Upgrading live data centers or other facilities can be very complex and is typically a much more difficult and intricate task, than designing new. Dealing with aged equipment, older design topologies, and, of course, SLA’s for existing tenants (both external and internal) make renovating these occupied facilities a challenge.
Service providers and building owners cannot afford mistakes which put the facility’s live load at risk and potentially hurt their own internal client’s businesses, or their client’s downstream clients, which may be even more important!
There are many critical things to consider when upgrading existing facilities. From a design perspective, these include:
With all this being said, BIM has huge advantages in this process. From point cloud scans of the existing building and equipment to using software for verifying the current models (if any, we not these can be modelled based on the point cloud) This will allow for a clear visual on move in / move out zones, site logistics, spatial requirements, service installation and sequencing to programming.
