Edge05 Data Centre, Schiphol-Rijk

Sprinkler and fire protection BIM modelling for the EdgeConneX AMS05 data centre at Schiphol-Rijk, delivered for Trigion Brand- en Beveiligingstechniek. Sketcho modelled the ceiling, riser, roof and prefab sprinkler systems in Revit inside the design team's linked models, and produced the A0 installation drawings per construction tranche. The installation is complete and the data centre is operational.

The brief

EdgeConneX was building AMS05 on its Amsterdam campus at Schiphol-Rijk, with an international design and build team including Winthrop Engineering and Contracting and RED Engineering Design. Trigion Brand- en Beveiligingstechniek was responsible for the sprinkler installation and needed a coordinated BIM model plus installation drawings for every data hall and construction tranche.

What made it hard

Not the sprinkler system. The steel structure, which kept changing while we modelled against it. Between November 2020 and April 2021 the design moved almost every week, and the sprinkler network had to stay aligned with it and stay buildable on site.

How we worked

We modelled the ceiling, riser, roof and prefab sprinkler systems in Revit, working inside the linked architectural, structural and MEP models of the design team. Interference checks ran continuously and we issued a clash report rather than collecting problems until the end. Dynamo took over the parts of the work that repeated. Mark-ups came back in rounds and went out again in roughly weekly model and sheet deliveries, covering data halls 2-1 to 3-2, riser rooms, storage and offices.

What we delivered

Coordinated sprinkler models and A0 installation drawings for tranches 1 through 4. The installation has been completed and the data centre is operational.

What we took from it

On a design that keeps moving, a model that is perfect at one moment buys you nothing. Continuous coordination does.