Data Centre Construction is Highly Time-sensitive
Data centre projects are built around one critical objective: on-time commissioning. Every day lost can affect downstream trades, delay progress payments, push back commissioning milestones and increase project costs. Yet many programme delays originate from a source that is often overlooked during planning and design: the concrete system itself.
- Download for later: Surfside EC4 Data Centre case study
The concrete itself isn’t the issue. Data centres use many of the same materials and construction methods found elsewhere. The difference is that a few weeks of delay can have a far greater impact on programme costs and commissioning targets.
The Hidden Cost of Sequencing Problems
Many project delays commonly attributed to individual trades are actually sequencing issues that began much earlier in the programme. Slabs that are not ready for waterproofing, coatings, fit-out works or service installations can create bottlenecks that ripple through the entire project.
MARKHAM’s experience across data centre projects has shown that seemingly small decisions made during the curing and early treatment stages can significantly affect construction speed and efficiency.
When Moisture Controls the Programme
One of the most common causes of delay in concrete construction is moisture. Coatings, membranes and waterproofing systems frequently depend on specific moisture conditions before installation can proceed. Waiting for concrete to dry can impact trade sequencing and slow progress towards commissioning.
Excess moisture can prevent waterproofing systems from being installed on schedule. In other cases, incompatible curing methods create remediation work that was never budgeted for. Delaying concrete treatment can also force later trades to work around completed services, increasing complexity and cost.
The result is often programme disruption, variation costs and delays that could have been avoided with earlier planning.
Rather than treating moisture as a problem to be addressed later, MARKHAM advocates controlling moisture within the slab from the outset. By incorporating suitable concrete treatment systems early in construction, it becomes possible to reduce dependencies on drying periods and accelerate readiness for subsequent trades.
The result? Waterproofing contractors can start earlier. Fit-out teams face fewer delay points. Commissioning milestones are easier to maintain.
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Designing for Long-Term Performance
For data centres, construction efficiency is only part of the equation. Designers must also consider how the facility will operate over decades of service.
Dusting, surface degradation and waterproofing failures may be inconvenient in many commercial buildings. In a live data centre environment, they can become much more significant operational risks. Dust can affect sensitive equipment, while maintenance access becomes increasingly difficult once server halls are fully commissioned.
Control the System, Control the Programme
When it comes to data centre delivery, concrete is rarely the problem. More often, delays arise because moisture management, curing compatibility and long-term durability weren’t considered early enough in the design process.
Planning a new data centre project? Get in touch with MARKHAM to discuss how concrete design and treatment strategies can help reduce delays and keep your project moving forward.
Looking for more learning on this topic? Try our on-demand webinar, “From Pour to Commissioning“.
