Balancing COVID-19 with Worker Safety while Maintaining Essential Critical Infrastructure Projects

Balancing COVID-19 with Worker Safety while Maintaining Essential Critical Infrastructure Projects

How one critical infrastructure construction company is continuing to support the growth of communications, data and technology clients in tandem with prioritizing safety.

It’s no doubt that the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) has spread around the world and continues to be of great concern. The concern is not only to personal safety but to the economy in large scale. As a result of the requirement to greatly reduce human-to-human contact, the construction of communications, data and technology facilities are even more essential than ever before. In most cases, technology has become the only string bonding people and communities, providing face-to-face interaction for education, healthcare, financial, etc. alongside important recreational activities like online gaming and streaming workouts.

No one knows for sure how this will impact the way we do business or interact with each other in the long run. Though what is becoming apparently clear is that those who adapt the quickest and bring real world solutions to their clients are the ones who will emerge from this tumultuous time of adjustment better able to provide value to the businesses they serve.

Modifying behaviors from the onset and being agile enough to know when quick, decisive action is pertinent not only ensures business continuity, but protects the health of the team members required to execute the work.

So much so was the concern of Constructiv, an organization focused on mission critical, 5G and edge data center deployments that they instantly implemented and trained all team members on the Standard Operating Procedure for work during pandemic events.

However, they didn’t stop there. Realizing that critical infrastructure projects require specialized expertise and an elevated level of dedication, Constructiv took matters into their own hands.

Early and continued commitment is the cornerstone for success.

In February, Constructiv began a new data center project for Data Foundry, a data center colocation provider. By March the project was in full gear and coronavirus had become a reality in the U.S.

To keep the project on schedule and the workers safe meant having to quickly implement fundamental alterations to the construction team’s behaviors that went beyond the norm. With this steadfast attitude to keep the project moving forward and adhering to OSHA and CDC guidelines, Constructiv’s safety protocol was amplified to include:

• Hyper-communication of procedural information and expectations with staff, clients, subcontractors and vendors. Operating procedures for work during pandemic events was implemented and shared with staff, clients, subcontractors and vendors. This allowed both internal and external teams know what was expected of them and how to proceed.

• Daily reporting with a Self-Disclosure Health Questionnaire for all employees, including field, office and remote workers. This was used to assess if workers were at risk of being infected or of the potential to infect others.

• Temperature screenings for all onsite workers implemented. Those with a temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or greater or those that had contact with potentially sick individuals were sent home and monitored for either quarantine or other actions.

• Contact tracing and application of separating activities was initiated. The tracking of teams as a whole or “family” was performed. This reduced the impact of one positive but asymptomatic individual entering the workspace potentially infecting the entire workforce.

• Frequent hand washing protocol was directed. Hand wash stations were placed in the pathway of construction entrances and exits.

• Cleaning and disinfection of surfaces with a CDC-approved, industrial anti-viral solution at the beginning and end of each workday required.

• Reducing human-to-human interaction was prioritized. Points of personal contact such as security badging and tool sharing were lessened to minimize daily transactions.

• Social distancing processes were launched. Besides having project meetings online, site work was coordinated in shifts. For instance, whereas the electricians and the mechanical subcontractors would not be scheduled to occupy the same workspace at the same time.

• Employing the proper and consistent use of (personal protective equipment) PPE.

These procedures were found to be so successful in maintaining safety as well as maintaining the integrity of the project and schedule that they have been incorporated into all Constructiv work going forward.

Plans are to further enhance these procedures with certain work functions such as quality control (QC) and punch list walk throughs performed virtually with the assistance of body worn video camera systems and sophisticated VR software.

This outdated data center practice is costing you big money and here’s how to avoid it

This outdated data center practice is costing you big money and here’s how to avoid it

Why does the data center industry continue to use the cost per MW model to guide design and construction decisions? There is a better method.

The use of cost per MW as the key metric early in the data center design process is prevalent in the industry. It’s often used when determining design decisions and their relation to the cost to build.

However, the metric leads to a host of inconsistencies and lost opportunity to optimize the design, taking away from the use of another metric that often is most optimal for early decision making.

