Rishabh Mangal has over 12 years of working in the infrastructure domain especially data center construction and is responsible for managing a variety of projects. Currently working as Senior Project Manager at Holt Construction Corp, he is tasked with undertaking major projects such as retrofitting structures in New York or configuring data centers, given the increasing adoption of AI technologies.
Without cloud computing and real-time data analysis, data centers that constitute the primary support structure of AI systems must be acknowledged. Rishabh’s work is about designing high-performance computing environments for computation-intensive applications, while considering service sustainability. His work includes smart cooling techniques, certified refurbished components, and self-cooling racks all the while being cost-effective while having minimal impacts on the environment.
Early inspirations and specialization in data centers
From a young age, Rishabh was Carolito by construction, and got attracted to heights, big buildings; stadium specially historical structures and monuments. He became much more interested in the engineering part of these projects and started pursuing a degree in architecture. Nevertheless, after getting his degree, he understood that as a result of his work, he wanted to become a project manager and actually implement his ideas. “I found my passion in executing a project rather than designing,” he explains.
His career started at Holt Construction Company as an aviation assistant project manager. Later, he broadened his experience within the sectors ranging from health care, interior renovation, and retail and then achieved the position of Senior Project Manager. In this way, Rishabh got the necessary exposure to see what was required to focus only on data center construction. “Data center construction became something that I enjoy and strive to be good at every day,” he shares, emphasizing his enthusiasm for the challenges of the industry. Having worked in MEP Systems and, moreover, bringing focus to the role of technology has been particularly helpful in this rapidly growing sector.
Challenges and AI support in data center construction
In his work experience on data center projects, Rishabh has encountered some problems, especially concerning power consumption and cooling. His work entails adopting different HVAC systems such as RTU units, raised floor pressurization, chiller systems, and CRAH/CRAC units. The availability of HVAC equipment has been the worst affected by COVID-19, and its effects have been that there have been delays. “Cooling systems are one of the worst lead times in the industry, ranging from 6 to 8 months and sometimes more than a year if the specs are very high,” Rishabh explains. To address these challenges, he looks at certified refurbished equipment as a way of minimizing the time and money wasted while self-cooling data center racks to enhance efficiency and speed of deployment.
Energy consumption is another factor because data centers require a large power supply. In response to this, Rishabh and his team use low voltage and LED lighting, ensure the use of energy conservation devices and where possible, install solar panels and electric vehicle charging stations. These endeavors seek to control power usage while searching for other sources of electricity production.
Given the steady development of cloud computing, data centers meet the significant needs of enterprises in various fields. “From Big Tech to Wall Street players, everyone is in the race for AI to remain competitive,” Rishabh writes. To meet these demands, sophisticated cooling systems are needed to sustain the high data rate computations on which most AI relies. Rishabh pointed out that, apart from additional functions, AI integration provides even more value in terms of maintenance prediction. “With the introduction of AI algorithms in data centers, a lot of hardware failure predictions could be made well in advance and corrected, saving downtime and high replacement costs,” he notes. His work lies in building structures that guarantee that data centers are capable of supporting today’s and tomorrow’s Artificial Intelligence.
Commitment to sustainability
Rishabh ensures that he makes sustainable decisions in the construction management he undertakes, not only to the physical environment but also to the business. “Sustainable practices not only reduce the carbon footprint on our planet, but they also help the project financially,” he explains. His measures include sorting the waste, taking it to recognized recycling centers and where possible recycling materials and equipment.
For the procurement stage, Rishabh notes that local buying is preferred to minimize transport emissions and cost control in projects. Construction sites that he manages use LED or low-voltage lighting and energy-efficient equipment. Furthermore, the usage of electric rather than diesel-driven equipment to reduce as much pollution as possible is preferred. Concrete and steel are used to support environmental objectives as well as the durability of the structures erected. Such practices indicate that there is a desire to achieve business functionality as well as functionality that is sustainable and more responsive to greenhouse gas emissions and overall project performance.
Innovative approaches and technologies
In construction projects, Rishabh adopts the use of modern software solutions that enhance the management aspect and sustainability. “We have deployed a flurry of software for efficient construction management on site and off site,” he notes. One of them is Procore™, it is the project management software that allows accessing data in real-time and minimizes the number of mistakes and miscommunications.
His team has also deployed the Drone Deploy™ software on a construction site in New York State for 360-degree construction progress walkthrough. “Drone Deploy helps us go back in time to find any details in MEP systems buried in the finished walls now,” he explains. These technologies are intended to improve the productivity of projects and the level of information disclosure to the participants throughout the construction life cycle.
Importance of client and stakeholder relationships
In any project, especially those involving technological structures such as data centers, require good rapport with the clients and other stakeholders so that the projects can be completed successfully. “Constant communication about equipment and cost escalations needs to be maintained to avoid unnecessary schedule delays,” says Rishabh. Project delivery is critical because of the disruption that delayed or slow projects cause to operations in sectors like finance and technology.
Rishabh emphasizes the communication aspect throughout the project, especially when something unfavorable for the client needs to be done. “This can only be achieved if the clients are kept in the loop all the time, so they have full knowledge of these last resort decisions after all the risk mitigation efforts are done,” he explains. Effective and open communication enables project team members to build trust and appreciation, thus ensuring project coherence.
Adapting to future trends in data center construction
Rishabh expects the mission-critical sector to grow massively in the next 15 years by an expected 15–20%. He underlined the necessity of data centers to meet the increasing AI growth rate. “We need to be prepared, which we are not at this time,” he notes, stressing the importance of government involvement in securing large development sites and planning for renewable energy sources.
Another one of the goals is solving the problem of labor shortage that has been observed in construction. Rishabh supposes that precast and prefabricated components will become more popular in the future. “We need to automate construction where we can,” he states, emphasizing that advanced software will be key to managing mission-critical projects efficiently. As he observes, “Change is the only constant, and we all will have to adapt to the changing global landscape.”
In order to remain relevant in this fast-growing industry, Rishabh keeps acquiring knowledge of new technologies and researching renewable power sources. “Sustainability is a major part of our life,” he remarks, underlining the importance of balancing environmental responsibility with project goals. Through the focus on new trends like automation and renewable energy, Rishabh contributes to achieving a better fit of construction processes to future requirements for data center development.
