When data centre downtime costs between £5,600 and £9,000 per minute, there’s no room for foundation failures. Yet whilst data centre operators focus intensely on power redundancy, cooling efficiency, and network architecture, a critical component often receives insufficient attention: the precision grouting beneath heavy mechanical equipment.

The consequences of inadequate foundation work are severe. Equipment misalignment leads to premature failure, poor grouting creates voids that amplify vibration issues, and traditional cementitious grout can crack under dynamic loads, creating dangerous “soft foot” conditions that compromise equipment integrity. In an industry where a single outage can cost hundreds of thousands of pounds per hour, proper foundation grouting isn’t optional—it’s essential infrastructure.

The Data Centre Challenge

 

Data centres face unprecedented demands. The UK alone is planning nearly 100 new facilities over the next five years, driven by AI workloads that require exponentially more computing power than traditional applications. These facilities must deliver 99.99% uptime whilst managing:

• Massive power requirements (modern hyperscale facilities consuming 150-300+ megawatts)
• Intensive cooling demands to dissipate heat from densely-packed equipment
• Accelerated deployment timelines to meet market demands
• Zero tolerance for unplanned downtime

But beneath the raised floors and behind the hot aisle containment systems sits critical mechanical infrastructure that makes it all possible. Diesel generators, gas turbines, industrial chillers, cooling towers, circulation pumps, and transformers—equipment that must operate flawlessly, often for decades. And every piece of this equipment depends on one fundamental requirement: a properly grouted foundation.

Why Foundation Precision Matters

 

Modern data centre equipment operates within extraordinarily tight tolerances. Some IT equipment can be affected by vibrations as low as 0.0005 grms—vibration levels so minimal that a person walking nearby can cause disruption. When the mechanical equipment supporting these facilities isn’t properly isolated and aligned, the consequences cascade throughout the entire operation.

Proper grouting serves multiple critical functions: it maintains precise equipment alignment, provides full load transfer to the concrete foundation, isolates operational vibrations, and ensures structural integrity for the equipment’s entire operational life. When grouting fails, equipment suffers accelerated wear, coupling misalignment, bearing damage, and ultimately catastrophic failure—often at the worst possible moment.

The traditional approach of using cementitious grout introduces significant risks. Cement-based products are prone to shrinkage and cracking, particularly under dynamic loads. They require extended curing periods—often weeks before equipment can be commissioned. In vibration-intensive applications, they simply cannot provide the long-term stability that data centre equipment demands.

Equipment-Specific Grouting Requirements

 

Diesel Backup Generators

Backup generators are the last line of defence when grid power fails. These massive reciprocating engines produce substantial vibration and torque during operation, with critical alignment requirements between the engine and alternator coupling. Any misalignment—even measured in thousandths of an inch—accelerates bearing wear and can lead to coupling failure.

Epoxy grout beneath generator base plates must isolate these vibrations whilst maintaining perfect alignment under continuous dynamic loading. The grout must also resist degradation from diesel fuel, lubricating oils, and coolant exposure—all common in generator environments. A generator failure during a power outage means complete facility shutdown, making proper foundation work non-negotiable.

Gas Turbines

Whilst less common than diesel generators, gas turbines are increasingly deployed in larger data centre installations for continuous or peak load operation. These high-speed rotating machines demand exceptional precision in mounting and alignment, with shaft speeds often exceeding 10,000 RPM.

The grouting beneath turbine base plates must provide absolute stability whilst accommodating thermal expansion during operation. Gas turbines experience significant temperature variations between startup and full load operation, and the foundation must maintain alignment integrity throughout these thermal cycles. Traditional cementitious grout simply cannot provide this combination of thermal stability and vibration isolation.

Chillers

Chillers are the workhorses of data centre cooling systems, operating continuously to remove heat from facility water loops. Modern water-cooled chillers incorporate large compressors that generate substantial vibration during operation, whilst the units themselves represent significant static loads—often weighing tens of thousands of kilograms when fully charged with refrigerant and water.

Proper grouting beneath chiller base plates must support these heavy static loads whilst isolating compressor vibration to prevent transmission through the building structure. The grouting must also resist chemical exposure from refrigerant leaks, glycol solutions, and water treatment chemicals. Additionally, the foundation must maintain level alignment, as uneven settling can stress refrigerant piping connections and lead to costly leaks.

Cooling Towers

Cooling towers sit atop many data centre mechanical installations, rejecting heat to atmosphere through evaporative cooling. These structures experience unique loading conditions: the static weight of the tower structure and water basin, dynamic loads from large circulation fans, and wind loading on the tower’s large surface area.

