Current data center development demand is off the charts, and the MEP needs of these projects are equally great. Major players in the contracting industry are betting big on the expansion of artificial intelligence (AI), anticipating that the robust demand for MEP-related installations will continue.
While structure heights and square footage vary, a typical data center can be expected to contain miles of MEP subsystems. With more than 5,000 data centers in the United States and 12,000 globally, the scale of MEP data center demand begins to become clear.
Data centers, like all buildings, require a complex interplay between electrical conduits and cabling, plumbing and drainage piping, HVAC ductwork and piping, and fire protection piping. Naturally, all these lines run near one another. Ensuring that this utility clutter fits seamlessly into walls, ceilings, and floors is where precision measurement and accurate CAD-to-BIM information becomes essential.
Digital Tools Provide Clarity
3D laser scanning, both handheld and tripod based, allows MEP professionals to carefully—and quickly—capture the as-built condition of structures. The data can be shared through increasingly sophisticated cloud-based digital reality platforms, enabling project stakeholders to view and manage critical onsite data from anywhere. Having this kind of hardware and software is not a luxury; it is critical even for smaller operations.
FARO INSIGHT®, a business of AMETEK®, Inc., offers the Focus range of laser scanner solutions (Focus Premium Max, Premium, and Focus Core), which provides exceptional capturing efficiency, data quality, and accuracy for professional applications. Focus products offer faster scanning speeds than others, reducing onsite scanning time by up to 50 percent.
The FARO INSIGHT Orbis Solution can be used to document mechanical rooms, ceilings, and utility corridors, especially in hard-to-scan locations. Engineers use the findings to model existing systems accurately for renovation or retrofit projects. The captured data can be imported into existing BIM platforms for clash detection and coordination between new and existing systems, reducing costly rework. After installation, Orbis scans can also verify that components were installed according to design, supporting quality control and as-built documentation.
The FARO INSIGHT Blink™, the most cost-effective and easiest to use of the three solutions, proves that anyone can capture, process, and share high-quality 3D data. It offers one-touch scanning, automated point cloud registration, and instant visual feedback, making it a vital tool for digital reality capture toolset.
MEP: Modernize Every Project
Contractors can modernize every project by mapping the as-built environment with precision, with help from FARO INSIGHT’s reality capture solutions. While the AI infrastructure revolution is still in the early stages, it is likely that MEP demands on the burgeoning energy economy that accompanies AI will be ongoing and intense. Seeing the inner workings of these environments with reality capture solutions is more important than ever.
For more information, visit www.faro.com.
