ModuSec®

Modular building system for rooms with high physical security requirements

ModuSec® is tested and certified in accordance with current safety standards and is suitable for the construction of all types of rooms and buildings where there are requirements for certified safety.

With ModuSec®, you can, among other things, build complete room solutions for computer rooms and data centers with a highly certified level for the protection of your computer fleet and storage media against heat, fire, burglary, explosion and water. Whether you are an architect, IT manager or contractor, you will find that ModuSec® meets the need for simple, fast and safe construction of data/server rooms.

Our expertise can help you choose the right solution – here it is easy to make mistakes – at least if the goal is to protect the assets (and not just build as cheaply as possible).

ModuSec® is manufactured in England by Remtech Ltd. All room parts; such as walls, ceilings, doors, etc. are manufactured to specific measurements, delivered directly to the construction site and installed by a team of certified and dedicated specialists by appointment.

We have delivered many ModuSec® solutions in the Nordic region.

You can find lots of useful information about ModuSec® in the tabs below, including a list of reference projects for some of them.

If you are going to build a data center or data room, you will also find an overview of the requirements you should consider when making it safe and secure.

ModuSec®

ModuSec® – offisiell nettside (EN)

TEKNISK DOKUMENTASJON

ModuSec® complete, modular security solution for your business.

ModuSec® uses lightweight and very strong, steel-clad wall and roof panels with a high thermal protection core of “PyroFoam”. The panels lock together easily and quickly and provide a protective shell in the desired size. The surface of the panels is pre-treated and does not require any finishing such as painting or wallpapering. The new data room is built independently of the existing structure and can easily be expanded or moved.

Each panel is individually manufactured to the individual project and size and can be equipped with built-in steel for extra strength or to be able to attach particularly heavy objects, cable guides and special steel grilles provide higher burglary resistance. The joints between and locking of the panels with cam-lock increase strength, increase safety and the integrity of the room.

ModuSec® has been specially developed to provide the right level of security for your computer equipment and storage media against threats from fire, water, smoke, dust, theft, vandalism and sabotage. High insulation value effectively eliminates solar heating, saves energy and provides a stable operating environment for the cooling systems.

Traditional construction methods (steel/plaster, concrete, Leca, etc.) and panel systems with mineral wool or other foamed insulation materials are not specifically designed to protect computers, storage media and electronics and therefore will not offer adequate protection against threats that are particularly critical to such environments.

Short construction time

After a detailed inspection, the new computer room is custom-built to measure and then shipped to the construction site. The panels have a pre-treated surface that does not require additional surface treatment and therefore cause minimal disturbance to the surroundings during construction.

Wall and ceiling panels are equipped with tongue and groove and are fastened together with built-in cam-locks with a distance of about 1 metre from each other. The walls are fixed in mounted channels in the floor or attached to any floor panels. The ceiling and wall mounts have specially designed shapes that easily slide into place and are fixed with steel angles. All joints are sealed with fireproof joint compound (which swells during heating) and silicone sealant against water ingress.

This construction forms an incredibly strong box that resists damage caused by fire, heat, water, gas, smoke and other external “attacks” against the company’s computer installations.

A 100 m² ModuSec® room, ready for further installations, is easily built in 3 days.

A small room is ready on the day!

Traditional fire-rated building materials such as concrete, stone, plaster, mineral wool panels, etc. are all rated to BS476/EN1364 to protect escape routes or building integrity for temperatures up to 180°C during the classification period. However, even though the design may well be rated at 60, 90 or 120 minutes, the critical temperature of the IT equipment and storage media may still be exceeded. This is even if the classification period has not been exceeded! The fire rating and insulation performance of mineral wool depend on the thickness and density of the mineral wool core and may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.

The European standard for the construction of computer rooms (EN1047-2), recommends a maximum rise of 50°C, measured 100mm from inside the room, for 60 minutes.

ModuSec® has a “traditional” 90 minutes fire classification, but more importantly, during a BS476 Pt 22 test with the outside temperature rising to 950°C over 90 minutes, the measurements on the unexposed surface showed that the temperature held the critical temperature for the storage media for 68 minutes and for the IT equipment (50°C increase) for 73 minutes.

If you choose ModuSec® to protect your company’s IT equipment, you are also assured of following “best practice” and at a reasonable price, as described in Turnbull, Sarbanes Oxley and Basel II, all of which recommend following “best practice” to minimize operational risk as much as possible.

For more information about fire protection, click here.

Protection against water and moisture

ModuSec® panels have a steel surface and insulation core with an almost 100% closed cell structure. A tongue and groove system for joining is ensured with silicone sealant. The doors have the same structure and with a 4-sided double-folded frame secured with 2 smoke and water seals. All penetrations are also secured against smoke and water ingress. This design protects your IT equipment from extinguishing water and water leaks. Additional sealing can be done where there is an extremely high risk of e.g. flooding. For outdoor spaces, an extra sloping roof is built with gutters and downpipes. (The room itself needs no additional protection).

