Data Centres

Assessment Context

Data centres in Bangladesh serve telecommunications providers, banks, government agencies, IT companies and multinational operations. Facilities range from converted office spaces with a few server racks to purpose-built facilities designed to international standards. The reliability requirements for data centres are fundamentally different from other building types — downtime has immediate and measurable financial and operational consequences.

Power Systems

Power is the most critical system in a data centre. Assessment must cover: utility power feed capacity and redundancy, transformer and switchgear configuration, generator systems (capacity, redundancy, fuel storage, automatic start and transfer), UPS systems (capacity, battery condition, bypass capability), power distribution units (PDUs), and electrical monitoring systems. Redundancy is described using N, N+1, or 2N configurations. The level of redundancy determines the facility tier and directly affects availability targets.

Cooling Systems

Server equipment generates significant heat loads. Cooling system assessment includes: total cooling capacity versus IT heat load, cooling distribution (raised-floor, in-row, overhead), redundancy of cooling units, chilled water system condition (if applicable), condensing unit placement and performance, temperature and humidity monitoring, and hot-aisle/cold-aisle containment effectiveness. In Bangladesh, high ambient temperatures and humidity make cooling system design and performance especially critical.

Structural Considerations

Server racks create concentrated floor loads significantly exceeding standard office design loads. A fully loaded 42U rack can weigh 800-1500 kg. Assessment should verify floor slab capacity for rack loads, cable tray support, raised-floor structural adequacy, and the impact of equipment vibration on the building structure. Purpose-built data centres are designed for these loads; converted facilities may not be.

Fire Suppression

Data centres typically require clean-agent fire suppression (such as FM-200 or Novec 1230) rather than water-based sprinkler systems, which would damage IT equipment. Assessment covers: suppression agent type and volume, detection system sensitivity (VESDA or equivalent), zone coverage, agent discharge testing records, and integration with HVAC shutdown on detection. Water-based suppression may still be required in non-IT areas of the building.

Physical Security

Data centres require multi-layer physical security: perimeter protection, building access control, server room access control (often biometric), CCTV surveillance with retention, visitor management, and environmental monitoring. Assessment should verify that security measures do not impede emergency evacuation.