A Six-Phase Methodology for BIM Digital Delivery of Data Centers

      If the main battlefield of BIM in China over the past decade was housing, super high-rise buildings and subways, then starting from 2024, a new track is rapidly heating up—data centers, especially AIDC intelligent computing centers.

      The "Special Action Plan for Green and Low-Carbon Development of Data Centers," jointly issued by the National Development and Reform Commission and three other departments in July 2024, explicitly requires that by the end of 2025, the power usage effectiveness (PUE) of newly built large and ultra-large data centers nationwide shall in principle not exceed 1.25, with national hub nodes further tightened to within 1.20. At the same time,"East Data, West Computing" eight hub nodes have entered a period of intensive construction. The "Green Computing Power Development Research Report" released by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology in September 2025 shows that the number of racks in data centers in use nationwide has exceeded 9 million, and the share of intelligent computing power has exceeded 30% for the first time.

      Behind these figures is an engineering species completely different from traditional building construction: single-rack power has soared from 6kW to 60kW or even higher, liquid cooling systems have replaced air cooling as the mainstream, and room load-bearing, floor height and cabling methods have all been overturned. The construction period has been compressed from 36 months under the traditional model to 12–18 months, while the O&M cycle has been extended to 15–20 years.

      As a technical service team deeply engaged in BIM consulting and prefabricated building design consulting,Zhuwei Architectural Technology has been involved in multiple data center projects over the past two years and has observed a common confusion in the industry: many owners spend a great deal of money on BIM, but what they finally receive is a pile of 3D models that are "good-looking but not usable"—clash reports were produced and animations rendered, yet the O&M team still walks around the server rooms looking for equipment with Excel ledgers in hand.

      Where is the problem? Our answer is:what data centers need is not a BIM tool, but an information management system built on the skeleton of ISO 19650.

I. In the AIDC era, three structural changes in data center construction

      To see the true value of BIM on this track, we must first see what has changed in the projects themselves.

Change 1: From "general-purpose server room" to "process-driven dedicated computing plant"

      Traditional data centers follow the idea of "buildings accommodating equipment"—build the building first, then stuff racks into it. AIDC intelligent computing centers, by contrast, are "equipment defining buildings": the power consumption of GPU clusters, the hydraulic characteristics of liquid cooling loops, the routing of busways, and the turning radii of cable trays in turn determine floor height, column spacing, load-bearing capacity, and the positions of reserved openings.

      This directly overturns the working rhythm of design institutes. The architectural discipline is no longer the leader; the process discipline (IT and MEP) has become the leader. When rack power density jumps from 6kW to over 60kW, the floor load requirement of the server room jumps from the conventional 8kN/㎡ to 20kN/㎡ or even higher, and the cooling method switches from air cooling to cold plate or immersion liquid cooling—every change triggers cascading modifications in architecture, structure and MEP.

      In such a scenario where "one move affects the whole body,"the information-carrying capacity of 2D drawings has reached its limit, and only a 3D collaborative model allows all disciplines to discuss problems in the same time and space.

Change 2: From "serial construction" to "parallel construction"

      GB 50174-2017 "Code for Design of Data Centers" classifies server rooms into Grades A, B and C, with Grade A having the highest requirements—power supply and distribution, cooling, fire protection and security must all be redundant. The traditional serial construction process of "architecture→structure→MEP→decoration" can no longer be sustained under the dual pressure of Grade A server rooms plus an 18-month construction period.

      The reality is: civil works have just reached the ±0.000 level while MEP detailed design is still underway; steel structure hoisting is half done while the prefabrication drawings for liquid cooling pipes have just been signed; three months before racks arrive on site, the interface positions of distribution cabinets are still being changed. This "four-parallel" mode of "designing, detailing, constructing and adjusting simultaneously" leaves traditional project management methods struggling.

      The "Prefabricated Modular Data Center" promoted by Huawei, Vertiv, Schneider and other manufacturers essentially moves on-site construction work forward to the factory—MEP modules, cooling source modules and power supply and distribution modules are integrated and tested in the factory, and only assembly is done on site. This path can compress the construction period, but the premise is thatdesign information must be output at a precision that the factory can directly consume, that is, LOD 400 fabrication models.

