Eleven custom IMRAKS supplied to BT Tower
Standing at 191m tall, the Grade II listed BT Tower is one of London’s most recognisable modern structures. As well as being a tourist landmark, it is still a major UK communications hub containing microwave infrastructure links and the TV Network Switching Centre. Continued expansion by BT has required Verotec to supply a further 11 special IMRAKS to extend an existing installation.
Each rack in the bayed suite is 47U high and 600mm wide, with a special non-standard extended depth of 1,200mm. The high energy levels inside each rack require special fire protection panels to segregate it from its neighbours and thermal management requirements mean that airflow through the cabinet is also a key requirement. The top covers, fitted with twin custom cable entry assemblies, are ventilated, as are the front and rear doors. Internally, the racks are configured with cable distribution trays and equipment chassis supports, positioned to BT’s specification.
Tim Armstrong, Verotec’s Commercial Director, commented: “We initially assembled the complete 6.6m long, 1.2m deep and 2.2m high suite in our facility to check that everything was positioned correctly before breaking it back down into smaller units for shipping, ingress into the building and subsequent re-assembly on site. The versatility, configurability and availability of extensive range of dedicated accessories for our IMRAK 19” racking system makes it the ideal platform for this type of demanding application where specialised requirements have to be met.”