On-time, on budget. Delivering greater cost certainty for aisle containment installations

In the next in our blog series, Mark Halsey, our Global Product Director considers how modular, off-site construction for data centre aisle containment is providing cost and project certainty for operators.

According to a 2020 report by global engineering and consulting firm, Arup[1], off-site construction can result in cost savings of up to 20 per cent for data centre projects. It cites factors such as reduced labour costs, shortened project timelines, improved quality control, and reduced waste.

However, achieving these significant time and cost efficiencies requires careful planning, working with a reputable provider that can advise throughout the commissioning process and beyond on the size and layout of the design, to help meet the precise cooling demands.

Here are Mark’s top tips for commissioning your aisle containment system to achieve maximum return on investment.

1. Design correctly

   Aisle containment systems can be complex to design and require a high level of technical expertise to achieve both the energy performance required as well as the longer-term return on investment.  Errors made during the design stage can result in longer-term inefficiencies or rework, impacting on ongoing maintenance and future upgrades and replacement too.

   So, when considering the benefits of off-site manufacturing, it’s well worth consulting an experienced designer and manufacturer. Not only will the supplier understand the specific demands of the data centre environment but can also ensure that all of the benefits of modular construction – from reducing time and complexity, to achieve cost certainty – can be realised fully.

2. Plan your installation

   Traditional on-site construction can result in unexpected costs due to delays, rework, and the need for additional resources. It is well worth coordinating delivery and installation with the manufacture to ensure the time savings in installation are realised fully.

   For example, with component parts prefabricated off-site, on-site labour can be reduced, which often represents a significant proportion of the overall project budget. Compared to traditional stick-build methods, the costs savings can soon add up – minimising the number of different trades on site.

   Arup's report also notes that off-site construction can help to mitigate some of the risks associated with on-site construction, such as safety concerns, by taking the traditional build elements away from the busy data centre environment to a quality-control manufacturing plant.

3. Standardise the design

   To streamline the supply chain and enable faster order-to-install completion, consider working with your off-site manufacturer to standardise the design of your aisle containment system.

   This can have the added benefit of reducing potential supply chain delays.  With multiple orders being handled simultaneously, it is likely that the manufacturer will be purchasing stock ahead of schedule, making it easier to handle orders ‘on demand.’

   In addition, intelligent, repeatable, modular designs will also be engineered to minimise the number of different components parts required; another positive factor which can enable a faster order-to-install completion.

4. Prioritise quality control:

   Off-site manufacture offers improved quality control compared to on-site construction, but it's still important to work with your manufacturer to ensure that all components meet strict quality standards.

   All products incorporated into our new Aisle Containment System meet global data centre specification and are designed according to DfMA (Design for Manufacture and Assembly) and FEA (Finite Element Analysis) methods. This provides a guarantee that they are both high-quality and fully standardised.

   Built in our quality-controlled manufacturing facility, every component is cut to the desired length in a controlled environment and is therefore of a proven standard.

   All components will also be manufactured in the UK or Europe and stamped with a batch number. This acts as a guarantee of their quality and enables them to be traced back to the steel manufacturer in the event of any issues.

5. Plan for future upgrades:

   While you may not need additional capacity immediately, it's important to design your aisle containment system with future growth in mind. This can help to minimise the need for costly upgrades or replacements further down the line. Furthermore, using off-site manufacture can provide greater flexibility in terms of project budgeting. Because costs are more predictable, operators can more easily adjust their budgets and resources to meet changing project needs. This can be especially important in the data centre industry, where the need for capacity can change rapidly.