This new 2,200 SF computer room at NOAA’s David Skaggs Research Center is built to handle the rigorous environ­mental and electrical demands of a new NOAA weather research supercomputer. The room’s specialized air conditioning system, which is configured for N+1 redundancy, cools 350 watts/sf in the high-density areas. Seventy percent of the cooling is distributed through raised-floor space with the remainder distributed by overhead cooling modules. A 500 kVa UPS accommodates the extreme densities required for initial loads and future upgrades of computer rack equipment. Since the existing standby generator is at capacity, a dedicated 400 kVa UPS allows the air conditioning units to continue operating through a manual shutdown should power fail. The fire protection system includes clean-agent suppression and wet sprinkler sys­tems and an ultra-sensi­tive detector that samples air from many points in the room.

Awards

Colorado Construction, Silver Hard Hat Award, Outstanding Mechanical/Electrical Project, 2007