Even the most advanced data centres face challenges when built in seismically active regions. Earthquakes can disrupt far more than connectivity, e.g. they can compromise mechanical systems, destabilise server racks, and threaten power redundancy. In environments where uptime is measured in milliseconds, physical resilience becomes as crucial as cybersecurity.
A significant tremor can distort generators, misalign chillers, or disable pumps critical to data centre cooling infrastructure. Once chilled-water circulation is interrupted, thermal buildup can trigger cascading system failures, risking both IT hardware and business continuity.
To maintain data centre reliability, operators in seismic zones need technologies that sense, react, and record. Structural reinforcements and equipment anchoring provide a first layer of defence, but real resilience comes from intelligent seismic protection systems that detect and act in real time.
Sensonics’s combined seismic switch and triaxial accelerometer solutions provide comprehensive monitoring and control. These units continuously measure ground motion along three axes to determine movement intensity and direction. When seismic activity surpasses safe thresholds, an integrated switch automatically triggers a safe shutdown of key data centre machinery from generators to chillers to cooling systems, preventing secondary mechanical damage.
Beyond immediate response, Sensonics’s systems record vibration data before, during, and after a quake, enabling operators to assess equipment integrity and plan recovery efficiently.
Purpose-built for mission-critical infrastructure, these seismic protection systems ensure data centre uptime, reliability, and disaster recovery capability… no matter how unstable the ground beneath may be.
🔗 Learn more at www.sensonics.co.uk.