ACO Water Management has supplied two bespoke attenuation tanks to keep a major new data centre running smoothly and safe from flooding.
With data centres becoming critical pieces of infrastructure these gigantic buildings are now emerging across the globe, and, given their purpose, avoiding failure or damage to is non-negotiable. However, as part of one data centre construction project in Ireland, it was found that existing surface water drainage tanks at the site would be inadequate for where the building was being planned.
While the existing tanks would likely be able to handle the necessary amount of water, they would almost certainly collapse under the significant weight of the new data centre and its components. After a thorough consultation, two attenuation tanks constructed through ACO’s StormBrixx HD geocellular stormwater management system were selected. 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, and reached 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 equipment. The tanks would have to bear the combined load of all these permanent components, estimated to be 30kn/m2 .
Along with the weight concern, the installers would need to fit the tanks around the building’s foundations, meaning the solutions needed to work in a relatively limited space. The water table was an additional concern as it sat 250mm above the base of the tanks.
After ensuring they had a complete understanding of the project and its various restrictions, ACO 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 . Crucially, due to StormBrixx’s modular nature, they were able to construct tanks as large as 1,400m3 and 1,350m3 .
The site itself is very compact, so the tank’s installers had to manage working around the tight footprint within a restrictive timescale. As StormBrixx’s cells are stackable, one articulated truck can store up to 88 pallets or 309 cubic metres of attenuation cells. This meant fewer deliveries were needed compared to traditional systems of this size.
Along with StormBrixx’s ability to carry a significant amount of weight and attenuate a large amount of water, they also address the fundamental requirement of access and maintenance for SuDS Approval Boards (SABS) and water companies. The open cell structure permits completely free access for CCTV and jetting equipment which allows the entire system to be inspected and maintained from just a few access points. With SuDS being a growing requirement among many developments, it is important that consultation with SuDS experts, such as those at ACO, occur in the early stages of the project. www.aco.co.uk