{"id":15187,"date":"2026-08-01T16:57:33","date_gmt":"2026-08-01T16:57:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/insulation.org\/io\/?post_type=articles&p=15187"},"modified":"2026-09-01T14:25:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T14:25:11","slug":"nia-contractor-member-insul-tech-inc-discusses-system-design-2","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/insulation.org\/io\/articles\/nia-contractor-member-insul-tech-inc-discusses-system-design-2\/","title":{"rendered":"NIA Contractor Member Insul-Tech Inc. Discusses System Design"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Project Description and Goals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This $3 million project was new construction of a mission-critical data center on the East Coast. The rooftop layout consisted of 24 outdoor chillers, all with thermal expansion tanks, in-line air separators, and in-line chilled water for HVAC (CHW) pumps, which all had two-piece removable, prefabricated boxes (to be installed on site). Rooftop chiller pipes ranged from 8\u201d to 14″. CHW piping ran down the mains into the facility, branching off into the galleries. Long straights of piping (about 200\u201d) fed CHW throughout the data hall, also served by fan wall units. Construction of the three-story facility took more than 2 years to complete in phases. Insul-Tech\u2019s portion of the work ran 12 months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Insul-Tech Project Manager Sean McLaughlin explains, \u201c\u2019mission critical\u2019 is a term that is widely used specifically in data centers because the facility itself is so important, in terms of not losing operational capacity\u2026 When they say \u2018mission critical,\u2019 what they mean by that is the need to have that facility operating 100% of the time, 365 days a year.\u201d He adds, \u201cA lot of redundancy is built into these data centers to ensure that they never lose power, which is necessary to ensure mechanical cooling capabilities are always available.\u201d This last point is where insulation enters the discussion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to the data halls and equipment, the facility footprint included administrative and office space. So, in addition to helping to ensure data center performance and achieve energy savings, condensation control, and corrosion control, the customer wanted to create an aesthetically pleasing system that would \u201cawe.\u201d McLaughlin explains, \u201cThis is their corporate national headquarters, so it is kind of their shining light on the hill\u2026 Employees from different regions may go to that facility for a board meeting, and then they may do a tour through the data center. The investments made on color-coded PVC jacketing inside the data center resulted in this facility standing out from many others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo 1.<\/strong> Rooftop Chiller Lineup \u2013 Pipe Insulation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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PROJECT SNAPSHOT<\/strong>
Insulation Contractor:<\/strong>
Insul-Tech Inc.
Industry Segment: <\/strong>Commercial
Type of Plant\/Facility:<\/strong>
Mission-Critical Data Center
Project Goal: <\/strong>Construct an Aesthetically Pleasing System to Achieve Energy Savings, Condensation Control, and Corrosion Control
Temperature Range:<\/strong>
Below Ambient
Region: <\/strong>Northeast
System\/Application Type:<\/strong>
CHW (Chilled Water for HVAC) Piping, Thermal Expansion Tanks<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Insulation System Walk-Through<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first phase involved the main infrastructure for the roof piping (i.e., all of the chilled water mains on the roof), along with the 24 chillers. Inside, McLaughlin says, they \u201cdid a full fit out of the third floor, which involved the data halls and the galleries that feed them, all served by fan wall units and air-cooled chillers. UPS rooms were also included with the first phase, as these are critical infrastructure for the functionality of the facility.\u201d Work also included risers that fed the second and first floors, completed in subsequent project phases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the roof, CHW piping fed the chillers, to be insulated with fiber glass and metal jacketing. As shown in Photo 1<\/em> and Photo 2<\/em>, Insul-Tech used aluminum jacketing with PVC fittings, which provides a nice contrast between the piping and the fittings. Chiller pipes ranged from 8\u201d to 14\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo 2.<\/strong> Rooftop CHW Mains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Photo 3<\/em> through Photo 10<\/em> offer additional views of the rooftop equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo 3. <\/strong>
Air-Cooled Chiller\/Chiller Piping\/Air Separator<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Photo 4. <\/strong>
Air Separator\/Chilled Water Piping Next to Air Cooled Chiller<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Photo 5. <\/strong>
Air-Cooled Chiller Piping<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Photo 6. <\/strong>
Air-Cooled Chiller Piping<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Photo 7.<\/strong>
Air Separator\/Chilled Water Piping<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Photo 8. <\/strong>
Air Separator\/Chilled Water Piping<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Photo 9.<\/strong>
Chilled Water Risers from Lower Roof to Penthouse Roof<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Photo 10. <\/strong>
Chilled Water Risers from Lower Roof to Penthouse Roof<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Photo 11<\/em> shows insulation on the rooftop tanks\u2014eye-catching in their own way. The tanks showcase Insul-Tech\u2019s crews\u2019 craftsmanship and careful attention to detail: The metal top of each tank is gored, with every piece individually cut and installed in an overlapping manner to protect the tank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo 11.<\/strong> Rooftop Tank Insulation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Inside, to create the desired aesthetic, at the design stage, Insul-Tech suggested using color-coded PVC jacketing on CHW pipes. Says McLaughlin, \u201cThey knew that they wanted to do something above and beyond your standard white PVC jacket\u2026Oftentimes, inside a building, there’s no jacketing at all because it\u2019s protected from the weather\u2026 But for clients that are looking for that wow factor, putting PVC jacketing on the interior piping\u2014specifically, color-coded\u2014really makes it jump out\u2026 It’s really going to stand out from what you would typically see in a \u2018standard\u2019 data center.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The facility owner selected the colors, and Insul-Tech gave them historical background on which colors are typically used on chilled-water supply and return piping. The result is shown in Photos 12<\/em> through 14<\/em>. Dark blue is chilled-water supply, and light blue is return. Echoing sentiments expressed by the customer, McLaughlin notes, \u201cYou can see, it really stands out. It shines.\u201d Although the colorful PVC jacking added cost, given the tradeoff in appearance, McLaughlin reports, \u201cWhen the third-floor galleries were completed, and the customer had an opportunity to view the finished product, they were extremely satisfied and knew the investment in the colored PVC was the right choice.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Photo 12. <\/strong>
Chilled Water Supply & Return Piping Inside the Galleries that Serve the Data Hall<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Photo 13.<\/strong>
Interior Color-Coded PVC Jacketing: Light Blue Is for CHW Supply, Dark Blue for CHW Return<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Photo 14. <\/strong>
Interior Color-Coded PVC Jacketing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While this customer chose a more expensive solution to meet their aesthetic objective, McLaughlin observes, \u201cI would say cost is probably the biggest factor, in terms of what we end up putting on. We’re always providing different options and products for each project. Most of that is done in the pre-construction phase of bidding the job. Having those conversations with the mechanical contractors and providing them with a functional and efficient insulation project, [while] limiting costs as much as we possibly can, is always our goal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Table 1 <\/em>gives an overview of insulation system components and the materials used, which all aligned with project specifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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On the roof, aluminum jacketing and PVC fittings were used to provide an additional layer of weather protection, which is a common application for exterior and roof piping. Indoors, aesthetics aside, PVC jacketing offers functional benefits as an extra vapor barrier\u2014providing additional protection if there is a leak inside the building, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outside and inside, Insul-Tech used insulating products and materials from Owens Corning and Proto Corporation, both NIA member companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Challenges<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

No project comes without challenges, and this data center had its fair share.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tight Schedule<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Insul-Tech had 12 months to meet four phases of aggressive deadlines in an enormous project, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n