Hardened multi story building addition includes pre-cast exterior that mimics existing architecture.
Building addition houses up to 8-2 MW generators. Critical silencers and acoustic treatment provides for near silent operation.
Expanded multi floor data center was reconfigured with strict hot/cold aisles, cable tray, fiber trough and color coded 2N electrical distribution.
Redundant generator switchgear ensures reliable and concurrently maintainable end-to-end power availability.
Compartmentalized battery rooms with remote operated switching enhances facility and operator safety.
UPS switchgear includes spares for future capacity expansion.
Generator plant features 2MW units with 80,000 gallon dedicated fuel supply. The system is expandable to 16MW (N+1).
Data Center Hardening and Expansion
Client: The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (HIG)
Summary: Enterprise data center hardening and expansion demonstrates the knowledge and expertise of SIGMA7s architects and engineers in the design and delivery of robust data center solutions. The team upgraded The Hartford Financial Services Group live data center to Tier III (concurrently maintainable) standards to ensure ongoing reliability, provide future growth and resilience without operational disruption to the facility.
The Hartford Financial Services Group (HIG), one of the largest international investment and insurance companies based in the United States contacted SIGMA7 design group to assist them with the consolidation of their enterprise data centers as well as the hardening, expansion, and upgrade of the existing aging enterprise data center located in Central Connecticut.
After studying the existing physical infrastructure and analysis of their ongoing IT growth and expansion, the scope of the project was finalized. The project’s objective -- to enhance the data center’s resilience and reliability while increasing the power and cooling infrastructure capacity. The existing Tier I facility would be upgraded to a Tier III (concurrently maintainable) facility. The data center white space expanded to 60,000 SF. The live/online upgrade to the enterprise level data center facility included phased renovation and expansion of the entire two floor data center.
Installation of a new redundant heat rejection system that utilizes both water cooled and air-cooled chillers, along with the enhancement and increase to the incoming electrical utility service capacity to 15MVA, also 2N redundant provided a solid foundation for the new physical plant.
The upgraded electrical and mechanical infrastructure is housed in a new dedicated 35,000 SF multi-story building addition for the new critical infrastructure. The electrical infrastructure, end-to-end 2N critical power. The mechanical infrastructure, based on N+2 redundancy is designed utilizing a new air-cooled chiller plant consisting of two (2) 500T units capable of providing free cooling. The waterless heat rejection plant maximizes the efficiency of annual cooling costs, eliminates reliance on water, and reduces sewage discharge. The air-cooled plant complements the existing water-based heat rejection system. One (1) of the centrifugal chillers, was determined to be nearing end-of-service-life and was replaced with a new reliable modern unit with increased operational efficiency.
Several temporary interim power and cooling solutions were designed, implemented, and eventually removed as part of the overall project phasing plan to assure zero downtime.
Both floors of the data center were reconfigured with a strict hot/cold aisle layout and included a secure segregated mechanical gallery to house the mechanical (CRAH) units and the chilled water loop piping. This operational improvement would reduce the number of non-IT staff and technicians working within the white space while improving upon the security of the production floor.
The low ceilings were raised, new high efficiency lighting installed, and a live ceiling support system was implemented along with multi-tier cable trays and fiber troughs for the distribution of all communications cabling (formerly located within the access floor plenum.). The support system eliminated the need to remove ceiling tiles for equipment moves, adds, and changes.
Removal of the chilled water piping and communications cabling, which traversed the under-floor plenum and created multiple air dams, opened up the space and significantly improved airflow. The floor plenum is dedicated solely to the distribution of power to the equipment.
A new dedicated and secure 7,500 SF consolidated tape vault, library, and operations facility was also implemented.
Other improvements included re-design of the areas surrounding the data center and infrastructure addition. Adjacent on-site surface parking was relocated to accommodate the building expansion and to establish reinforced security rings to protect this critical asset.
Despite the significant upgrades, the operation of this live enterprise data center experienced zero production downtime during the implementation of this significant infrastructure replacement and enhancement project -- a 5-year timeframe requiring multiple phases of work to complete this complex project.
This project included development, design, and project delivery as well as on-site coordination, full start-up, commissioning, and integrated testing by the SIGMA7 architectural and engineering team.
