1623 Farnam from Omaha, Neb. Commissions $40M Data Center Expansion Project

Network-neutral data center colocation provider 1623 Farnam partners with Olsson on the commissioning of their new $40 million data center expansion project. As an employee-owned engineering and design firm, Olsson will carry out the multi-level commissioning process to ensure all aspects of new data center construction are functioning properly and within industry standards. Phase one of the commissioning process has recently been completed.

The data center commissioning process consists of five levels, from planning and design all the way through building-wide integrated systems testing. Based on the ASHRAE Standards and Guidelines, commissioning ensures that all cooling, electrical, and machinery systems operate as intended.

Level zero begins with the commissioning authority’s involvement in the data center design stage, followed by test observation at the factory where equipment is assessed before shipping. Once at the site, equipment is again tested and verified during installation and startup. Finally, an integrated systems test is performed to ensure the system operates holistically as designed. Additionally, the commissioning authority develops test scripts and maintains detailed logs to make sure any issues are corrected.

According to 1623 Farnam, this commissioning process is essential to a successful data center project to avoid any critical equipment failure and to ensure backup systems respond correctly.

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“I have worked with Olsson on other data center projects in the past, which they completed efficiently and effectively, so when it came time to select an engineering firm to assist with the commissioning of our expansion, Olsson was the clear choice,” said Todd Cushing, President of 1623 Farnam.

“We are extremely grateful to be working with such a reliable partner on this project,” said Todd Cushing, President of 1623 Farnam. “This process is a vital part of our expansion project, and I have complete confidence in the capable team of Olsson designers and engineers. I have worked with Olsson on other data center projects in the past, which they completed efficiently and effectively, so when it came time to select an engineering firm to assist with the commissioning of our expansion, Olsson was the clear choice. The 1623 team can rest assured that all of our equipment is held to the absolute highest quality standards and that all aspects of our expansion project will function as intended at deployment.”

“We applaud and thank 1623 Farnam for bringing us on board as the commissioning authority,” said Jim Dyer, commissioning lead for Olsson. “While we are also experienced at greenfield commissioning, the 1623 Farnam project presented unique challenges as a retrofit with existing clients conducting operations in the building. It was exciting to use our experience and expertise to help our partner obtain the power and cooling infrastructure solutions they needed without interruption to their daily operations.”