Change 3: From "completion delivery" to "asset operation"

      Once built, a data center must operate continuously for 15–20 years, during which it undergoes multiple equipment replacements, system expansions and server room renovations. What owners really care about is not how good-looking the 3D model is on the day of completion, but whether, ten years later, an O&M engineer can locate within 30 seconds the exact position, spare part model and maintenance contact of a faulty UPS.

      But under the traditional delivery model, completion documents are scattered: the contractor delivers a set of paper as-built drawings (often with handwritten modifications), equipment manufacturers deliver a pile of PDF manuals, and the owner builds yet another Excel ledger. The three sets of materials are not interconnected, and when O&M takes over, it can only rely on "master-apprentice" experience transfer.

      This is exactly the problem that ISO 19650-3 (information management in the operational phase) attempts to solve—using the asset information model (AIM) as the "digital base plate" for the operational phase, so that every equipment replacement and every renovation can be traced.

II. Why ordinary BIM is not enough: data centers need ISO 19650

      A common dilemma of BIM application in China over the past few years is: projects did BIM, but no one "managed" BIM. Model precision was inconsistent, naming rules differed from one party to another, versions proliferated, and delivery standards were vague—in the end BIM became a bonus item in bidding rather than an asset in operation.

      The value of the ISO 19650 series of international standards lies in upgrading BIM from a "technical tool" to a "management framework." This set of standards is published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), upgraded from the UK PAS 1192 system, and currently consists of six parts: Part 1 Concepts and principles, Part 2 Delivery phase, Part 3 Operational phase, Part 4 Information exchange, Part 5 Security-minded information management, Part 6 Health and safety.

      For data centers, the most critical arePart 2, Part 3 and Part 5:

• Part 2 Delivery phase: defines the three-piece set of exchange information requirements (EIR), BIM execution plan (BEP) and common data environment (CDE), making "what model is required, by what standard it is produced, and where it is managed" a contractual obligation.

• Part 3 Operational phase: defines asset information requirements (AIR) and the asset information model (AIM), turning as-built BIM from a "deliverable" into an "operational data source" interfaced with the DCIM system.

• Part 5 Security-minded information management: data centers involve national critical information infrastructure, and security-sensitive information (such as security systems, access control points, and redundant power supply paths) must be managed at different classification levels. Part 5 provides a complete security classification and permission model.

      It is worth noting that ISO 19650 does not conflict with domestic standards. The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development's "Unified Standard for Application of Building Information Modeling" GB/T 51212 and the "Shanghai Guide for Application of Building Information Modeling Technology (2025 Edition)" (Hu Jian Jian Guan [2025] No. 238) newly issued by the Shanghai Municipal Housing and Urban-Rural Development Commission in 2025 are both moving closer to the core concepts of ISO 19650—terms such as EIR/BEP/CDE/LOD have already entered domestic policy documents. For data center projects with overseas owners or foreign-invested backgrounds (such as self-built server rooms of financial institutions like HSBC and Standard Chartered), ISO 19650 is even a mandatory compliance baseline.

III. Zhuwei's six-phase methodology for data center BIM implementation

      Based on our practice on multiple data center and high-end industrial projects, we have divided ISO 19650-based data center BIM implementation into six phases, each with clear inputs, outputs and responsible parties.

Phase 1: Demand anchoring (project initiation/bidding phase)

      Core action: the owner issues the EIR to clarify information requirements; bidders respond with the BEP to clarify the implementation path.

      This phase is most easily overlooked, yet it precisely determines the success or failure of the following five phases. The EIR must at least clearly state: phased model precision targets (LOD 200→300→400→As-Built), CDE platform selection (BIM 360, ProjectWise or domestic platforms), naming rules (per ISO 19650-2 annexes), delivery format (IFC 4.0 + COBie), and acceptance criteria (penalty clauses for missing fields).

      Our experience is:the EIR must be issued in the bidding documents, not negotiated after the contract is awarded. BIM requirements negotiated after award often end up as a dead letter.

Phase 2: Multi-code integration and coordination (scheme design phase)

      Core action: BIM+GIS collaboration for site analysis to verify the rationality of site selection.

