$8 Million in Electrical Work on BJC Data Center Completed

Work has been completed on BJC Healthcare's new central data center in O'Fallon, MO. PayneCrest Electric and Communications, Inc. has completed an $8 million electrical design and installation project for the new primary data center.

Built to LEED standards, the 40,000-square-foot Tier III data center is located on BJC's 48-acre Progress West HealthCare Center campus in O'Fallon, Mo. It hosts patient and billing records for the entire healthcare organization, consisting of 13 hospitals and more than 100 healthcare sites in Missouri and Illinois.

As part of its $8 million electrical contract, PayneCrest provided engineering assistance to deliver cost efficiencies while installing two independent electrical systems, each served byback-up generators, to ensure 24/7 data integrity. The system consists of two independent 12,470 kilovolt (KV) services each with a primary panel and substation transformer along with 480 volt (V) distribution switchgear and switchboards supported by paralleling switchgear. The generators were also tied into the campus-wide electrical distribution system to boost its back-up power capability.

PayneCrest installed an underground maze of 345 conduit runs - totaling roughly 43,000 feet of conduit - in multiple layers eight feet below the finished floor. The building shell and core were constructed to state-of-the-art standards for mission critical facilities. Finishes include:
• True N+1 power sourcing - with two dedicated on-site substations;
• Seismic resistant and rated to withstand F-3 category tornados;
• Capacity for up to eight power distribution units (PDU) feeding 13 floor distribution centers (FDCS) that power 20 rows of server racks. Each row can host up to 14 racks.
• Multiple fire suppression features including traditional sprinkler, clean agent extinguisher and pre-action sprinkler; and
• Plenum cabling.

Upon opening, the facility has an immediate power supply of 2.5 million volt amps (MVA) for each electrical system, expandable to 3.75 MVA per system with transmission and delivery rates at transmission-grade level enabling it to support next-generation, high-density systems.

PayneCrest also installed a building automation system designed by Johnson Controls which routes all mechanical, electrical, fire alarm, and security monitoring and control points to a central monitoring system.

The project team included Clayco Construction Co., construction manager; Arcturis, architect and civil engineer; CJL Engineering of Moon Township, Penn., electrical and mechanical engineer; and C&R Mechanical, HVAC design assist.

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