ACO Water Management has revealed details of its work to keep a new data centre running smoothly and safe from flooding.
With data centres becoming critical pieces of infrastructure in an increasingly digitalised world, these buildings are emerging across the globe. As part of one data centre construction project in Ireland, it was found that existing surface water drainage tanks at the site would likely collapse under the weight of the new centre and its components.
A solution was found in the form of two attenuation tanks constructed through ACO’s StormBrixx HD geocellular stormwater management system. StormBrixx is a patented plastic geocellular stormwater management system for attenuation and soakaway as part of a sustainable urban drainage (SuDS) scheme.
A specialist engineering firm led the design and specification, reaching out to ACO for advice. The data centre would eventually rest on a concrete slab, upon which several generators would be placed along with a considerable amount of highly sensitive and heavy electrical kit. The tanks would have to bear the combined load of all these permanent components.
The installers would also need to fit the tanks around the building’s foundations, while the water table was an additional concern as it sat 250mm above the base of the tanks.
ACO sales manager Eoghan Liston and Ross Stewart, ACO regional manager, recommended tanks made to fit around the data centre’s foundations. Comprised of StormBrixx HD units, the solutions would have a vertical compressive strength of 455kn/m2. Due to StormBrixx’s modular nature, they were able to construct tanks as large as 1,400m3 and 1,350m3, as was required by the project.
ACO sent samples to the site for assembly and testing. A scaled down sample tank had a one-tonne block lowered onto it, showing the units could withstand the forces and weight they would be subjected to.
One of the major considerations involved the logistics of getting the new tanks in position. As part of installation, the previous tanks had to be excavated and the pits in which they were placed needed to be filled in. New pits had to be dug and then the new tanks could be installed. ACO explained the site itself is very compact, so the installers had to manage working around the tight footprint within a restrictive timescale.
StormBrixx’s design was advantageous in this regard. As the cells are stackable, one articulated truck can store up to 88 pallets or 309 cubic metres of attenuation cells. In this project, fewer deliveries were needed compared to traditional drainage systems of this size.
ACO added that the smaller number of deliveries allowed for the site to become similar to a production line, in which one tank was removed, a new hole was dug, the old hole filled in, and the new tank installed.
Along with StormBrixx’s ability to carry a significant amount of weight and attenuate a large amount of water, they also address the requirement of access and maintenance for SuDS Approval Boards (SABS) and water companies. The open cell structure permits free access for CCTV and jetting equipment, which allows the system to be inspected and maintained from just a few access points.
Eoghan Liston said, “This was by no means a simple project, but ACO had the quality of product and expertise to successfully complete it.
“There were many restrictions and requirements that we had to contend with and thanks to early consultation and regular communication, we were able to design and deliver a solution that is entirely bespoke and meets every single one of the project’s needs.”
