Overview: FTI Leads $3.25M Data Hall Expansion in Atlanta, Showcasing Expertise in Electrical & HVAC Installations
FTI led a $3.25 million expansion project for a client located in Atlanta, Georgia, that operates data server halls for companies to rent. FTI’s relationship with the client began in 2014 when they sought assistance with installing receptacles for data servers. Since then, FTI has worked on various-sized projects, building trust through quality work. This trust led to FTI winning the bid for a data hall expansion project at two of the client’s existing data center sites.
The first site required a complete build-out of a new electrical room, including setting and wiring four 600 kilowatt (kW) generators, two 4,000A generator switchboards and a new 4,000-amp service from the utility transformer to the switchboard. The second site involved installing five new large air conditioning units, dual-fed by 150-amp breakers in associated main distribution units, along with control wiring and emergency power off wiring.
Given the project’s scope, it was crucial to demonstrate FTI’s capabilities, starting with meticulous planning. 3D images were used to design the Unistrut racks, and conduit 90 assemblies fabricated by the FTI’s manufacturing team. Close collaboration among our teams throughout planning, fabrication and installation ensured everything was in the right place at the right time.
Challenges: FTI Ensures Timely Project Completion Through Effective Communication & Agile Management
Maintaining open lines of communication between FTI teams, the client and the general contractor was crucial for the timely completion of this project. Since the site remained functional throughout the work, extensive coordination with the client was necessary. FTI team members worked closely with the client to ensure that outages were communicated and approved in advance.
Another challenge was the confined workspaces. Due to limited space on the sites, most of the equipment had to be stored at our nearby manufacturing facility, where FTI team members managed the distribution of equipment to ensure just in time delivery.
The client purchased equipment and FTI stored and installed it. However, when the client reported equipment delays on their end the team remained agile, shifting their focus to work on other elements of the job while waiting for the equipment to arrive. As schedules changed due to various delays, FTI project managers meticulously scheduled and rescheduled subcontractors as necessary. By maintaining weekly calls both internally and externally with the client, general contractor and subcontractors, the FTI team ensured the optimal use of resources.
Solutions: FTI Uses Energy DNA™ to Optimize Microgrid System with Renewable Energy & Storage Solutions
This is one of the first projects to use Energy DNA, FTI’s energy modeling tool, to design, install and optimize the microgrid system with a mix of renewable energy, energy storage and other assets.
Energy DNA is a tool that can create multiple iterations of potential system sizing and configuration and determine the overall system impact on carbon intensity (CI), capital costs and operational impacts. The extensive focus on modeling allowed the ideal configuration to be identified and realized through the engineer, procure and construct (EPC) project.
