Dry Walling

Dry walling (also known as plasterboard, wallboard or gypsum board) is a panel made of gypsum plaster pressed between two thick sheets of paper. It is used to make interior walls and ceilings. Dry walling construction became prevalent as a speedier alternative to traditional lath and plaster. When used as a component in fire barriers, dry walling is a passive fire protection item. 


Computer Rooms / Data Centres

A Computer Room is a room that houses mainly computer servers. In information technology circles, the term is generally used for smaller arrangements of servers; larger groups of servers housed in data centres. Server rooms usually contain headless computers connected remotely via KVM switch, VNC or remote desktop.

Building a server or computer room requires detailed attention to five main design considerations:

  • Location
  • Air Conditioning
  • Room Fire Protection
  • Future Proofing
  • Redundancy

 


Raised Flooring

A raised floor (also raised flooring) or access floor(ing) (also raised access computer floor) is types of floor that provide an elevated structural floor above a solid substrate (often a concrete slab) to create a hidden void for the passage of mechanical and electrical services. They are widely used in modern office buildings, and in specialized areas such as command centers, IT data centers and computer rooms where there is a requirement to route mechanical services and cables, wiring, and electrical supply. Raised/Access Flooring can be installed at varying heights from 2 inches (51 mm) to heights above 4 feet (1,200 mm) to suit services that may be accommodated beneath. Additional structural support and lighting are often provided when a floor is raised enough for a person to crawl or even walk beneath.

This type of floor consists of a gridded metal framework or substructure of adjustable-height supports (called “pedestals”) that provide support for removable (liftable) floor panels, which are usually 2×2 feet or 60×60 cm in size. The height of the legs/pedestals is dictated by the volume of cables and other services provided beneath, but typically arranged for a clearance of at least six inches or 15 cm.

The panels are normally made of steel-clad particleboard or a steel panel with a cementitious internal core, although some tiles have hollow cores. Panels may be covered with a variety of flooring finishes to suit the application such as carpet tiles, high-pressure laminates, marble, stone, and antistatic finishes for use in computer rooms and laboratories.

Many modern computer and equipment rooms employ an under floor air distribution to ensure even cooling of the room with minimal wasted energy. Conditioned air is provided under the floor and dispersed upward into the room through regularly spaced diffuser tiles, blowers or through ducts directed into specific equipment. Automatic fire protection shutoffs may be required for under floor ventilation, and additional suppression systems may be installed in case of under floor fires.

Because the flooring tiles are rarely removed once equipment has been installed, the space below them is seldom cleaned, and fluff and other debris settles, making working on cabling underneath the flooring a dirty job. Smoke detectors under the raised floor can be triggered by workers disturbing the dust, resulting in false alarms.


Access Control

The possession of access control is of prime importance when persons seek to secure important, confidential, or sensitive information and equipment. Electronic access control uses computers to solve the limitations of mechanical locks and keys. A wide range of credentials can be used to replace mechanical keys. The electronic access control system grants access based on the credential presented. When access is granted, the door is unlocked for a predetermined time and the transaction is recorded. When access is refused, the door remains locked and the attempted access is recorded. The system will also monitor the door and alarm if the door is forced open or held open too long after being unlocked.

In computer security, access control includes authentication, authorization and audit. It also includes measures such as physical devices, including biometric scans and metal locks, hidden paths, digital signatures, encryption, social barriers, and monitoring by humans and automated systems.


Fire Control Services

Data centers feature fire protection systems, including passive and active design elements, as well as implementation of fire prevention programs in operations. Smoke detectors are usually installed to provide early warning of a developing fire by detecting particles generated by smoldering components prior to the development of flame. This allows investigation, interruption of power, and manual fire suppression using hand held fire extinguishers before the fire grows to a large size. A fire sprinkler system is often provided to control a full scale fire if it develops. Fire sprinklers require 18 in (46 cm) of clearance (free of cable trays, etc.) below the sprinklers. Clean agent fire suppression gaseous systems are sometimes installed to suppress a fire earlier than the fire sprinkler system. Passive fire protection elements include the installation of fire walls around the data center, so a fire can be restricted to a portion of the facility for a limited time in the event of the failure of the active fire protection systems, such as making sure the door is not left open. For critical facilities these firewalls are often insufficient to protect heat-sensitive electronic equipment, because conventional firewall construction is only rated for flame penetration time, not heat penetration. There are also deficiencies in the protection of vulnerable entry points into the server room, such as cable penetrations, coolant line penetrations and air ducts.


Air Conditioning

Air conditioning is the process of altering the properties of air (primarily temperature and humidity) to more favorable conditions. More generally, air conditioning can refer to any form of technological cooling, heating, ventilation, or disinfection that modifies the condition of air. In the IT industry air conditioning is primarily used to cool the equipment inside computer rooms and data centres.


Civil Works

  • Trenching and installation of Flexi Pipes
  • Building of manholes
  • Plastered brick wall
  • Excavation
  • Backfilling and compacting
  • Removal of Debris

CCTV Surveillance

Closed-circuit television (CCTV) is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors. The following are the main uses for CCTV:

  • Crime Prevention
  • Industrial Processes
  • Transport Safety

 


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