Doing this allows us to combine efficiency of performance with economies of scale on buying, for example, larger quantities of single gauge of pipe.. For ease of installation, we use pre-wired electrical products wherever possible.
This has increased insurance costs for mass timber construction.It is common practice to solve the problem by enclosing timber for increased fire protection.
Unfortunately, this generates additional carbon emissions and waste.. Another issue with glulam and CLT is the debonding of layers during a fire.The glue can start evaporating at a relatively low temperature causing engineered timber to fall apart even before it burns.If the timber only chars, it might remain stable but may not be suitable for compartmentation as smoke can break through at joints.. Our response is to:.
- Use engineered timber in lower buildings with a decreased risk of vertical propagation.. - Involve specialist contractors and fire specialists from early stages to ensure the material’s structural integrity in the event of fire and robust co-ordination between disciplines.. - Engage early with statutory bodies, supply chain, and timber contractors.. - Consider the use of sacrificial layers of timber to protect the rest of the structure and potentially result in self extinguishment.. - Use timber fire treatment such as intumescent paint to prevent the spread of fire and reduce the amount of smoke produced, taking account of the impact on recyclability.. - As a last resort, consider full fire bonding if there is a risk of debonding of layers.This scenario is appropriate in multistorey residential buildings.. Other general concerns when using CLT include:.
- Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s).
- Shortage of construction expertise.It means our clients can make arrangements for carbon offsetting prior to the data centre facility being handed over.. We continue to investigate and take opportunities to make use of the heat that is generated by the cooling of data centres.
with provision for heat export suitable for connection to district heating or industrial processes where viable.. We are also working with data centre clients on alternative sources of clean energy; an area where we see significant potential for data centres to become autonomous, and to promote the use of cleaner standby power systems.. A positive future for data centre design.As society’s requirement for data processing grows, so the market for data centres will continue to grow – and at a frantic pace.
The potential impact of our integrated approach, therefore, driving efficiency and improving performance, will only be more important for our clients and their customers..It is not sustainable, or desirable, to continue building more and more traditional data centres.