Pennsylvania Data Center Decommission & Putback

Project Scope

The client required a full-scale data center decommission of its Pennsylvania facility. The project included removal of mechanical cooling systems, UPS and PDU infrastructure, batteries, raised flooring, mezzanines, multiple 4000A switchgear lineups, and several generators.

In addition to decommissioning, Travel Safe was tasked with returning the facility to landlord-ready condition. This involved patching and painting, epoxy floor repairs, restoring outdoor areas, and ensuring all penetrations met 2-hour fire rating requirements.

All work needed to be performed while maintaining fire and life safety systems for the building, ensuring full code compliance, and minimizing disruption to other tenants.

The Challenge

Decommissioning a live data center facility required overcoming several obstacles:

Scope complexity: The project spanned mechanical, electrical, and architectural systems, including chilled water piping, chillers, CRACs, switchgear, transformers, UPS modules, batteries, and structural platforms.

Compliance requirements: Battery recycling, refrigerant recovery, and e-waste disposal all required certified processes and reporting.

Tenant coordination: Loud work could only occur off-hours, requiring after-hours scheduling and weekend crane lifts.

Restoration expectations: The landlord required the space to be returned to pre-lease condition, with walls, ceilings, floors, mezzanines, and outdoor areas fully restored.

Our Solution

Travel Safe delivered a turnkey decommissioning solution covering all mechanical, electrical, architectural, and compliance work in-house.

Mechanical: Removed Liebert air handlers, chillers, cooling towers, pumps, piping, and CRAC units. Piping was capped and backfilled with reinforced concrete and topsoil restoration.

Electrical: Removed all UPS systems, PDUs, RPPs, rectifiers, batteries, conduits, fire systems, VESDA systems, and bus duct. Disconnected and shrink-wrapped equipment for transport. Installed new panels and heaters per landlord requirements. Provided temporary power equipment while the utility power was down

Architectural: Removed raised flooring, mezzanine, partitions, staircases, walls, and platforms. Patched and painted walls, polished floors, and restored penetrations to meet fire code standards.

Logistics & Compliance: Coordinated weekend crane lifts, shrink-wrapped and prepared equipment for transportation, and provided certified recycling reports for batteries, refrigerant, copper, and steel.

Results

• Successfully decommissioned and removed all major MEP and electrical infrastructure, including switchgear, generators, UPS systems, and fire systems.
• Delivered full landlord compliance, returning the space to a ready-to-lease condition.
• Provided certifications of recycling for all e-waste, refrigerants, batteries, and scrap metals.
• Maintained project schedule and minimized tenant disruption by conducting loud work after-hours.
• Saved the client from multiple months of rent payments by expediting their lease return and moveout process.
• Returned over $1 million in equipment value to the client for equipment they no longer had a use for.

Significance

This project demonstrates Travel Safe’s ability to manage complex, multi-trade data center decommissions at scale, all in-house. From chilled water systems and CRAC units to UPS plants and 4000A switchgear, our team delivers safe, compliant, and efficient solutions that return facilities to landlord-ready condition.

If your organization needs to decommission and restore a facility, Travel Safe can provide a single-vendor, turnkey solution that covers mechanical, electrical, architectural, and compliance requirements under one scope.