A data centre is one of the most material-intensive building types per square metre. Compared to a typical office building, the structural frame must carry far higher floor loads, the electrical infrastructure is an order of magnitude denser, cooling accounts for a large share of total mass, and the cable containment, raised floor and fire protection systems add up quickly. A complete data centre LCA covers the building shell and substructure, the power supply chain from utility intake through to rack-level distribution, the cooling plant, the IT infrastructure envelope (racks, raised floors, containment), structured cabling and fibre, fire suppression and life safety, and the construction processes involved in delivering all of it. One Click LCA's generic data library covers each of these elements. The sections below map available datasets to each part of the data centre scope.

Two server rack types are available as distinct datasets. The first is a 42U rack with single-leaf front glass door (IK08, IP20, 2026×800×800 mm, 92.1 kg/unit), representing the standard open-front rack widely used in colocation and enterprise data halls. The second is a 42U rack with single-leaf front and rear microperforated sound-absorbing doors (IK08, IP20, 2052×600×1000 mm, 102.7 kg/unit), suited to edge deployments and acoustically sensitive environments. Both datasets cover the full rack enclosure including doors, side panels, mounting rails and base frame.

Raised floor panels are available in two core types, each with recycled-content variants. Cementitious-core panels encased in steel (600×600×35 mm, 12.71 kg/m²) are available in four variants: standard, 10% fly-ash in cement, 90% recycled steel, and combined 10% fly-ash/90% recycled steel. Wood-base core panels encased in steel (600×600×40 mm, 12.20 kg/m²) are available in four variants: standard, 100% residual wood core, 90% recycled steel, and combined residual wood/90% recycled steel. These datasets cover the floor tile itself.

The supporting structure is modelled separately. Steel stringers (600×600×37 mm) are available at standard and 90% recycled steel, both expressed per m². Steel pedestals (100 mm height) are available at standard and 90% recycled steel, also per m². This allows the floor tile, stringer and pedestal to be quantified independently, reflecting how data centre raised floor systems are specified and procured.

Raised flooring system maintenance per m² (B2) is available for four regional scenarios: World, Norway, USA and EU-27, covering annual cleaning and replacement of worn components over the assessment period.

Single-phase UPS units are available at five ratings: 550 VA/330 W (3.0 kg), 700 VA/420 W (3.9 kg), 900 VA/540 W (4.4 kg), 1300 VA/840 W (7.0 kg) and 1700 VA/1040 W (7.8 kg), all in tower form factor.

Three-phase and scalable UPS units for critical IT and control loads cover a wide capacity range: 1 kVA/0.7 kW line-interactive tower (17.3 kg), 2 kVA/1.5 kW on-line tower (50.2 kg), 3 kVA/2.7 kW on-line tower (52.5 kg), 5 kVA/4.0 kW on-line rack/tower (97.7 kg), 6 kVA/5.5 kW on-line rack (71.2 kg), 10 kVA/9.0 kW on-line tower (102.1 kg), 20 kVA/20.0 kW on-line modular (530 kg) and 40 kVA/40.0 kW on-line modular (673.9 kg). The modular variants at 20 kVA and 40 kVA reflect the scalable UPS architecture used in hyperscale and large enterprise data centres.

Mobile diesel generator sets are available at six ratings: 20 kVA (750 kg), 50 kVA (1250 kg), 100 kVA (2100 kg), 200 kVA (3800 kg), 350 kVA (5800 kg) and 500 kVA (8500 kg), all at 400/230 V. These cover the full range from small edge-site backup through to large-scale N+1 data centre generator sets. Automatic voltage regulators for generator alternators are available in PCB-mounted form for both small and large generator sizes.

Liquid chillers are available at 400 kW (4507 kg/unit) and 700 kW (6465 kg/unit), covering the primary chilled water plant for medium and large data centres. Finned-tube heat exchangers with stainless steel fins cover the heat rejection side of liquid cooling loops.

For smaller deployments and supplementary cooling, reversible and non-reversible air/air heat pumps cover monosplit (2.5 kW) and multisplit (5.3 kW and 8.3 kW) configurations. Reversible air/water heat pumps cover 6 kW and 10 kW monosplit units. Ground-source and water-source heat pump systems are available at 10 kW in both horizontal and vertical loop configurations.

Ventilation and air distribution components include galvanized steel ventilation ducting in circular and rectangular formats with a full range of fittings (T-pieces, bends, reducers, end caps, inner couplings, air intake meshes), PVC circular ventilation ducting with matching fittings, air handling units across five grades from 100 m³/h to 16,000 m³/h, volume-control and fire dampers, fans, plenum boxes for air intake and extraction at five flow rates, and wall/ceiling-mounted active and passive air extraction vents.

Pipe insulation for chilled water pipework covers elastomeric rubber foam pipe insulation and glass wool pipe insulation (unfaced, three diameter sizes at 50% recycled glass content). Copper, steel, stainless steel and galvanized steel pipes are available across the full diameter range for chilled water, condenser water and domestic water distribution.