      Data center site selection must simultaneously satisfy: being close enough to a 110kV or 220kV substation (power supply redundancy), avoiding the downstream of the prevailing wind direction (cooling tower exhaust does not affect the surroundings), geological bearing capacity meeting the 20kN/㎡ server room load, sufficient water resources (water for evaporative cooling), and fiber optic routing accessibility. These conditions are assessed separately in traditional feasibility study reports, but in a BIM+GIS environment they can be overlaid and analyzed to find conflicts at once.

      The model precision in the scheme phase is about LOD 200, focusing on 3D verification of building massing, structural system and main MEP routing, while carrying out preliminary clear height analysis—Grade A server rooms generally require a clear height below beams of no less than 4.5 meters, and a clear height of rack aisles of no less than 3.2 meters.

Phase 3: MEP coordination and detailed design (construction drawing phase)

      Core action: multi-discipline models are aggregated into the CDE, with clash detection + clear height optimization + node briefing.

      This is the most intensive BIM application phase in data centers. Cooling water pipes, liquid cooling primary/secondary side piping, high-voltage busways, low-voltage cable trays, fire suppression gas pipes, and weak-current cable trays—six or seven disciplines must be laid out in the same ceiling space, and any crossing may trigger rework.

      ISO 19650-2 emphasizesstatus code management in the CDE: S0 (officially published, usable for construction), S1 (under review, not usable for construction), S2 (draft, for reference only). This rule seems simple, yet it fundamentally cures a high-frequency accident in traditional projects—a construction crew works from a "draft" drawing that has long been overturned by a change order, and the problem is only discovered at acceptance.

      Clash detection itself is a routine action; what truly reflects the level of BIM consulting is the rationality of the "resolution scheme": who yields to whom? By how much? Does it trigger a design change? Does it affect construction cost? These questions require the BIM team to have solid MEP professional knowledge, rather than being simple software operators.

Phase 4: Prefabrication and smart construction (construction phase)

      Core action: LOD 400 fabrication-level models + 4D schedule simulation + change version control.

      The model precision in the construction phase must be raised to LOD 400—liquid cooling pipes segmented and numbered, each segment dimensioned to the millimeter, elbow angles annotated, and support positions linked with the steel structure model. These models directly interface with factory fabrication equipment and output prefabrication drawings.

      Why are liquid cooling pipes particularly suitable for factory prefabrication? Because GPUs are extremely sensitive to water quality; iron filings and oil contamination from on-site welding entering the liquid cooling loop will directly damage accelerator cards worth millions. Argon arc welding + pickling and passivation + pressure testing in a factory environment offer far better quality control than on-site work. This is also the underlying logic by which Zhuwei transfers the "factory production, on-site assembly" concept of prefabricated buildings to MEP installation in data centers.

      The role of 4D BIM in this phase is "rhythm management": linking the 3D model with the construction schedule to simulate the time windows for cross-discipline construction, and detecting rhythm mismatches in advance, such as "the MEP model is not yet available when the civil works reserved openings are due for construction." Change management automatically identifies the scope of impact through version comparison—when an upgrade of a GPU cluster model triggers a change in rack power consumption, which pipes, valves and pump sets of the cooling system need cascading modifications is clear at a glance.

Phase 5: Digital handover (completion phase)

      Core action: As-Built model + COBie asset table + interfacing with the DCIM system.

      This is the phase where BIM value is truly realized, and also the link where most domestic projects collapse. There are usually two reasons for collapse: first, subcontractors do not seriously update the as-built model (personnel have already withdrawn during project closeout); second, the owner has no clear acceptance criteria (the contract does not specify how missing fields are penalized).

      According to ISO 19650-3, the owner should simultaneously issue the AIR (asset information requirements document) at the bidding stage, clearly specifying which equipment needs operational information entered, in what format (COBie tables or IFC property sets), and what the acceptance criteria are. The asset information specific to data centers includes at least:

Asset category	Information that must be entered
Power supply and distribution	UPS/generator/transformer/PDU: model, rated power, maintenance contract number, test cycle, latest test date, spare parts list
Cooling	Chillers/cold plate liquid cooling CDU/precision air conditioners: cooling capacity, COP value, operating pressure range, covered rack numbers, leak sensor positions
Fire protection	Gas fire suppression system: extinguishing agent type, charge amount, trigger conditions, manual emergency stop button positions, cylinder inspection validity period
Security	Video surveillance/access control/intrusion alarm: device number, IP address, coverage area, video retention period
Racks	Rack number, rated power, current load, uplink/downlink port correspondence

      After the as-built BIM model is delivered, it interfaces with the DCIM system through standard interfaces: DCIM collects real-time equipment operating data (temperature, current, PUE), while BIM provides spatial information and static asset information. When an O&M engineer sees a rack temperature alarm on the DCIM console, they can jump directly to the 3D position of that device in BIM and simultaneously bring up maintenance contact information, emergency switching procedures and historical repair records.

