One of the leaders in construction, telecoms and property, Bouygues, was awarded the Data Center Construction Team of the Year at the 2019 DCD Awards. Sponsored by Vertiv, this category celebrates highly organized and innovative approaches to data center construction projects.
A diverse and multidisciplinary group, the Virtus LONDON5 data center project team delivered an on time, on budget and high quality project. Despite a number of major obstacles, the team remained agile and flexible enough to take the changes head on and make the necessary changes required for the end user.
The LONDON5 project was achieved using a unique blend of in-house expertise and capability, coupled with innovation and cutting edge management practices, design and commissioning strategies. The ethos of collaboration and open working mind-set encompassed not only the on site team, but the wider design and management support functions.
This facilitated a fluid, innovative and agile approach to successful completion of the project. The team worked as one functional unit, with the aim to meet one goal, collaborating with clients and other stakeholders to deliver a state of the art data center engineered at the highest quality. A 24MW data center was delivered in a total of 22 months, across three key project phases.
Proof of Initiative
The Virtus project team was able to manage change and additional works without impacting the overall program. The tight program, combined with the required scope to suit the end-user’s needs were seamlessly incorporated into the overall plan. The speed and agility of which the team were able to adapt are a testament to the strong partnership ethos that the team holds. This approach offers a critical advantage to clients, where speed to market and high quality installation is a key point of difference.
Innovative project management skills allowed the team to be flexible and evolve with ever changing safety requirements. The “go get it” attitude employed by the team coupled with an “arrive safe, go home safe” attitude was imperative in successful and safe completion of the project. New systems and processes including modular piping systems were employed to minimise risk to both human resources and physical assets. The strong focus on safety shines a light on the expertise of the Virtus team.
Finally, the integration of initial work phases was managed by sophisticated coordination of physical , electrical and mechanical interfaces. All the activities were seamlessly integrated by the Virtus team without any disturbance to the everyday business as usual practices of the data center and its clients. The strict change control protocols demonstrated strong data center construction management skills.
Team Dynamics
Facing major challenges around product recall, the Virtus project team planned the extremely complex testing and replacement of devices that needed to be carried out whilst avoiding any delays to the delivery date. The commissioning team was tasked with the co-ordination of these works, and worked with relevant specialist subcontractors to ensure these works were carried out following the agreed delivery strategy in a completely safe manner.
Bouygues Energies & Services on site management teams worked in tandem with additional parties to carry out remedial works on site, doing so successfully and within the required timeframe. With a strong focus on safety, the project is evidence of a collaborative mind-set and a strong commitment to a positive attitude.
Excellent technical expertise and skills, as well as excellent innovative ideas allowed the Virtus project team to exceed the expectations of the client and the end users. The combination of collaborative work and approaches was a standout performance.