MV supply and distribution: indoor medium-voltage switchgear with vacuum circuit breaker panels (12–36 kV, 630–2500 A); metal-enclosed AIS (0.4–17.5 kV, 2500 A); metal-clad AIS with withdrawable modules (7.2–24 kV, 630–2500 A); compartmentalized AIS (12–36 kV, 630–2500 A); arc-resistant AIS (5–38 kV, 630–3150 A); air-insulated load break switchgear (12–24 kV, 400–630 A); compact GIS (12–40.5 kV, 630–2500 A); and air-insulated RMU (12–24 kV, 630 A). Hybrid and high-voltage GIS switchgear cover supply infrastructure where data centres connect at transmission voltage.

Transformers: aluminium-wound and copper-wound distribution transformers at 75 kVA/12–13 kV; oil-immersed distribution transformers at 250–1000 kVA/20 kV; oil-immersed pad-mounted distribution transformers at 500–5000 kVA/15–35 kV; and oil-immersed power transformers from 18 MVA through 500 MVA for grid intake substations.

LV distribution: air circuit breakers (ACB) from 400 A to 3200 A; ACB switchgear panels at 0.4 kV; moulded case circuit breakers (MCCB) from 100 A to 1250 A; miniature circuit breakers (MCB) from 6 A to 100 A; switch disconnectors; residual-current circuit breakers with overcurrent protection; arc fault circuit interrupters; and a full range of surge protective devices from type 1 through to DC SPDs for battery storage systems.

Busbars: copper flat busbars at 100, 300, 500 and 1000 mm² (275–1700 A, 220 V–33 kV); aluminium tubular busbars at 33, 132, 220 and 400 kV. These cover both LV busbar trunking systems within data halls and MV busbars within the HV intake substation.

Protection and monitoring: numerical transformer and busbar differential protection relays; high-density substation RTU with redundant power supply (over 128 I/O) for HV/MV monitoring; substation RTU at medium I/O capacity for MV applications; residual current monitors; and single-phase, three-phase and revenue-grade energy meters.

Voltage conditioning: high-capacity three-phase static AVRs (100–500 kVA) for distribution network stabilisation; tap-changer AVRs for power transformer control.

Cable trays in perforated hot-dip galvanized steel cover three duty ratings. Standard trays at H50×W50, H50×W100 and H100×W100 mm (0.75–1.33 kg/m) suit light data and control cable runs. Medium-duty trays at H50×W200 and H50×W400 mm (1.74–2.84 kg/m) suit mixed power and data routes. Heavy-duty trays at H50×W200 and H50×W400 mm (4.01–6.36 kg/m) handle high-density power cable routes to and from UPS and PDU positions.

Cable ladders in perforated hot-dip galvanized steel cover four combinations of height and width (H50–H100 × W400–W600 mm, 2.75–4.19 kg/m), applicable to main power cable routes and vertical riser shafts.

Cable trunking in hot-dip galvanized steel covers H50×W50, H100×W100 and H200×W200 mm (1.6–5.72 kg/m) for surface-mounted containment, plus underfloor trunking at H30×W200 and H40×W300 mm (5.18–7.37 kg/m) for under-raised-floor power and data routes.

Electrical conduit covers all three wall thicknesses across a wide diameter range. Thin-wall (EMT) galvanized steel runs from 17.9 mm to 114.3 mm outer diameter in ten sizes (0.45–5.80 kg/m). Medium-wall (IMC) covers 20.7 mm to 113.8 mm in eleven sizes (0.92–10.15 kg/m). Heavy-wall (RMC) covers 26.7 mm to 168.3 mm in eleven sizes (1.56–25.96 kg/m). HDPE electrical conduit covers 26.7 mm to 114.3 mm outer diameter in eight sizes (0.19–2.81 kg/m) for buried external cable routes.

Copper horizontal cabling: plenum-rated cables (suitable for air-handling spaces) are available at Category 5 (0.0291 kg/m), Category 6 (0.0327 kg/m) and Category 6A (0.0454 kg/m). Riser-rated copper cables cover the same three categories. These are the primary cabling datasets for structured cabling systems in data halls and office areas within the data centre building.

Fibre optic cabling: plenum fibre optic cable (simplex, duplex and quad, 2.9 mm, 0.0207 kg/m) and riser fibre optic cable (simplex, duplex and quad, 2.9 mm, 0.0212 kg/m) cover the backbone and horizontal fibre runs between MDA, HDA and EDA zones.

Ethernet connectors are available at Category 5e (keystone jack unshielded, keystone jack shielded, PCB mount jack), Category 6 (keystone jack unshielded, keystone jack shielded), Category 6A (keystone jack shielded, PCB mount jack, panel mount jack), Category 7 (panel mount jack, 600–700 MHz, 10+ Gbps) and Category 8 (panel mount jack, 2000 MHz, 25–40 Gbps), covering the full range from legacy infrastructure to high-density 25/40 Gb switching environments.