Phase 6: O&M iteration (continuous updating)

      Core action: establish a "living document" update mechanism so that the BIM model evolves in sync with asset changes.

      The BIM model is not a one-time delivered file, but a "living document" that requires continuous maintenance. Key institutions: each equipment replacement is synchronously updated in BIM by the O&M team; each server room renovation requires the contractor to submit an updated model, which is reviewed by the owner and then filed into the CDE; and a comprehensive verification of the model against the physical reality is carried out once a year. The cost of this mechanism is about 0.5%–1% of the annual O&M budget, but compared with the "re-survey" before a server room renovation (often hundreds of thousands in surveying fees), the cost-effectiveness is extremely high.

IV. How prefabrication experience feeds back into data center BIM

      In addition to BIM consulting, the other main line of Zhuwei Architectural Technology's core business is detailed design of prefabricated buildings—using Tekla for full-process PC detailing, from component splitting and mold design to digital control of production, transportation and hoisting. This experience is highly homologous to the "prefabricated modular" path of data centers.

      Prefabricated buildings solve the problem of "how to move on-site concrete casting work forward to the factory"; data center modularization solves the problem of "how to move on-site MEP installation work forward to the factory." Both share the same underlying methodology:

• Parametric splitting:split large systems into standardized modules, each with a unique number, dimensions and interface definition.

• Factory prefabrication:complete high-precision processing and quality testing in a controlled environment to avoid fluctuations in on-site conditions.

• Logistics and transportation:IoT tracks the position, status and installation sequence of each module.

• On-site assembly:assemble according to the predetermined sequence, reducing on-site cutting, welding, painting and other wet trades.

• Digital delivery:the "birth certificate" of each module (production batch, material certificates, test reports) enters the as-built document repository along with the module.

      This is also our unique perspective on the data center BIM consulting business:not treating it as a pure software job, but as a "digitally driven construction industrialization" problem.

V. Six practical recommendations for owners and general contractors

      Based on the above methodology, we offer six actionable recommendations for owners and general contractor teams on data center projects:

• First,the EIR and AIR must be issued together in the bidding documents, and cannot be negotiated after award. These two documents are the "contractual anchors" of BIM value.

• Second,assign a BIM manager with data center experience, not an ordinary building BIM manager. The MEP complexity of data centers far exceeds that of housing, requiring composite talent who understands process, liquid cooling and power supply and distribution.

• Third,list the BIM budget separately at 0.3%–0.8% of the construction cost, and do not apportion it among the disciplines. The result of apportionment is that every discipline feels "it's none of my business."

• Fourth,give priority to domestic substitution solutions when selecting the CDE platform. Financial and government data centers involve critical information infrastructure, and the compliance risks of overseas cloud platforms cannot be ignored.

• Fifth,write the proportion of prefabricated modularization into the design brief. A prefabrication rate of liquid cooling pipes of no less than 80% and an integration rate of MEP modules of no less than 60% are all quantifiable targets.

• Sixth,have the O&M team participate in drafting the AIR from the design phase. O&M is the end user of digital delivery, and their requirements must be locked in advance; otherwise the model obtained is just an "exquisite exhibit."

Conclusion: Data center BIM is not a cost item, but an asset item

      Many owners list BIM as an "extra expense" at project initiation and hope to save as much as possible. But those who have truly done O&M will tell you:the cost of data center BIM has never been in the construction phase, but in the ten or twenty years of O&M without BIM.

      A re-survey before a server room renovation, a scramble during a fault, drawings that do not match during an expansion, accounts that do not match reality during an asset inventory—these seemingly scattered "small costs" often add up to several times the BIM implementation cost. Not to mention that when owners want to sell or REITs data center assets, a complete, accurate and verifiable digital asset ledger directly determines the valuation premium.

