Why data centres are built in Finland
A cool climate, a stable grid, affordable renewable electricity and district heating that can take the waste heat make Finland one of the most sought-after data centre locations in Europe. Several projects are under way in the Helsinki region and its surroundings, and the main contractors are often international construction firms. They need local subcontractors who know Finnish practice and can start quickly.
Phase 1: site, permits and earthworks
A project starts with zoning, an environmental permit and a building permit. With the permit in hand, the site is prepared: blasting, fill, foundations and utilities. Depending on the site this takes anywhere from months to over a year. Local subcontracting is already used here for site welfare facilities, fencing and temporary structures.
Phase 2: frame and envelope
The frame is usually steel or precast concrete, and the envelope goes up as fast as possible to get the building weather-tight so interior work can start. Several contractors are on site at once, and keeping to the programme matters more than the price of any single package: a late package delays everything after it.
Phase 3: building services — the part we do not do
The heart of a data centre is power distribution, backup power and cooling. These are specialist packages delivered by specialist firms, with their own inspection and testing regimes. In the interest of honesty: Raslak Works does not do this work. Our part begins when the equipment needs rooms, walls and finishes around it.
Phase 4: interior fit-out and complementary works
This is where the most hands are needed: partitions and boarding, fire compartmentation and fire stopping of penetrations, raised floors and their edging, cable tray enclosures, finishes, doors and trims, office and welfare areas, and the finishing of control and meeting rooms. Work is often done hall by hall, because the equipment is commissioned in stages.
Typical for these packages are strict dust control, precise documentation of penetrations and fitting the work in between equipment installation. This is Raslak Works' core area on data centre sites; there is more in Interior fit-out for data centres.
Phase 5: commissioning, snagging and upkeep
Before handover, systems are tested and the building is inspected. Inspections always find things to fix — a snagging list typically has surface damage, missing fire-stop labels, trims and door adjustments. Fast, clean snagging is where a local subcontractor earns its keep. After commissioning, a data centre needs ongoing upkeep: small building repairs, room changes during expansions and maintenance rounds.
What is expected of a subcontractor
An international main contractor expects three things: that documentation is in order before anyone asks (contractor's liability records, Valtti ID cards, tax numbers), that the work is done to programme without loading the site office, and that progress is reported daily. In Raslak Works' client portal, site management sees progress, photos and hours in real time, in English. More on the requirements: What a data centre subcontractor must deliver.