The grouting supporting cooling tower base plates must accommodate these varied loads whilst resisting constant water exposure. Cooling tower environments are notoriously harsh, with mineral-laden water, algaecides, biocides, and other water treatment chemicals creating a corrosive environment. The foundation must also resist freeze-thaw cycling in outdoor installations. Poor grouting in cooling tower applications leads to settling, which can damage fill media, misalign spray nozzles, and reduce cooling efficiency—directly impacting data centre capacity.

Water Pumps

Circulation pumps move chilled water and condenser water throughout data centre mechanical systems. These pumps operate continuously, with motor-driven impellers generating vibration that must be isolated from surrounding equipment and building structure. Pump alignment is critical—misalignment between motor and pump shaft leads to bearing failure, seal leaks, and reduced efficiency.

Epoxy grout beneath pump base plates maintains precise alignment under continuous vibration whilst providing excellent resistance to water exposure. In data centre applications where pumps may be located in mechanical rooms with limited access, pump failures are particularly problematic. The extended service life provided by proper epoxy grouting significantly reduces maintenance requirements and unplanned downtime risk.

Transformers

Large pad-mounted or indoor transformers represent some of the heaviest static loads in data centre installations, often weighing 50,000 kilograms or more when oil-filled. These units must sit perfectly level to ensure proper oil distribution and cooling. Whilst transformers don’t generate significant vibration, the grouting beneath transformer pads must support enormous compressive loads whilst resisting oil contamination from potential leaks.

Proper grouting ensures full bearing area between the transformer pad and concrete foundation, distributing load evenly and preventing point loading that could crack the foundation. The grout must also maintain dimensional stability—even minor settling can stress electrical connections and create safety hazards. In mission-critical data centre applications where transformer failure means complete facility shutdown, foundation integrity is paramount.

Why Epoxy Grout Is Essential

The unique demands of data centre mechanical equipment make epoxy grout the only viable solution for professional installations:

Rapid Strength Development: Epoxy grout achieves usable strength within 24 hours, allowing equipment commissioning on accelerated schedules. Traditional cementitious grout requires weeks of curing before equipment can be safely loaded, creating unacceptable delays in time-sensitive data centre construction.

Superior Vibration Resistance: Epoxy formulations maintain integrity under continuous dynamic loading, isolating equipment vibration and preventing the cracking and deterioration common with cement-based products. This is critical in installations with generators, turbines, pumps, and compressor-driven chillers.

Excellent Chemical Resistance: Data centre mechanical spaces expose equipment foundations to diesel fuel, lubricating oils, hydraulic fluids, refrigerants, glycol solutions, and water treatment chemicals. Epoxy grout resists degradation from these substances, maintaining long-term performance in harsh environments.

High Compressive Strength: Premium epoxy grouts exceed 10,000 psi compressive strength, providing full load transfer for the heaviest transformers and mechanical equipment whilst maintaining dimensional stability under continuous loading.

Minimal Shrinkage: Unlike cementitious grouts that shrink during curing, epoxy grouts exhibit slight expansion, ensuring complete fill and continuous contact between base plates and foundation. This eliminates voids that can lead to vibration amplification and premature equipment failure.

Case Study: Transformer Foundation Installation at Spanish Data Centre

 

A Spanish data centre required precision epoxy grouting for cooling tower transformer installations in an exposed outdoor environment with significant day-night temperature fluctuations.

Our team selected Alphatec® epoxy grout specifically formulated for thermal cycling conditions, prepared foundation surfaces to specification, and coordinated the grouting schedule with transformer placement to optimize curing conditions.

The transformer foundations delivered stable, permanent support capable of withstanding thermal cycling, heavy static loads, and outdoor exposure. This demonstrates the critical importance of matching epoxy grout specifications to site-specific environmental conditions in data centre applications.

Ensuring Foundation Integrity in Your Data Centre Project

 

Data centre construction and expansion represent significant capital investments with demanding performance requirements. The mechanical equipment supporting these facilities must deliver decades of reliable service in challenging operational environments. Proper foundation grouting isn’t simply a construction detail—it’s a critical component of long-term facility reliability and uptime assurance.

Whether you’re planning a new hyperscale facility, expanding existing data centre capacity, or retrofitting aging mechanical infrastructure, the expertise applied to equipment grouting directly impacts your facility’s operational performance and total cost of ownership.

Our team specialises in precision epoxy grouting for data centre mechanical installations. We understand the unique requirements of generator sets, turbine installations, chiller systems, cooling infrastructure, and electrical distribution equipment. Our approach combines proper surface preparation, precise material selection, and proven installation techniques to ensure your critical equipment operates on a foundation built for long-term reliability.

Schedule a consultation to discuss your data centre project requirements. We’ll review your mechanical equipment specifications, assess site conditions, and provide expert recommendations for grouting solutions that protect your investment and support your uptime objectives.

Contact us today to ensure your data centre’s foundation is as reliable as the equipment it supports.