      From "East Data, West Computing" to "green and low-carbon," from "general-purpose server rooms" to "AIDC intelligent computing," China's data center industry is undergoing a structural upgrade. The core of this upgrade is not just building more server rooms and installing denser racks, but turning every data center into amanageable, operable and value-appreciating digital asset.

      BIM+ISO 19650 is precisely the necessary path to this goal.

References

• "Special Action Plan for Green and Low-Carbon Development of Data Centers" by the National Development and Reform Commission and three other departments, July 2024

• "Green Computing Power Development Research Report" by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, September 2025

• GB 50174-2017 "Code for Design of Data Centers"

• GB/T 51212-2016 "Unified Standard for Application of Building Information Modeling"

• "Shanghai Guide for Application of Building Information Modeling Technology (2025 Edition)" by the Shanghai Municipal Housing and Urban-Rural Development Commission, Hu Jian Jian Guan [2025] No. 238

• ISO 19650 series of international standards (Parts 1–6), International Organization for Standardization

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When reproducing, please indicate the source:Zhuwei Architectural Technology

      Zhuwei Architectural Technology is a new-type technical service enterprise whose main business is architectural design optimization, BIM design consulting and prefabricated building design consulting. The team is composed of technical backbones from design institutes, senior managers of the former company, BIM engineers and prefabricated detailing designers, providing full-process consulting services including design optimization with construction drawings, BIM consulting, electrical detailing, and prefabricated building design consulting and detailing.

      Architectural design optimization business: positioned as an extension and supplement to the design management of real estate developers, with the concepts of "profession creates value" and "quality first," exercising economic, reasonable and safe control over key design stages to achieve the goals of "cost reduction," "drawing optimization" and "value enhancement."

      BIM design consulting business: cooperating with major state-owned, central and private enterprises, covering the full stages of BIM consulting, design, construction and O&M. High-quality residential design, refined base design, and digital construction reduce errors and improve quality, saving costs and ensuring quality for construction units. Cooperating with mainstream software vendors on construction phase management, applying BIM models to logistics and site management (LOD500 depth).

      Prefabricated building design consulting business: using Tekla software for full-process PC detailing design, adjusting spatial parameters and connection methods in the BIM model to avoid construction conflicts, and achieving digital delivery according to Industry 4.0 standards. Providing PC component data (dimensions, rebar spacing, etc.), and using IoT to support production, warehousing, transportation and installation. Compared with traditional PC detailing companies, it provides system-level solutions, especially in the fields of logistics warehousing and high-rise buildings.

      The company's expert team comes from large design institutes, with deep technical foundations and rich experience in dual-track design and optimization, and its technical capability and control level are in a leading position in the industry.

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The views expressed are the author's own  Copyright © Zhuwei Architectural Technology

Reproduction without authorization is prohibited

Please credit the source when reposting: Zhuwei Architectural Technology

      Zhuwei Architectural Technology is a new-type technical services company specializing in integrated design optimization, BIM consulting and prefabricated construction design consulting. Our team brings together senior engineers from leading design institutes, former executives of real-estate companies, BIM engineers and prefabrication engineers, delivering integrated design optimization, refined drawing review, BIM consulting with MEP detailing, and prefabricated design services.

      Design optimization consulting: Positioned as an extension and complement to the design management of real-estate developers, we focus on consulting and optimization for civil buildings. Across the whole process — or at key stages required by the client — we control the economy, rationality and safety of the design, eliminating unnecessary cost while measurably improving drawing quality, achieving "lower cost, higher efficiency".

      BIM consulting: Through digital construction technology we help designers reduce errors and improve quality in the design phase, help contractors save cost and plan high-quality MEP installation in the construction phase, and extend BIM models into facility management for the operation phase — in collaboration with mainstream software vendors.

      Prefabricated design consulting: Whole-process design on BIM platforms, using Revit and Tekla for PC detailing. Component geometry and reinforcement are linked parametrically — what you see is what you get. We deliver Industry 4.0-ready drawings with cut-length data for every rebar, and IoT-enabled support for production, storage, transport and installation of PC components.

      Our expert team comes from leading design institutes, with deep technical grounding and extensive experience in dual-track design and optimization; its technical capability and control are industry-leading.

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