Matt Jones, commercial director of Jones Weatherproofing explains the importance of involving a weatherproofing specialist at the design stage for data centres and other mission critical buildings.
Weather related events cause between 10 and 12% of data centre outages. For data centres themselves, the consequence of downtime is extremely expensive, with research showing that the average ourly cost exceeds $300,000 (£221,410*). Industries across the UK rely on data centres for digital infrastructure, so the knock-on effect of an outage on the wider economy could be huge.
While this may seem alarmist, a recent report has warned that data centres could be vulnerable to disruptions caused by damage to buildings during extreme weather events. Such events are becoming increasingly frequent due to the climate crisis. Projections show that the UK’s weather will get wetter in winter, and both rainfall intensity and the total amount of rain that falls will rise.
However, it’s not just extreme weather events that can be an issue. Failure to consider the weatherproofing strategy at the design stage can lead to a performance gap – essentially the as-built performance is different to the building’s as-designed performance.
How weatherproofing can risk performance
When we look at data centres and other mission critical buildings, such as hospitals, certain areas of the building envelope are particularly vulnerable to water ingress. These include vertical penetrations that cater for the complex array of equipment and cabling entering the building, as well as roof penetrations and service risers.
Water ingress to building structures is potentially detrimental to the structural frame of the building itself, as well as leading to damp and mould growth.
Poor weatherproofing of vertical penetrations, roof penetrations and service risers can also compromise the energy efficiency of the building envelope. Interrupting the insulation and airtightness layers of the building envelope causes higher rates of heat transfer and warm air leakage. This places greater loads on heating and air conditioning systems, requiring more energy use. At the most extreme, it could lead to condensation within the building structure.
The problem with standardised weatherproofing
Traditionally, penetration details are closed off using a plate, mastic and membrane solution. The plates are fabricated off site, cut and overlapped onsite, mechanically fixed and sealed with mastic.
It’s these junctions, where the plates overlap that create an element of risk to the whole system. Mastic expands and contracts, ultimately drying out. As a result, it must be checked regularly as part of the building’s maintenance plan and be replaced every two years, or the weatherproofing will be compromised. Given that one data centre can feature 200 plus penetrations, this is a major undertaking.
Other options include a ‘dogbox’ (also known as junction or roof boxes). These factory-made boxes or cabinets are available in multiple sizes and are capable of accommodating multiple pipework and duct runs. There can be a tendency to ‘oversize’ the dogbox to give it the flexibility to accommodate more services. However, the larger the cabinet, the larger the penetration through the building envelope, which can create a significant thermal bridge.
Furthermore, because standardised solutions are purchased by main contractors for their functionality not aesthetics, they are usually bulky and unsightly, so do not compliment the design of the building.
As a specialist weatherproofing contractor, we have been asked to rectify issues that have occurred with standardised solutions, resulting in delays to the build and additional costs.
Prevent design conflicts by specifying a bespoke weatherproofing system
Consulting a specialist weatherproofing contractor at the design stage brings significant benefits to the project. The contractor will work with the architect or specifier to design a bespoke weatherproofing solution for the project. This will help to prevent design conflicts between building systems and mitigate risk.
Bespoke weatherproofing solutions for vertical penetrations, roof penetrations and service risers feature adaptable detailing, require no fixing joints and minimise waste on site. This helps to ensure that the building delivers its theoretical performance when built.
Collaboration with the architect or specifier will ensure that the weatherproofing design team understands the vision for the project. This means that the penetrations will complement the design aesthetic, right down to RAL colour matching. It can even be adapted to ensure a seamless, weathertight fit with curved cladding profiles that are becoming increasingly popular in current data centre design.
Bespoke detailing enables any penetration, from the simple to the most complex, to be fabricated onsite. This gives reassurance to main contractors because it allows for agile flexible delivery without any programming issues.
Essentially, involving a weatherproofing specialist early in the design process ensures that data centres and other mission critical buildings will be protected whatever the weather. This will ensure that not only will they deliver their ‘as-designed’ performance, but that aesthetics are not compromised.