data-center-construction

name	data-center-construction
description	Data center construction guidance for mission-critical facilities including power, cooling, redundancy, and commissioning.

Data Center Construction

Quick reference for construction project managers working on data center projects. Covers facility types, electrical and mechanical systems, commissioning, and compliance.

Facility Types Quick Reference

Type	Typical Size	Power Capacity	Key Characteristics
Enterprise	5,000-50,000 SF	500kW-5MW	Single-tenant, internal use
Retail Colo	10,000-100,000 SF	1-10MW	Multi-tenant, cages/cabinets
Wholesale Colo	50,000-500,000 SF	5-50MW	Large dedicated spaces
Hyperscale	100,000+ SF	20-200+ MW	Cloud providers, standardized
Edge	500-5,000 SF	50-500kW	Distributed, low latency
Modular	Varies	250kW-2MW	Prefabricated, rapid deploy

Reference: Facility Types Overview | Enterprise | Colocation | Hyperscale | Edge/Modular

Tier Classification Quick Reference

Tier	Availability	Redundancy	Annual Downtime	Concurrent Maintainable
I	99.671%	N	28.8 hours	No
II	99.741%	N+1	22.0 hours	No
III	99.982%	N+1	1.6 hours	Yes
IV	99.995%	2N or 2N+1	0.4 hours	Yes (Fault Tolerant)

Reference: Tier Classification | Wholesale vs Retail

Power Systems Quick Reference

System	Typical Rating	Redundancy	Key Considerations
Utility Service	12-35kV	Dual feeds preferred	Lead time 12-24 months
Generators	2-3 MW each	N+1 to 2N	Fuel storage 24-72 hours
UPS	500kW-2MW modules	N+1 to 2N	5-15 min runtime typical
PDU	75-500kVA	A+B feeds	Floor or rack mount
Rack Power	5-30+ kW	Dual cord	Monitor at branch level

Reference: Power Density | Electrical Redundancy | UPS Systems | Generators | Medium Voltage | Busway | STS/PDU

Cooling Systems Quick Reference

System	Capacity Range	Best Application	PUE Impact
CRAC (DX)	20-100 tons	Small/medium facilities	1.8-2.2
CRAH (CHW)	30-200 tons	Large facilities	1.4-1.8
In-Row	10-40 kW	High density zones	1.3-1.6
Rear Door HX	15-50 kW	Retrofit, high density	1.3-1.5
Liquid/Immersion	50-200+ kW/rack	AI/HPC workloads	1.1-1.3

Reference: Cooling Architectures | Aisle Containment | CHW vs DX | Free Cooling | Liquid Cooling | PUE

Physical Infrastructure Quick Reference

Element	Standard	Key Requirements
Raised Floor	18"-48" height	1,250-2,500 lb/SF loading
Ceiling Height	10'-15' clear	Above containment systems
Racks	42U-48U	2,500-3,000 lb capacity
Aisle Width	4'-6' hot/cold	Containment clearances
Floor Loading	250+ PSF	Structural coordination

Reference: Raised Floor | Cable Management | Rack Specs | White Space

Security & Life Safety Quick Reference

System	Standard	Data Center Specific
Physical Security	SOC 2, ISO 27001	Mantraps, biometrics, CCTV
Fire Detection	NFPA 72, 75, 76	VESDA, cross-zoned
Fire Suppression	NFPA 2001	Clean agent preferred
Environmental	ASHRAE TC 9.9	64-80°F, 40-60% RH

Reference: Physical Security | Fire Suppression | Environmental Monitoring | Network/Fiber

Site Infrastructure Quick Reference

Element	Requirement	Lead Time
Utility Power	Dual feeds, diverse routing	12-24 months
Water/Cooling	Municipal or reclaimed	3-6 months
Fiber Connectivity	Multiple carriers	3-12 months
Fuel Storage	24-72 hour capacity	2-4 months

Reference: Utility Power | Water | Site Selection | Fuel

Commissioning & Testing Quick Reference

Phase	Duration	Key Activities
Level 1 (Factory)	Varies	Equipment FAT
Level 2 (Installation)	2-4 weeks	Verification, MEP startup
Level 3 (Component)	2-4 weeks	Individual system testing
Level 4 (Integrated)	4-8 weeks	IST, string testing
Level 5 (Operational)	2-4 weeks	Full load, failure mode

Reference: Integrated Systems Testing | Load Bank Testing | Commissioning Sequences | Failure Mode Testing

Code & Compliance Quick Reference

Code/Standard	Application	Key Articles
NEC	Electrical	645, 708
NFPA 75	IT Equipment	Fire protection
NFPA 76	Telecom Facilities	Fire protection
ASHRAE 90.4	Energy	Data center efficiency
Uptime Institute	Tier Certification	Design/construction

Reference: Electrical Code | Fire Code | Energy Code | Specifications

Stakeholder Management

Stakeholder	Primary Concerns	Meeting Frequency
Owner/Developer	Cost, schedule, capacity	Weekly
Colo Operator	Tenant requirements, SLAs	Weekly
IT/Enterprise	Uptime, capacity, timeline	Bi-weekly
Commissioning Agent	Testing, documentation	Weekly during Cx
Utility Company	Service, capacity, schedule	Monthly
AHJ	Code compliance, inspections	As needed

Reference: Data Center Stakeholders

Related Skills

• procore-project-management: Documentation and workflow management
• vdc-bim-coordination: Complex MEP coordination for data centers
• construction-safety-management: Electrical safety, confined space, LOTO
• mechanical-plumbing-systems: Cooling systems, chillers, piping
• electrical-systems: Power distribution, UPS, generators, medium voltage
• fire-protection-systems: Clean agent, pre-action, detection systems
• low-voltage-technology: Security, monitoring, structured cabling
• commissioning-closeout: IST, commissioning sequences, testing protocols
• sustainable-systems: Energy efficiency, renewables, LEED certification