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Conduit

HP&D news and information blog

Bring on the Heat: Getting the Cooling Closer to IT Equipment

By Conduit

The data center industry is exploring the benefits of bringing liquid cooling systems closer to the heat load (IT equipment) as opposed to the prevalent air-cooled systems. There is a growing interest in the industry to implement these new systems on a larger scale. Although our interactions with these systems have been on a small scale, our experience with multiple projects where this approach was implemented has provided valuable insights into the challenges and considerations for…

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Replacing Aging Relays – Case Studies

By Conduit

Previously, we wrote about the need to replace aging electronic relays as they reach their end-of-life. Affected facility owners have an opportunity to choose from a wide variety of replacement alternatives. The new relay selection process can be daunting as the market is flooded with devices that offer a wide range of features. Because of the level of complexity, many owners hire third-party consultants to assist with selection, testing, and installation. As a consultant and…

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Hood Patterson & Dewar Named 2023 Commissioning Giant

By Conduit
We are pleased to announce that Hood Patterson & Dewar is in the top tier of the 25 firms recognized on the Consulting-Specifying Engineer’s 2023 Commissioning Giants list for the fifth consecutive year. “We are proud to receive this recognition as it is a testament to the unwavering faith our clients have in us,” said Mike Bryan, President and CEO. “Our success is a direct result of the dedication and hard work of our exceptional team, coupled...
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Substation Safety – Are You Rock Solid?

By Conduit
Substation design typically calls for 2-6” of aggregate (crushed rock) as a top layer upon completion of construction. This layer serves several purposes, including improved vehicle access, reduced erosion, and suppression of vegetation. Another significant function of this layer is to provide personnel safety by increasing the allowed (maximum permissible) touch and step potential values versus native soil. When the aggregate becomes a critical part of the site’s safety, knowledge of the aggregate’s composition and...
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Pre-Commissioning Readiness – The Missing Piece of the Puzzle

By Conduit
Quality installation is the goal for all construction projects – especially data centers. Today’s construction environment has created a perfect storm of obstacles to the quality goal: complex equipment and systems, numerous equipment vendors, skill disparity, speed of construction, equipment delays, and a constant squeeze on prices and margins. On many projects, these challenges create a gap in the quality process that, if unaddressed, leads to a less-than-desirable outcome. The solution to this gap is...
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QA/QC – It’s More than a Checklist

By Conduit
Mechanical and electrical Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC) play a significant role in today’s data center construction. Coordinating all design, construction, installation, and start-up efforts in any project involving multiple trades and interests is challenging due to differences in participant philosophies and overall approaches. While this role was not essential in the past, the schedule, size, and complexity of today’s facilities mean QA/QC is necessary to keep projects on time and on budget. The...
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A Safety Perspective – What Makes an Electrical Worker Qualified?

By Conduit
Contact with electricity is a significant cause of workplace injuries and fatalities. While many of these incidents can be prevented by ensuring only qualified workers perform all electrical work, what education, training, and experience make an electrical worker qualified? The answer is “it depends.” To properly answer this question, we must examine the nature of the work, the tasks to be performed, the methods to be utilized, the regulations involved, the risk of electric shock...
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Company Culture: The Key to Long-Term Success

By Conduit
Many companies in the United States measure their success by benchmarks known as key performance indicators (KPIs) - most commonly revenue growth, profit margin, and labor productivity. Best practices state that KPIs must be clear, meaningful, cost-effective, realistic, aligned with objectives, and measured regularly. Investor-owned and large companies in the service industry are likely to be data-driven, but what happens to these companies and their cultures when they are primarily accountable to reports, metrics, and...
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Are You Safety Compliant? The Importance of Safety, Health, and Environmental Audits

By Conduit

Facility managers should review safety practices often to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. A safety, health, and environmental audit assesses an organization’s ability to protect against occupational injuries, illnesses, property damage, and negative environmental impacts while ensuring regulatory compliance, protecting the organization’s brand, and potentially preventing financial losses. Where Do I Start? Safety, health, and environmental audits are essential for protecting people, profits, and the environment. While safety audits are not required for every workplace,…

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Have You Been Snubbed? A Transformer Case Study

By Conduit

A manufacturing company was building a small data center fed by several 3000kVA, 4160/480V, dry-type, delta/wye transformers. Upon energization of one transformer from an alternate feed, a fault occurred, which caused its upstream medium voltage (MV) breaker to trip. The transformer was then re-energized from the primary feed, and facilities management personnel observed a flash. Assuming the breaker was the issue, the team inspected and tested the breaker.  Finding no obvious problems with the breaker,…

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