www.ecmag.com/?fa=article&articleID=10252 -
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Published on: 6/1/2009
Last Visited: 9/23/2009
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is part of the DOL, said James D. White, P.E., LEED AP, principal, LLI Engineering, Wexford, Pa.
"[Its] data center is an integral part of the DOL network and used for other DOL missions.
Because the academy is remotely located and totally self-sufficient-with sleeping facilities, food storage and preparation, and perimeter security-it is also part of a federal government-wide disaster-recovery operations network and can be instantly converted as such during a national emergency," White said.
White said the facility's data center had to be upgraded to take care of DOL functions.
LLI partnered with Fuellgraf Electric Co., Butler, Pa., to offer a data center to handle what the DOL was seeking.
According to White, the initial request for proposal (RFP) was a disjointed solution that was heavily focused on the electrical system, but had a below-average mechanical design and did not adequately address security.
Through the proposal process, the team was able to offer triple the computing capacity for a cost of only about 50 percent more.
"Engineering and constructing a complex electrical system within an academic facility that teaches these subjects required a team that was extremely competent on all applicable construction and safety regulations," White said.
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Selection of equipment, routing of large conduits, and interconnecting the existing facility while allowing it to remain in 24/7 operation was a challenge that could only be met by a team working extremely close, with a high level of trust," White said.
Team communications were improved using a project Web site that contained all documents, drawings, photos and reports.
MSHA managers, including IT personnel, contract administrators, security providers and academic faculty, had access to the Web site.
White led as both the design project manager and construction project manager.
He personally responded to the initial project proposal and was actively involved from design development, through construction, commissioning, project closeout and warranty.
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White said timing was especially important to the installation.
"With the severe winters in this area-it is located 8 miles from a ski resort-it was imperative to get the addition and generator foundations installed before the bad weather arrived," he said.
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"Prior to the end of construction, the Department of Labor had changed their preferred data room IT configuration," White said.
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White added that other extenuating conditions caused the team to have to work in a somewhat unusual manner.
"The facility was operational while we were in there working," he said.
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