Protecting Data Center Integrity from Top to Bottom

Importantly, IFRMs, such as epoxy and acrylic FIRETEX® coatings from Sherwin-Williams, can be applied in a shop environment. This could take place immediately following the primer application. In some cases, a primer may not even be needed, as select IFRMs can be applied direct to metal. Regardless, this shop application carries all the same benefits as shop-primed steel in terms of rapidly delivering coated steel to job sites, minimizing on-site coatings activities and barely disrupting other trades (Figure 2). In addition, IFRMs can be applied efficiently at the shop in high film-build coats, minimizing the number of coats required to meet a facility’s specific fire rating.

For aesthetic purposes, data centers may opt to topcoat the fireproofing in areas where structural steel is exposed for design aesthetics or simply practicality. This option gives architects more flexibility in their designs without worry that fireproofing coatings will make the area look unsightly, as they would when using SFRMs.

Fine-Tuning Flooring

Specifying the right flooring system for data centers can have a major impact on the uptime, safety and cleanliness of these facilities, as they may require abrasion-resistant floor coatings that can withstand heavy equipment and rolling loads. In addition, many areas require the use of coatings with low volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions to maintain air quality, as well as electrostatic discharge-compliant (ESD-compliant) systems to protect sensitive electronics and mitigate fire risks in cleanroom environments. Moisture control is also a common consideration.

Data centers may include a variety of flooring surfaces, with raised flooring, sealed concrete and seamless resinous systems all being possible. However, the most viable options for meeting efficiency and sustainability goals are poured-in-place resinous floors.

While no longer a standard practice for new construction, some data centers feature raised floors that help to cool densely packed server rooms. However, advances in cooling technology and the increasing density of computing equipment have led most data centers to shift to hard flooring instead.

That hard surface could be a concrete floor that is sealed to mitigate the release of particulates into the continuous airflow of a data center’s cleanroom level environment. This is a highly economical option, and the concrete can be imparted with ESD properties by adding fibers to the concrete mixture. However, those ESD properties can be inconsistent, leading to conductive spikes in some areas or dead spots in others. This disparity could potentially cause any electric charge that’s built up to dissipate too slowly, resulting in a static spark harming server equipment. Adding to the case against using concrete sealers is their breathability, which can allow some moisture and air to escape into a room. The sealers are also easily abraded and can contribute to airborne contaminants when bare concrete is exposed. In addition, sealed concrete has a lower life cycle, as it needs to be maintained and resealed regularly.

Poured-in-place high-performance resinous flooring provides a more durable and longer-lasting protective surface compared to sealed concrete. The materials are poured over top of prepared concrete and typically feature multiple layers of different products to build a complete system that’s smooth, seamless and impervious to moisture transfer (Figure 3). The impermeability of the flooring also helps to improve airflow efficiency, as air readily bounces off the non-porous flooring.

Flooring durability is key in data centers, as the longer the flooring can last and perform as needed, the fewer tear outs and reinstallations the facility will encounter over its lifetime. That means choosing resinous systems with excellent impact and abrasion resistance to withstand the installation and movement of server racks and other heavy equipment. Systems with superior chemical resistance and cleanability are also required to withstand the rigors of spills and cleaning protocols.

Seamless resinous floors also offer predictable ESD protection and limit conductivity. Such ESD conductive high-performance flooring systems cover both the mitigation of static charges that could otherwise build up within the environment, as well as the dissipation of such charges to minimize harm to sensitive electronic equipment (Figure 4).

In facilities and environments in which high humidity poses a serious threat to electrical equipment, data centers can install advanced moisture mitigative resinous flooring systems. These systems are typically used on concrete that’s in contact with the ground underneath, whether in a basement or on a first floor with a slab foundation. Featuring flexible, moisture-mitigation membrane layers, they significantly reduce the amount of moisture that permeates the concrete, ensuring a lower-humidity environment that’s safer and more reliable for valuable equipment.

Additional moisture control systems include flexible waterproofing membranes that may be required in mezzanines and mechanical rooms that have sensitive equipment housed below them. These membranes protect against moisture intrusion from above that may be caused by water leaks or water pipe breaks. The systems’ flexibility properties help to minimize cracks and maintain a leak-proof seal.

Figure 3. Poured-in-place high-performance resinous flooring creates a smooth, seamless surface that doesn’t shed particulates, making it ideal for meeting the cleanroom-level requirements of data centers.

Figure 4. Data center areas housing sensitive microelectronics require ESD flooring to prevent even tiny static shocks from harming equipment.

Figure 5. Applying reflective coatings to restore roof structures and eliminate leaks can help data centers reflect up to 85% of solar heat, significantly lowering their energy demands and cooling costs.

Avoiding tearing off the current roof offers significant environmental benefits for a facility, as all that material remains functioning on-site and stays out of a landfill. Further sustainability benefits are realized by the reflective nature of the white UNIFLEX roof coatings, which can reflect 85% of solar heat (Figure 5). The building’s cooling systems will therefore not need to manage that heat, increasing interior comfort in unconditioned production areas and warehouses while lowering energy demands and cooling costs facility wide.

Driving Data Center Construction Efficiency

High‑performance protective coatings play a strategic role in data center construction and long‑term reliability. They can accelerate primer and fire protection applications and streamline structural steel deliveries, helping contractors maintain aggressive construction timelines. They also offer long-term durability and optimized performance for flooring, critical water systems and aging roofs. These capabilities reduce maintenance frequency and material consumption over time, supporting both sustainability initiatives and cost‑reduction goals. As data centers continue to proliferate in response to accelerating technology demands, the use of high-performance coatings gives architects, specifiers and building owners peace of mind that they can keep aggressive construction schedules on track and also protect their new investments economically over the long term.