Data Centre MEP Design Handbook
The Desapex Data Centre MEP Design Handbook is a practical reference for owners, developers and design teams building or upgrading data centres. It sets out how mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire systems should be planned, coordinated and validated so costly errors are caught in design rather than on site translating complex MEP requirements into clear, decision-ready guidance.
What's inside the handbook
Site selection, power availability and feasibility checks
cooling strategy and redundancy (N, N+1, 2N) in plain terms
electrical distribution, UPS and backup power
common MEP coordination clashes and how BIM catches them early
fire detection and suppression for mission-critical spaces
a pre-construction checklist to protect uptime.
Stop Expensive Data Centre MEP Mistakes Before They Reach Site
Why is MEP coordination harder in data centres than in other buildings?
Three things make it unforgiving: power density (a data hall runs at 1,000–3,000 W/m² versus 50–150 W/m² in an office, with AI racks now pushing past 50–130 kW), the fact that a live data centre can never be switched off for maintenance, and the reality that white-space floor area is sold by the rack so a coordination error that re-pitches rows is a revenue loss, not just a drawing fix.
Why isn't a "clash-free" BIM model enough for a data centre?
What standards govern data centre MEP design?
What is the routing hierarchy in MEP spatial coordination?
How much does it cost to fix an MEP coordination error?
How does liquid cooling change data centre MEP coordination?