Going With The Flow: How To Construct Data Centers With Liquid Cooling In Mind

As artificial intelligence and other technological advancements continue to put increased demands on data centers, more facility developers and operators are looking to liquid cooling to keep up. 

This technology entails utilizing a liquid coolant that is close to, and sometimes directly on, the core computing equipment to take in and dispel the heat being generated. It has the capacity to handle high-density processing units and is considerably more efficient than its conventional alternative, which utilizes air as the heat transfer medium.

It is important for data center owners to approach the transition to liquid cooling methodically and with the engagement of all stakeholders, McGough Construction Vice President of Engineered Systems Tim Eickman said.

“Liquid cooling has impacted and evolved data center design concepts,” Eickman said. “Previous designs involved implementing efforts to keep water away from sensitive IT equipment. The current design includes liquid being close-coupled directly to the processing chips because it's the most efficient way to remove heat from the high-density equipment."

Eickman and McGough Construction Vice President of Engineered Systems David Pickett said that with the direction and speed at which technology is moving forward, liquid cooling systems are growing more ubiquitous and will only continue to be more widely adopted and standardized within the industry.

General contractor McGough Construction, with its mechanical and electrical specialists, works closely with owners and clients to ensure that the liquid-cooled data centers it builds will operate as efficiently as possible while being delivered in an expedited and safe manner.  

Eickman said that asking clients key questions about capacity, flexibility, reliability and sustainability early in project development, along with operations and phasing logistics, helps determine the building design and the right sizing for the equipment and systems. 

He said there is a substantial capital expense to build these data centers, and McGough Construction wants to ensure those investments can be utilized long term.

“We have to think about how to keep these billion-dollar data centers available for the next version of technology coming out,” he said. “Liquid-cooled options help to maintain some flexibility depending upon the operating chips being designed and the hardware that will be installed both today and in the future.”

Pickett said that because liquid cooling is a new technology, industry standards have yet to be established. This is one reason it is so important to make sure the building owner and the construction team are on the same page during the design phase. 

The more engaged all stakeholders are early in the process, he said, the more likely they can avoid having to course correct if something changes to ensure the project can get finished on schedule and budget.

“Getting heavily engaged in the design, closely reviewing documents for constructibility and value engineering, and minimizing the requests for information during construction help to create a more organized site with an achievable project schedule,” Pickett said. “The more questions that are asked in the field, the more chaotic the site, so having clear and concise documents is a must.”

Eickman said quality control is vital in each stage of implementation, from the underground site work, to the building construction and equipment installation along with testing. While speed to market is extremely important, so is ensuring that the data center works properly on Day 1.

“The quality of the data center is everything,” Eickman said. “It can be installed, but if the wrong materials were used or it wasn’t built to the right specification, it will impact the timeline to turn these data centers over for operation.”

Pickett said having experienced mechanical and electrical engineers in-house who are engaged with both the design team and developer’s team is what makes McGough Construction's process unique. This group helps to bring forth value engineering and constructibility early in the design process.

He said that doing detailed reviews during the design ensures construction can stay on track and reduces change orders and overall risk on the project.

“McGough has invested and continues to invest in highly talented and experienced technical staff to try and mitigate any risks by doing deep dives into the drawings to find any issues and help the team move forward,” Pickett said. 

Pickett said that while it is common for developers to have their own standards for data centers, as they start negotiating with potential tenants these standards are often at odds with the tenant’s unique requirements.  

His advice for owners and developers getting started with liquid cooling is to select a contractor and design team that will be highly collaborative and can meet the client’s speed to market and technical goals.

“Having a construction and design team that is open to collaboration and able to adapt and advise is extremely important to achieve the best optimal outcome for all stakeholders,” Pickett said.

This article was produced in collaboration between McGough Construction and Studio B. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.

Studio B is Bisnow’s in-house content and design studio. To learn more about how Studio B can help your team, reach out to studio@bisnow.com.