Redefining data centres: Innovation, sustainability and the future of construction | Lincoln Wood, Edged

These days, additional layers of data are being added in, so that our design decisions are really being driven by data now.

Cundall updated the calculations at every stage of design, from the Business as Usual (BaU) design in 2018, the incorporation of P-DfMA by Bryden Wood in 2019, through to completion in 2023.The BaU scheme was a traditionally designed office building with a steel frame and a concrete slab, a large basement beneath both buildings and gas fired heating system.

In contrast, the built scheme used P-DfMA, worked to minimise the size of the basement and decarbonised the MEP services using heat pumps..The results showed that the upfront carbon (the carbon used on day one to manufacture the materials, transport them to site, and to install them) was reduced by.between the BaU scheme and the as-built performance of the P-DfMA scheme.

This is a significant improvement which can be attributed to both the use of DfMA and the low carbon specification of materials..Embodied carbon comparisons.

The breakdown on a whole life basis (the embodied carbon both on day one and ongoing across the next 60 years, accounting for any maintenance and repairs and what happens when the building or components are at their end of life), shows the superstructure, external wall including curtain walling, and MEP to be the predominant contributors to the whole life carbon.

These are the main areas where lessons can be learned on how to reduce embodied carbon.. As-built embodied carbon analysis.The standardisation process reduces the volume of materials and the number of construction elements which in turn reduces the capital cost of the project.

The repetition of components at a large scale can reduce the cost of standardised elements.. A Platforms digital workflow delivers tremendous improvements to the procurement process.Having all data centralised in a BIM model provides instant access to both the cost and availability of a project’s components, and creates a more direct relationship with the supply chain cutting down transaction costs..

Reduced programme:.The design of each assembly and junction can be pre-tested and individually certified to Passivhaus standards before being included within any design.