The nearly 100% enclosed core structure prevents moisture or water from spreading inside the panels, and without any significant reduction in strength, insulation, or fire protection over time or risk of structural water damage.

Plasterboard is porous and allows water ingress in the event of leakage or flooding, resulting in a possible material collapse that can result in the need for major replacements in addition to any damage to the IT equipment. Mineral wool is also porous – to a greater or lesser extent depending on density.

Concrete, bricks, blocks and plasterboard, – unlike ModuSec®, will emit corrosive gases during fire and this creates harmful moisture levels for the IT equipment and storage media.

Insulation ability

ModuSec® has the lowest U-value available in the market for a 100mm construction. The low U-value effectively eliminates solar heating and saves energy while providing the best conditions for the cooling systems. With global warming, an increase in average air temperature and summer temperatures close to 30°C is expected to increase this problem in the future.

The good insulation ability of ModuSec® reduces the power requirement for cooling, reduces the ongoing costs as well as reducing the CO “footprint” from the company’s server room/data center.

The power of ModuSec® panels

ModuSec® panels are very light (around 20kg/m² for standard panels), but at the same time very strong. The compressive strength of the panels has been measured at almost 60,000kg/m² before collapse. This means that the panels can also be used as floor panels to build a fully insulated 6-sided room.

Note that the steel plates in a composite panel are likely to separate from the core during heating. This is because the steel expands at a different rate than the core and can only move away from the core material. However, the core material of ModuSec® panels is strong enough to support the load from the roof panels, even without the steel sides. This is NOT the case for mineral wool panels that will need additional support of the roof panels in the event of a fire.

ModuSec® roofs are tested and approved for service access (BS6399) for roof panels up to 6 meters without support. The BS6399 requires up to 0.25KN/m² for distributed load and 0.9KN for point load.

The system is approved for constant pressure ±350Pa with a maximum of 500Pa. For pressures above this, the use of a special pressure relief / overpressure damper is recommended. The ceiling panels are equipped with a pair of steel channels centered in each panel with a non-conductive spacer, mounted longitudinally of each panel (More can be fitted if desired)

This provides additional strength and rigidity and offers good attachment points in the ceiling. However, please ask us for advice before fixing heavy objects to the ceiling so that problems are avoided. Special attachments for heavy loads are available. Light fixtures, junction boxes, etc. can be attached directly, anywhere in the ceiling panels.

ModuSec® F90 data room protected critical IT equipment during a heavy fire

December 2014: A large commercial company in Denmark experienced a heavy arson with the use of a large amount of flammable liquid that was ignited in the immediate vicinity of the computer room where the company stored its critical IT systems and data.

The enclosed area around the computer room was exposed to intense heat and smoke for over 60 minutes while the fire brigade tried to get to extinguish the fire. All the equipment that was in the outer room was completely damaged – including the wiring into the computer room.

Security Solutions

Most building materials such as plaster, lightweight concrete, non-safety classified composite panels, steel cladding and transport containers, etc., can be easily broken into and in a surprisingly short time.

ModuSec® offers independently tested solutions to meet the requirements of the LPS 1175 safety standard from SR 1 to SR 5. The tests specify the permitted tools and working hours for the individual security level to prevent unwanted access through a building element and the tests are carried out by professional test teams with thorough knowledge of the products being tested. This also includes all joints and fasteners. The choice of security level is part of a comprehensive security strategy, where the user decides on the threat picture and exposure before intervention occurs – in the context of the consequences of losing objects, information or systems to be protected.

Security levels (Test time):
Brief description of the desired level of protection

SR1 (10 min): Random attack, only own strength and with minimal use of tools (screwdriver, knife, cutter, etc.)

SR2 (15 min): More dedicated random attack with tools (SR1 + bolt cutter, hammer, drill, etc.)

SR3 (20 min): Planned break-in in protected area using your own strength and several attack options (SR2 + short axe, chisel, gas burner, etc.)

SR4 (30 min): Experienced attacker with more advanced tools (SR3 + cleavage, sledgehammer, steel wedge, plate saw, jigsaw, etc.)

SR5 (30 min): Serious burglary attempt with advanced cordless tools, such as those used by fire and rescue personnel (SR4 + circular saw, 750W reciprocating saw with special blades). This is a significant increase in the security level from the SR4 – and it uses first-class but easily accessible for anyone with serious burglary intentions – cutting tools.

ModuSec® GS: Special version developed for CPNI. Ask us about this one.

ModuSec® is the only system available that offers clear options that meet all these threat levels – in addition to explosion protection and fire protection. Combine different levels of walls and ceilings, depending on vulnerability, with custom steel structure, doors, and service openings to construct a safe environment. ModuSec® also protects against the use of thermal lances in addition to other accreditations for burglary and explosion protection (details on request). We offer our experience in building secure data rooms, data centers and other security environments, and are happy to be involved in the design process as well.

The safety levels are achieved through a combination of materials inside the core of the panels and the strength of the support structure.

Investigation, design, production, delivery and installation are all elements for a certified supplier with 20 years of experience who guarantee that the finished product meets the correct safety standard to protect companies’ critical equipment.