Some of our amazing clients
CUSTOMER SUCCESS STORY
CUSTOMER SUCCESS STORY

Federal Aviation Administration

From 1997-2003 AFO resurfaced 500k sq ft for FAA in a footprint that stretched from Fairbanks AK to Key West, FL.

About the Project

AFO Founder, Robert Boyle had a lucrative business selling freshly minted panels “factory bonded” in Tate’s Jessup MD Factory (not on wheels) with ESD carpet as replacement panels for FAA facilities.

The Challenge

The Challenge

“We would do a swap out and scrap the old panels” according to Boyle but, this extremely wasteful practice was disturbing.

The Solution

The Solution

After researching adhesives and building a hydraulic stripping device, Mr. Boyle proposed to FAA the notion of re-surfacing their existing panels and won his first contract to do so in 1997.

Results

Results

From 1997-2003 AFO resurfaced 500k sq ft for FAA in a footprint that stretched from Fairbanks AK to Key West, FL.

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  • Data Center World Finalist
  • Sustainable IT Best Practice

“In full operation the process was fast, effective and error free”

Steve Kellenyi

Parsons T-4 Project Manager
CUSTOMER SUCCESS STORY
CUSTOMER SUCCESS STORY

Edward J. Hines VA Information Technology Center

Access Flooring and Substructure Upgrade Chicago, Illinois

About the Project

The Veterans Administration (VA) Information Technology Center is located on the campus of the Edward J. Hines VA Medical Center in Hines, Illinois, a Chicago suburb. It is two-story facility with 15,000 square feet of floor space. The data center houses mission-critical servers that support data storage and processing (e.g. of veteran benefits checks) for the VA and other government agencies.

The Challenge

The Challenge

The VA data center faced issues with its 40-year-old raised access floor system, with wrapped carpet panels causing fiber shedding. This posed a risk of server damage. All panels in the raised floor, including those underneath the IT server cabinets, had a wrapped carpet design.
The entire raised floor, including the understructure, had to be rebuilt and replaced with a stronger floor system. But the mission-critical IT servers and support equipment could not be powered down or taken out of service under any circumstances.

The Solution

The Solution

To install a new floor, AFO developed a hot-swappable raised floor solution. AFO’s engineers created a portable 10-foot A-frame gantry crane that could straddle server cabinets on both sides. AFO’s technicians would first rebuild the floor area surrounding the IT equipment. They would then set up the gantry crane system above the racks, suspend the racks, remove the old flooring, and rebuild the floor underneath the racks. Once they had rebuilt the floor, the technicians would lower the cabinets onto the newly-installed floor panels.

Results

Results

AFO was able to replace the entire floor in the VA data center, without taking the facility offline. During the replacement project, the IT racks and other equipment remained fully operational, and there were no outages of any significance. All existing utilities, low-volt- age, and fiber-optic lines continue to operate without being cut or disconnected. The new floor is significantly stronger, and capable of bearing more weight than the previous floor and substructure. The new floor tiles are scratch resistant, heavy duty steel panels with a concrete in-fill, which are easier to maintain and keep clean.

Read PDF Report
  • Data Center World Finalist
  • Sustainable IT Best Practice

“AFO was able to replace the entire floor in the VA data center, without taking the facility offline. During the replacement project, the IT racks and other equipment remained fully
operational.”

Alex Huber

Construction Manager for Richard Group LLC

We Work with the best

Partnering with renowned organizations like NASA Goddard, the Federal Aviation Administration, Parsons, and other leading IT centers, we specialize in solving complex infrastructure challenges. From uninterrupted operations for critical servers to upgrading outdated systems like the aging 40-year-old raised access floor at the VA data center our commitment to expertise, innovation, and revolutionizing this industry are unmatched.

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