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Data centre secondary steelwork
Data centre secondary steelwork is the non-primary structural steel that supports mechanical and electrical plant: generator and transformer decks, chiller and AHU support frames, equipment skids, MEP trapeze and bracketry, cable containment supports, and maintenance access platforms. It is coordinated to the M&E contractor's drawings and is typically procured as one package because the interfaces between these elements are constant.
Overview
What they do
Primary steel holds the building up. Secondary steelwork holds up everything the building exists to run — and in a data centre that means very heavy, vibration-producing, constantly-maintained plant with tight tolerances on position and clearance.
Because these elements share interfaces — a chiller frame meets an access platform, which meets a cable containment stand — supplying them as one coordinated package avoids the clashes and mismatched interfaces that appear when they are ordered from three different sources.
Loads have also grown. Liquid-cooled and high-density halls need heavier cooling plant than air-cooled designs of a few years ago, which pushes support frames, dunnage and rooftop decks up in section size and drives more detailed load coordination with the structural engineer.
What we supply
Structures in this package
Generator and plant decks
Structural decks and dunnage for standby generators, transformers and heavy mechanical plant — rated for concentrated point loads, vibration and maintenance access.
Chiller and AHU support frames
Load-rated frames for chillers, air handling units, dry coolers and condensers, including vibration-isolation bases. Sized for the heavier plant that liquid-cooled and high-density halls require.
Equipment skids and sub-frames
Structural skids and sub-frames for pre-assembled power and cooling modules — UPS, switchgear, PDUs and cooling plant — fabricated to your module drawings for rapid hook-up on site.
MEP support steelwork
Secondary steelwork for mechanical, electrical and plumbing services — trapeze supports, bracketry and service frames coordinated with your M&E contractor's drawings.
Cable and containment supports
Support structures for cable tray, ladder and busbar runs across data halls and plant rooms — multi-tier stands, trapeze hangers and containment support steel.
Access platforms, walkways and stairs
Maintenance access steelwork for elevated and rooftop plant — platforms, walkways, staircases, handrail and open mesh flooring, supplied as one secondary steelwork package.
Where used
Typical projects
- —New data-hall fit-outs
- —Rooftop plant upgrades
- —Cooling capacity expansions
- —Liquid cooling retrofits
- —Standby power installations
- —Colocation and hyperscale facilities
To quote
What to send for a quotation
Drawings are welcome but not required to start. Whatever you have of the following is enough for a first quotation:
- —M&E layout drawings or plant room general arrangements
- —Plant schedules with equipment weights, footprints and service clearances
- —Structural drawings showing available support points and slab capacities
- —Vibration isolation requirements, if specified
- —Finish specification — galvanised, painted or duplex
- —Programme and delivery sequencing by area or phase
Documentation
Certification & documentation
Production is through EN 1090-certified factories, with execution class and documentation scope confirmed per project against the relevant factory certificate. KLY coordinates certification through its factories and does not self-certify; certificates are available on request. The document pack is agreed at quotation and typically includes:
- —Declaration of Performance (DoP)
- —CE / UKCA marking documentation
- —Material test certificates (EN 10204 3.1)
- —Welding procedure and welder qualification records
- —Inspection and dimensional check reports
- —Galvanising or coating certificates
- —Packing lists and delivery documentation
Supply
How KLY supplies it
KLY manages the route from requirement to delivery: engineering support through qualified independent partners where required, production through EN 1090-certified factories, documentation and inspection, and delivery to site. KLY acts as the UK importer for its standard supply route, managing import coordination, customs documentation and delivery to site — DDP where agreed, so landed cost and delivery terms are clear before order.
See how we work for the full process, the data centres sector page for the wider package, or the guide to imported structural steel for UK projects.
FAQ
Data centre secondary steelwork — common questions
Secondary steelwork is the structural steel that supports plant and services rather than the building itself — generator and plant decks, chiller and AHU frames, equipment skids, MEP trapeze and bracketry, cable containment supports and maintenance access platforms.
No. KLY supplies secondary steelwork and equipment support packages. The primary building frame, installation, M&E works, cooling systems and commissioning are carried out by your appointed contractors.
Yes. MEP support steelwork and equipment frames are coordinated directly with your M&E contractor's drawings and plant schedules. Where only concept or GA information exists, engineering support and detailing can be arranged through qualified independent partners.
Delivery can be phased by area or plant room to match your programme. KLY acts as the UK importer for its standard supply route, managing import coordination, customs documentation and delivery to site — DDP where agreed, so landed cost and delivery dates are fixed before order.
Production is through EN 1090-certified factories, with execution class and documentation scope confirmed per project. The pack typically includes Declaration of Performance, CE/UKCA marking documentation, material test certificates, welding records, inspection reports and coating certificates — agreed at quotation.