Why You Should Care About the Seismic Rating of Your Data Center Cabinet
February 09, 2015
Seismic areas require specific building codes and installation requirements for public buildings to ensure the safety of people and equipment. Seismic products that will be installed in these buildings must also comply with stringent guidelines.
Set by the International Building Code (IBC) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), these guidelines include specific calculations to prevent nonstructural components from sliding or overturning in the event of an earthquake.
According to the IBC, certain facilities such as hospitals, fire and police stations, national defense buildings and other critical facilities must remain operational during a seismic event.
To meet that need, Chatsworth Products’ (CPI) designed and tested the Z4-Series SeismicFrame® Cabinet System.
The Z4-Series provides critical facility operators the confidence that their rack-mount equipment will be protected even after the most severe earthquakes.
In the highly seismic state of California, the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) reviews and approves construction designs. OSHPD OPM is the pre-approval process that allows manufacturers to submit analysis or test data prepared by a registered design professional to support design requirements of the code.
The Z4-Series SeismicFrame Cabinet recently received OSHPD OPM-0112-13, which means the design, supports and attachments of the SeismicFrame comply with the requirements of the latest California and International Building Codes for Zone 4 areas.
As a pre-approved design, the OSHPD OPM can be incorporated into construction documents, simplifying the design and approval process. In addition to OSHPD OPM, the Z4-Series SeismicFrame Cabinet was tested to meet the stringent seismic testing requirements of Telcordia Technologies GR-63-CORE, which involves putting a cabinet through a series of shaker table tests to simulate a severe earthquake.
The Z4-Series passed the GR-63-CORE test with an industry-leading 1500 lb seismic equipment load and an additional 100 lb top load for cabling.
Watch the seismic test video:
