Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/522582
18 | THE DATA CENTER JOURNAL www.datacenterjournal.com a s a new construction project or renovation comes to a close, it is vital that indi- viduals gather, catalog and store the project documen- tation. ere are four key types of data that individuals need to have in hand at the project's end: 1. Operation and maintenance manuals from the equipment manufacturers 2. As-built drawings from all con- struction disciplines 3. Warranty certificates from all equipment manufacturers and contractors 4. Final testing and commissioning documents oPeration anD maintenanCe manuals Operation and maintenance manuals provide valuable information on how to operate and care for site equipment. is vital information is needed to properly operate the myriad equipment that has just been installed. It is unlikely that consul- tants or staff will remember every detail of the training they received on how to operate new chillers, generators, uninter- ruptible power supplies (UPSs) and so on. e operations manuals are analogous to the new-car manual sitting in a glove box. If the owner can't remember how to reset the clock on the dash, consulting the manual is necessary. It is no different for an error message on an air handler; if the manuals are on site and available as a hard or so copy, an immediate resource is there for reference. From a maintenance perspective, the manuals provide informa- tion such as what types of maintenance to perform and how oen, as well as which fluids or parts are required for the maintenance. is sort of information should be reviewed and documented in a preventative-maintenance schedule that the internal or external maintenance staff uses to safeguard the massive data center investment. Preventative-maintenance schedules can be as simple as Excel spread- sheets or as sophisticated as the many computerized maintenance-management soware (CMMS) packages that track maintenance schedules, service calls, as- sets and work tickets. DraWings anD sPeCifiCations For any new or renovation project, architects and engineers prepare a detailed set of drawings and specifications to describe the components and system that will make up the structure. e construc- tion documents are the results of count- less hours of design, planning, equipment selection and analysis of how a company wants the data center to perform. ey are then given to the general contractors and Subcontractors that are then charged with constructing the data center. It is extreme- ly rare that a construction project does not encounter changes or modifications owing to unforeseen circumstances or lack of coordination between disciplines. In fact, it is not unusual that a sprinkler head ends up in the middle of a light fixture, or a section of duct is intersected by a conduit. It is the responsibility of all the contractors working on the project to document those revisions and to prepare a set of "as-built" drawings at the end of the project. ese drawings then become the record draw- ings for the facility, documenting every aspect of the building process. In today's era of CAD and BIM mod- eling for creating drawings, these changes need to be made in the native format and delivered electronically as either CAD or PDF files. Ideally the facility owner will be given CAD files to enable use at a later date when additional facility modifica- tions are made. All drawings need to be retained, but as-built drawings from the following disciplines are particularly important to keep track of: Architectural: Documents how the building shell and interior was constructed and what materials were used Civil: Documents the site development and storm water Structural: Documents the footing, foundations and structural skeleton of the facility (don't forget to get a copy of the structural calculations) Fire suppression and detection: Documents the fire systems Consultants are often called on by data center owners to perform an analysis or begin design for an expansion or renovation. One of the first questions asked, typically before the first site visit, is "Do you have 'as-built' drawings of your facility?" More often than not, the response is, "We will have to look." Or "I don't think so." Why is this question so critical? Because as-built drawings are the history of any mission-critical facility. These files document all the changes that have been made over the lifespan of the building and its infrastructure. They are extremely important, but we have found drawings in garbage cans, in wooden crates, stuffed in desks or hidden away in closets; worst of all, some no longer exist.