Gold-standard Data Center
Marcy Marro, Managing Editor,
Posted
10/01/2012
Facebook is one of the most popular websites in
the world, and its new data center in Prineville, Ore., is the
first wholly owned and operated by the company. Considered a key
corporate asset in today's data intensive economy, data centers
house a company's computer systems and supporting
infrastructure.
Prior to building the new Prineville Data Center, Facebook
leased space from various data center providers. The new
freestanding center is one of the most energy-efficient ones ever
built, and the company's first LEED Gold certified building.
Similar in spirit to the social network's website, the data
center has a simple and minimalist design. Its exterior is clad in
nearly 50,000 square feet of T2630 metal wall panels from Metal Sales
Manufacturing Corp., Louisville, Ky., that perfectly complement
its neutral-colored concrete and surrounding landscape. The
24-gauge steel panels are exposed direct-fastened with 30-inch-wide
coverage and have an Acrylic Coated Galvalume finish. Not meant to
be showy, the energy-efficient building's exterior features a clean
and functional façade. The only hint that the building serves one
of the busiest websites in the world-housing tens of thousands of
Facebook's servers, which contain information for its 800 million
users-is the single blue flag displaying the iconic Facebook logo
outside the entrance.
A row of generators that will provide power to the
facility if commercial power is interrupted is housed on the side
of the structure. Approximately 15,000 square feet of Metal Sales'
customized T2630 perforated wall panels create a screen wall that
provides controlled access to the year. The 0.050-aluminum panels
are coated on each side with Metallic Silver PVDF (Kynar 500)
paint, and its pattern facilitates ventilation for the
diesel-fueled generators. Metal Sales worked with the project team
to develop a panel with 52.94 percent open area for ventilation
that still provided the structural integrity needed for the screen
wall.
"I am impressed with Metal Sales' ability to customize a product
that meets the specific requirements of the Facebook Data
Center Project," says Jim Stedman, president of Stedman
Sheetmetal Inc., Redmond, Ore. "The panels surrounding the
generator yard had to meet strict specifications. Metal Sales was
able to work with the design team to create a customized panel that
satisfies these requirements."
Completed in spring 2011, construction on a second identical
Prineville Data Center began that fall. Facebook will have
additional data centers in North Carolina and Sweden. Metal Sales
has been specified for the North Carolina data center, currently
under construction.
Facebook Prineville Data Center, Prineville,
Ore.
Metal installer: Stedman Sheetmetal Inc., Redmond, Ore.
Architect: Sheehan Partners, Chicago
General contractor: DPR Fortis Mission
Critical, a joint venture of DPR Construction, Redwood City, Calif., and Fortis
Construction, Portland, Ore.
Metal wall panels: Metal Sales Manufacturing
Corp., Louisville, Ky., www.metalsales.us.com.
Photo copyright: Jonnu Singleton
Photography