Power cables within the data centre draw on building installation cables (1–7 core, PVC insulated, 1.5–25 mm²), halogen-free (LSZH) installation cables (single-core and multi-core, 1.5–2.5 mm²), low-voltage stranded single-core PVC cables (16–240 mm²), and armoured control cables (SWA) in copper/PVC. The availability of LSZH variants is significant for data centres where minimising toxic gas emissions in fire conditions is a design requirement.

Flame-retardant earthing cables with copper conductor and EVA insulation (70 mm² and 120 mm², 1000 V) cover earthing and bonding within the data hall and substation.

Industrial communication devices for Ethernet or cellular networking cover four unit variants (0.25–0.40 kg), applicable to DCIM sensor networks and out-of-band management infrastructure.

Battery chemistries available as datasets include lithium iron phosphate (LFP), nickel cobalt manganese (NCM), sintered NiCd, plastic-bonded NiCd, NiMH, sealed lead-acid (12 V/7.2 Ah) and alkaline. LFP and NCM are the dominant chemistries in modern large-scale data centre UPS batteries; NiCd and lead-acid remain common in legacy installations. DC surge protective devices for battery storage systems (48 V, 10 kA) are also included.

A small-capacity aspirating smoke detector specifically for server rooms (1.8 kg/unit) is available alongside a large-capacity aspirating smoke detector for larger spaces. These early-warning detection systems are standard practice in data halls where conventional point detectors cannot provide the required response time. Additional fire safety datasets include photoelectric smoke detectors, fire-rated steel doors with mineral wool core (900×2000 mm, 74 kg/unit), fire-resistant safety glass in two-pane, three-pane and five-pane laminated constructions with intumescent interlayers, and waterborne intumescent coating for structural steel.

Concealed, pendant, recessed pendant and upright fire sprinklers cover a range of applications from data centre office areas to utility spaces. ABC powder and mechanical foam extinguisher agent datasets are also available.

Data centre buildings — whether purpose-built shell-and-core or shell-only — draw on the same structural material library as other large industrial buildings. Ready-mix concrete from C12/15 through C40/50 at multiple SCM substitution levels covers foundations, ground slabs and structural frames designed for high floor-loading.

High-strength concrete variants are available for post-tensioned flat slabs common in raised-floor data halls. Reinforcement steel (rebar) from 0% to 100% recycled content, structural steel profiles in S235/S275/S355 at multiple recycled-content levels, hollow sections (HSS), steel sheets, and galvanised profiled sheet cover the structural frame and roof deck.

Precast concrete piles in square and circular sections up to 900 mm diameter, and prestressed spun hollow piles up to 1200 mm diameter, cover deep foundation requirements on poor ground.

Façade and envelope datasets cover aluminium façade cladding (powder-coated and anodised), galvanized and steel façade cladding, flat fibre cement panels, aluminium curtain wall systems in stick and unitised configurations, fire-resistant glazing, and a range of roof and wall insulation types including EPS, XPS, PUR, PIR, mineral wool and cellular glass. EPDM and modified bitumen waterproofing membranes cover flat roof construction. Cementitious spray-applied fireproofing (SFRM) and waterborne intumescent coating cover structural steel fire protection.

Access and security: industrial overhead sectional doors with PUR core (3600×3600 mm, 195 kg/unit) and residential garage sectional doors (2500×2125 mm, 123 kg/unit) cover loading bay and access door requirements. Galvanized steel chain-link fencing, razor wire, stainless and galvanized steel bollards, and an automatic hydraulic retractable security bollard cover perimeter security.

Excavation for data centre basements and ground slabs is covered by excavator operation per m³ across four material classes, and soil compaction per m² with 60 kW and 80 kW rollers. Pile driving per metre covers light, medium and heavy hammers. Drilling for cast-in-place piles covers a double rotary rig up to 900 mm diameter. Battery-electric construction plant (mini excavator, mini loader, full-size excavator, full-size loader and mini compactor) is modelled per hour with default, Norwegian and European electricity scenarios. Concrete demolition per m³ (C1) covers the end-of-life stage.

Use the modular UPS datasets (20 kVA and 40 kVA) multiplied by the number of modules in the installed configuration. For a 2N architecture, double the quantity to reflect both active and redundant UPS strings.

Yes. A complete raised floor system requires all three components. Quantify each separately using the m² functional unit and your actual layout. The stringer and pedestal datasets already account for the floor grid spacing at 600×600 mm panel pitch.

Yes — both are available as distinct datasets at 75 kVA/12–13 kV, allowing a direct comparison of the two winding material choices. For larger transformers, the oil-immersed distribution and power transformer datasets cover the broader capacity range.

Yes. Requests are evaluated against the needs of the global customer base and the availability of credible background data. The Customer Success team can advise on both using existing data as a proxy and on commissioning new datasets where needed.