Design ANSI/TIA‑942‑compliant data centres professionally & ensure sustainable, high‑availability infrastructure

The ANSI/TIA‑942 Standard defines the world’s most comprehensive requirements and guidelines for the design and construction of data centres. Covering architectural, mechanical, electrical and telecommunications domains, it fills critical gaps left by many generic “standards” and frameworks.

This three‑day CTDC® course gives you a complete understanding of how to interpret and implement the ANSI/TIA‑942 Standard correctly. You will gain clarity on redundancy options, rating levels, architectural and engineering requirements, as well as sustainability and safety considerations.

Participants learn how to design fully compliant data centres — whether enterprise facilities, multi‑tenant environments, co‑location spaces or cloud service infrastructures.

After completing the course, you will be able to:

• correctly interpret and apply ANSI/TIA‑942 requirements & guidelines
• understand the intent of the standard and avoid over‑ or under‑investment
• align redundancy levels & infrastructure design with business needs
• understand criteria for high‑availability & how to implement them effectively
• analyse how ANSI/TIA‑942 integrates with global standards
• apply architectural, electrical, mechanical & telecom requirements in practice

Course Contents

Introduction to Data Centre Facilities

• about ANSI/TIA‑942
• lifecycle of the ANSI/TIA‑942 Standard
• relationship to other global standards
• architectural / electrical / mechanical / telecom scope
• high‑level redundancy concepts
• redundancy options (N, N+1, 2N, etc.)
• fault tolerance & concurrent maintainability
• compartmentalisation
• examples of redundancy levels

Data Centre Space Planning

• data centre topologies
• energy‑efficiency recommendations

Architectural Requirements

• site selection
• parking & multi‑tenant building considerations
• building construction
  • vapor barriers
  • roofing
  • floor loading
  • raised floors & suspended ceilings
  • hanging load
  • seismic requirements

Building Security & Safety

• physical security
• CCTV
• staffing requirements
• ballistic proofing
• lighting
• signage

Building & Room Access

• security checkpoints
• entry lobbies
• doors & windows
• exit corridors
• shipping & receiving areas

Room / Area Design Requirements

• administrative offices
• security office
• operations centre
• restrooms & break rooms
• UPS & battery rooms
• generator & fuel storage rooms
• computer rooms

Electrical Requirements

• utility power & substations
• feed requirements & self‑generation
• HT/HV switch gear
• generators & fuel systems
• LT/LV switch gear
• ATS & alternatives
• UPS systems & battery technologies
• PDUs & STS
• grounding & bonding
• surge protection
• emergency power off (EPO)
• central power monitoring
• load banks & testing
• preventive maintenance & training

Mechanical Requirements

• environmental design
• temperature & humidity requirements
• contamination (sources & mitigation)
• pressurisation
• radio sources & vibration
• water ingress
• water‑cooled systems
  • heat rejection
  • chilled‑water systems
  • condenser water
  • make‑up water
• air‑cooled systems
• HVAC control systems
• plumbing & pipe routing
• fire suppression systems
• water leak detection

Telecommunications Requirements

• network topology
• redundancy level design
• media & connectors
• cabling pathways
• detailed cabling design considerations
• administration & labelling
• cable testing
• data centre fabrics

Exam: Certified TIA‑942 Design Consultant (CTDC®)

• Format: 60 multiple‑choice questions
• Duration: typically 60 minutes (may vary)
• Type: closed‑book
• Passing score: defined by exam body
• Delivery: online via authorised testing partner

Prerequisites

Participants must hold a valid data centre training certificate (e.g., CDCP® or an equivalent recognised certification).
A copy of the certificate must be submitted during registration.

Course Language & Materials

• Course Language: English
• Student Books: English
• Exam Language: English

Target Audience

This course is ideal for professionals involved in:

• data centre design & engineering
• facility construction & maintenance
• high‑availability infrastructure planning
• telecom, mechanical & electrical system design
• DC project development, upgrade or expansion
• candidates preparing for CTIA® (Certified TIA‑942 Internal Auditor)