Schneider Electric · EUIPO data centreEurope · 2018

Server racks that ride out a Zone 4 earthquake

All-metal seismic plinths for data-centre racks, qualified to Telcordia GR-63-CORE Zone 4 by an accredited laboratory and used by Schneider Electric and at the EUIPO data centre.

Zone 4
GR-63-CORE seismic qualification: 1,700 kg
two full racks + plinths on the shake table: 4.5 Hz
vertical suspension at nominal load: 99%
vibration absorption, 100–1,500 kg, from 50 Hz

1The challenge
Keep racks standing, and data intact
In a data centre an earthquake does not have to knock a rack over to do damage: vibration alone corrupts disks and trips equipment. The racks had to survive the strongest seismic zone, stay level, and meet data-centre fire rules, which rule out combustible materials.
2The solution
A plinth that isolates in X, Y and Z
Each plinth combines 8 vertical compression suspensions, heavy-duty springs with 100% stainless energy absorbers tuned to 4.5 Hz at nominal load, with 4 tension suspensions at 25 Hz that stop the rack lifting. It is fully metallic, anchored directly to the concrete slab, independent of the raised floor, and adapts to 600–800 mm wide and 1,000–1,200 mm deep racks.
3The result
Qualified on the shake table
VIRLAB, an ENAC-accredited laboratory, tested two Silentflex plinths carrying two full racks (1,700 kg in total) to Telcordia GR-63-CORE Zone 4 and issued the seismic qualification certificate on 14 March 2018.

Seismic motion reaching the rackIllustrative

Before · Rack bolted to the floorAfter · Rack on a Silentflex plinth

Illustrative animation of vibration isolation. The qualification itself is the GR-63-CORE Zone 4 test certificate.