commissioning phase can have pronounced knock-on effects for contractors. Dean Moffatt, Schiedel’s technical sector expert, explores why flues should be considered early on in potential builds, and the cost of treating this often-overlooked component as an afterthought
T
he UK data centre market is booming, with market reports stating an anticipated 5% growth per year that will leave the sector worth almost £15.5bn in 2028, up from approximately £12bn today. Given the UK’s status as the third-largest data centre market, this news should not surprise. However, it does lead to the question – how are these new facilities built and are HVAC services added in a timely manner? Because make no mistake, there will be intensifying demand for data centre construction, with Savills reporting that Europe’s pipeline of planned data centre projects must double by 2025 to meet user demand. Of course, this is to say nothing of the growth anticipated up to 2028, which even if fractionally inaccurate still points to a rapidly expanding market. Yet if the market’s projections are considered alongside previous growth markers, confidence that the sector will continue to boom should not be seen as misplaced. For instance, analysis from International Energy Agency has previously stated that since 2010 the number of internet users worldwide has more than doubled, and global internet traffic has expanded 25-fold. While sector infrastructure has become
Left: Dean Moffatt, Schiedel’s technical sector expert
working on new projects need to take a holistic view of all aspects of the data centre, from temperature control systems, to rack density, to server hall layouts. This need for meticulous planning should extend to smaller but no less critical aspects of the build, including flues. Considered by themselves, this component
more energy-efficient in that time, it would be optimistic to assume that existing facilities alone can cope with further anticipated growth. This is especially the case with new data-intensive technologies including AI being adopted across sectors and society.
Efficient, holistic project management
Faced with these sector pressures, there are clearly pressing challenges for those involved in data centre construction. To meet this continually accelerating demand for new facilities, efficient project management is a must. As part of this, those
can seem simple. Regardless, they are crucial to addressing issues that may arise during the design and construction phase, and for ensuring operational continuity – a key consideration in a sector where uptime must be continually maintained. For instance, to achieve Tier IV classification, a facility must show robust fault tolerance, and flues play a crucial role in ensuring backup generators continue running if a facility’s mains power supply is disrupted. Yet they are similarly crucial earlier in the build phase, as installing this key component too late can impact and disrupt other essential building services. For example, it is not uncommon to find other
HVAC systems or power cabling installed in areas intended for flues, necessitating additional time spent adapting designs or carrying out remedial
www.heatingandventilating.net
26 November 2023
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