As the data center industry continues to mature, the intense focus on cost per MW modeling during design is switching to a process focused on using total cost of ownership (TCO) to drive evaluation and optimize design decisions. TCO is important for evaluating costs that aren't always reflected in upfront pricing.

Contrariwise, the cost per MW model is fixated on first cost only and does not account for a true data center development strategy. And since there is so much variability in data center design and construction, the idea of using a cost per MW model across a portfolio of data centers in multiple markets is a risky measure. This may lead to decisions that do not necessarily meet the strategy of the business. A strategy that should be focused on factors that drive TCO.

Worse yet, operators in regions where the demand is largest such as, Northern Virginia or the Silicon Valley have the most to lose when cost models are not accurate. Don’t be surprised if you are one of them.

Why operators in regions where the demand is largest have the most to lose when cost models are not accurate.

To prove this point, we’ve laid out the negative effects that outweigh the benefits of using the cost per MW model as an appropriate strategy. Plus, what we at Constructiv believe are better metrics for assessing data center construction costs.

Compare and contrast the local energy costs and availability of renewables in three major regions: Northern Virginia, Phoenix and Northern California. According to JLL’s Data Center Outlook for 2019, Northern Virginia’s average cost per kWH is around 5.2 cents, Phoenix at 6.4 cents and Northern California at 13.4 cents. With this in mind, the optimal design decisions are only made by using a TCO module. The TCO will evaluate the first cost of energy efficient mechanical systems, for example, as well as the cost of energy over the lifetime of the data center.     

Furthermore, PUE is another metric in the industry used to guide design decisions. Using PUE to guide the design will dramatically change the first cost of that build. There are many variables that go into identifying the PUE of a data center facility, generally speaking though, the closer the PUE is to 1.0, the higher the upfront cost to construct.

As has been discussed heavily in the data center industry, Google has been providing data on their trailing twelve-month PUE since 2008 on the entire Google fleet. Throughout this span, Google has been able to reduce their overall PUE from 1.26 to 1.1. Google accomplished this through a variety of design elements that would drive up the cost/MW of the installation. Their decisions are likely driven by a combination of TCO modeling as well as a desire to lead the industry in energy efficiency.

Using a pure cost/MW model doesn’t allow for an intelligent evaluation or an optimal decision for the business. Contrary to the Google model, and for the bulk of data center developers, simply driving PUE down for the sake of marketing a low PUE doesn’t always drive to an optional cost decision during design. This is specifically true in very low cost of energy locations, where the payback on the higher first cost of low energy systems may be 10+ years or more. Thusly, Constructiv believes TCO modeling is the optimal way to truly make an intelligent cost-based decision.

One other consideration is the need to accommodate future change. Considering the future cost scale of the infrastructure to meet a clients’ changing needs and the flexibility of that architecture can impact the cost per MW to build. Highly flexible mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems come at a higher upfront construction cost but are essential in attracting many different customer types (hyperscale, wholesale, retail, managed service providers).   

Examples of flexible and scalable architecture include: modular power and cooling systems; prefabricated mechanical and electrical infrastructure that may be added to an active design without affecting current production; rack level cooling and row containment; and grooved mechanical piping technology. These technologies along with others are affording builders and operators alike the option to scale as the business does versus overbuilding on day one.

Using a TCO model with consideration of the necessity for future change will optimize the decision-making process during design and prohibit a myopic view of first cost/MW only.

Shaping your data center cost strategy.

Beyond the cost per kW/MW model there are a number of factors to consider. These factors are all vital inputs that dramatically effect TCO.

• The type of construction performed (greenfield vs. brownfield).

• Marketability of the property.

• Taking advantage of environmental conditions.

• True scalability for future expansions.

• Flexibility to cost effectively implement future changes.

• The implementation of energy efficient measures.

In essence, the business strategy should always drive design and TCO, which should then drive the cost molding to support decision making.   

Constructiv, as one of the nation’s principal data center sector construction and construction management firms, undertakes the accurate estimating of data center costs by considering a host of factors. Coupled with lessons learned from over 2o years in the industry.

Constructiv Builders (Constructiv) is an organization focused on mission critical, 5G and edge data center deployments. Constructiv, by viewing these installments from a constructor’s perspective, offers client’s flexibility and vast industry experience, giving them a competitive advantage in the design and build of complex technical projects.