Attached to or in close enough proximity to enable operators to swiftly provide equipment attendance.

When attached, clear lines of sight may be required to certain items of equipment, which should be in the control room, but better enjoy the machine room environment and its security.

In the case of an attached control facility, it becomes a room within the main machine room. As such the perimeter walls have the same specification as that of the machine room. The dividing wall requires no fire resistance and is constructed from the top of the adjoining room’s floor.

In the case of there being a common raised floor, then the void beneath needs to be blocked with a suitable plenum barrier.

The plenum barrier needs to isolate the machine room void from the control room, but be of non-combustible, non-dusting materials, which can be cut to provide cable access through.

Rainwater
Any rainwater downpipes need to be sealed, boxed-in and isolated from the computer room so that leaks will not flood the room space.
Drain access traps, manholes and the like, need to have double seals and screw-down covers to resist internal pressure.

Valley gutters occurring above, or even in close proximity to the room need special attention to prevent leaks. The gutter itself should be underlined, to catch any leaks. The gutter and its outlets should be regularly cleaned and maintained.

It should be checked that an overflow facility is incorporated in the roof gutter design such that rainwater cannot build-up in the valley, regardless of the condition of the rainwater downpipes and the surface water or combined drains they are connected into.

Special attention needs to be paid to symphonic roof drainage systems in which high pressures develop in small-bore pipes. They depend on a high degree of maintenance both above and below ground and are severely affected in the event of seals breaking or ground water flooding the underground chambers into which they discharge.

Condensate
Condensate drains need to be run in brazed jointed copper pipework and/or routed to leave the room as soon as possible.
Non-gravity drains need dual run/standby pumps housed in watertight containers – inside the room or in an adjacent secure area.

Strength
It needs to have structural construction such that it will support and distribute the superimposed point loads exerted by the pedestals supporting the raised floor – in order not to permit punching shear or collapse.

Vibration
The rigidity of the slab should be such not to transfer vibration into the room from external sources. Otherwise its perimeter should be isolated, in the case of RC construction, and mounted on anti-vibration pads in the case of steel frames.

The ceiling slab/structure needs to be insulated and watertight.

In the case of the ceiling slab being a floor for the area above it needs to be structurally capable of supporting the load of a suspended ceiling, its insulation, light fittings and gas flood and refrigeration pipework and cable distribution.

In the sketch perspective, the steel roof portal dimensions do not immediately imply that support is available. Those dimensions will largely reflect the span of the frame and its support requirements.
Where the ceiling is a secondary internal structure, as sketched above, access behind it is necessary to attend to problems of leaks and the like that might occur from the roof above.

In the case of a roof being above, any roof lights should be blocked out by either replacement with roof sheeting, or by the application of solar reflective paint.

Vent ducts and the like in a roof are a source of rainwater ingress. They should be removed or their weatherproof integrity checked and safe maintenance access to them ensured.

Doors contained in the perimeter walls of the room need to be solid cored and fire resistant to the same rating as the walls in which they are fitted.

Vision panels need similar fire rating.

Door furniture need to conform to the requirements laid down for fire doors.

Door locks in the event of a fire alarm, shall not hinder exit from the room. Either the locks will be operable from inside the room, or they will release automatically.

Internal doors connecting the control bridge with the machine room require no fire rating. They require to be solid cored to withstand the heavy use that can be expected.

External windows are unnecessary and a security weakness
They should be sealed and blocked in.

Internal viewing windows are an important element in the activities of a control bridge, which adjoins its machine room.

Clarity of vision is important and will be improved by the use of non-reflective glass, or by inclining it in the vertical plane.

Suspended ceilings need to be non-dusting and acoustically absorbing.
Free access behind is required for service and maintenance, as well as for use of the void for the passage of cabling.

Walls need to have Class O flame spread. In practice, this means that they may be decorated with emulsion paint or vinyl wall cloth.

The relative cost of each depends on the obstacles; in terms of wall mounted equipment and partition cover strips.

Vinyl emulsion provides a surface that can be cleaned as easily as wall cloth. It is however easier to maintain.

Any raised modular floor should comply with the relevant MOB Grading Standard – usually medium duty will be sufficient.

Mechanical fixing of the pedestals to the subfloor is necessary, when the floor height exceeds a certain level. This is to prevent floor collapse when loads are being moved whilst tiles are not in place. Interesting problem when the subfloor comprises woodblocks!

The surface covering of the floor panels needs to be non-static forming and non-dusting. It should be adhered to each floor panel, rather than being loose laid or clipped.

Carpet finishes are preferred because they are more comfortable underfoot and absorb rather than reflect sound.

Underfloor void obstacles, such as drain covers and buried services ducting, may be bridged with steelwork to permit the uninterrupted layout of floor pedestals.

Consideration regarding service access needs to be built into the design of such bridging.

Subfloor strengthening may be required in the case of certain types of construction – to spread the point loads and prevent punching shear.