Join us for our February student event night for an in-depth conversation on Data Center Design for Structural Engineers: Systems, Loads, and Seismic Isolation Case Studies, presented by Sam Richardson, Senior Project Engineer at Paradigm Structural Engineers. This session will explore key structural considerations in data center design, including system layouts, loading requirements, and real-world seismic isolation case studies.
The evening will begin with a networking reception and happy hour from 5:00–6:00 p.m., followed by the technical presentation from 6:00–7:30 p.m. The event will be held at San Francisco State University’s Seven Hills Conference Center.
About the Presentation
Developments in computing technologies and digital services, including social media, streaming, cloud storage, and more recently, AI/LLM driven applications, have led to an increasing societal reliance on data centers. The demand for data centers has transitioned from steady growth to a surge in capacity over the past several years, largely driven by hyperscale operators. Despite this rapid expansion, data center design remains a relatively niche field.
This presentation will aim to demystify data centers by explaining typical infrastructure systems and delivery models as well as introducing the key structural design considerations relevant to daily practice. The presentation will also explore two case studies of seismically isolated data centers, explaining the benefits and challenges of incorporating seismic isolation for mission-critical facilities.
About the Speaker
Sam Richardson is a Senior Project Engineer with PARADIGM Structural Engineers with 10 years of experience designing data centers throughout the United States. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering and Master’s Degree in Structural/Earthquake Engineering from San Francisco State University. In addition to mission critical, life sciences, and other commercial experience, he has contributed to several projects incorporating seismic isolation and other forms of passive energy dissipation and has a strong interest in these systems.
Sponsor
Thank you to our event sponsor,
CSI!
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