How do you engineer a data center for high availability in an earthquake zone? That’s a special challenge in San Francisco, which is home to a vibrant community of Internet businesses but experienced widespread devastation from a 1906 quake and sustained another big hit in the 1989 Loma Prieta (”World Series”) earthquake.
365 Main houses mission-critical equipment for more than 200 companies in its data center nestled alongside the Bay Bridge. When original owner AboveNet was converting the former tank turret factory for data center use in 2000, it confronted the earthquake risk, installing a base isolation designed to keep the entire building stable when the earth moves.
“This is one of the safest buildings in San Francisco,” said Miles Kelly, senior VP of marketing for 365 Main.
Many data center companies use rack-level earthquake isolation units, which are installed under racks and cabinets and employ a ball-and-cone system to allow the equipment to gently roll back and forth during an earthquake. Providing earthquake protection at the building level involves similar concepts, but a lot more engineering.
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