ALC Panel for Data Centers Malaysia: Fire Rating, Thermal & Installation Guide 2025

Key Takeaways

• Fire Compliance: ALC panels achieve 4-hour fire ratings with straightforward BOMBA certification, eliminating complex fireproofing layers and accelerating approval timelines.
• Construction Speed Advantage: Install 3-5x faster than concrete block (80-120 m² vs 25-35 m² per crew daily), compressing schedules by 6-10 weeks—critical for Malaysia’s USD 13.57B data center market boom.
• Lower Total Project Cost: Despite 20-30% higher material costs, total project costs are 5-12% lower through labor savings, schedule compression, and reduced chiller capacity requirements.
• Proven Regulatory Path: Clear compliance pathway through standards with documented success across 50,000m² of Malaysian data center construction.

Introduction

Malaysia has secured USD 23.3 billion in data center investments from Microsoft, AWS, Google, and Oracle, with 429 MW of annual capacity additions concentrated in Johor, Cyberjaya, and Selangor. But this explosive growth presents three simultaneous challenges that traditional construction materials struggle to solve.

Fire safety compliance: The Uniform Building By-Laws (UBBL) 1984 and Malaysian Standards MS 1183:2015 mandate non-combustible construction with proven fire resistance, while BOMBA (Fire and Rescue Department Malaysia) requires rigorous certification before issuing the Certificate of Compliance and Completion (CCC).

Construction velocity: Every week of delay postpones revenue in a hypercompetitive colocation market where hyperscalers demand rapid deployment and phased expansions must proceed adjacent to live operations.

Cost optimization: With construction costs rising 15-20% since 2022, developers need solutions that reduce total project cost while meeting stringent fire and energy performance requirements.

ALC (Aerated Lightweight Concrete) panels solve all three simultaneously. This guide delivers the complete UBBL and BOMBA compliance pathway, installation methodologies that compress schedules by 60%, and financial analysis proving 5-12% lower total project costs.

Whether you’re a data center project manager evaluating wall systems, a facilities planner preparing BOMBA submissions, or a developer navigating the Data Centre Planning Guidelines (GPP) 2024, this guide provides the specifications and regulatory roadmap to specify ALC panels with confidence.

What fire ratings do ALC panels achieve for Malaysian data center compliance?

ALC panels achieve up to 4-hour fire ratings (240 minutes) for 200mm thickness and meet UBBL 1984 Part VII non-combustible requirements. Fire test reports per MS 1073: Part 3: 1996 from SIRIM-accredited laboratories demonstrate zero fuel contribution, no toxic fume generation, and structural integrity under fire exposure—enabling straightforward BOMBA “Sijil Perakuan Bahan BOMBA” certification for data center applications.

UBBL 1984 Fire Safety Requirements for Data Centers

Data centers are classified as Purpose Group VI (Industrial) or Purpose Group VII (Storage/High Hazard) under UBBL 1984, triggering specific fire resistance requirements:

Structural walls (load-bearing perimeter): Minimum 4-hour fire rating Compartmentation walls (server hall separation): Minimum 2-hour fire rating
Exit corridors and stairwells: Minimum 1-hour fire rating

All materials must be non-combustible per MS 1183:2015 definition: materials that do not ignite, burn, support combustion, or release flammable vapors when subjected to fire or heat.

ALC Panel Fire Performance Specifications

ALC panels manufactured to international standards (ASTM C1386, EN 12602) achieve fire resistance through material composition and cellular structure:

100mm panels: 4 hour fire rating

During fire exposure, ALC panels demonstrate:

• No ignition or flame spread: 100% mineral composition
• No toxic fume emission: No plastics, polymers, or organic binders
• No structural collapse: Cellular structure maintains integrity
• No explosive spalling: Unlike high-strength concrete under rapid heating

Fire Rating Requirements by Data Center Zone

Server Halls (Compartmentation): 150mm panels (3-hour rating) exceed UBBL 2-hour minimum, providing regulatory cushion and insurance optimization.

Perimeter/Envelope Walls: 200mm panels (4-hour rating) meet structural wall requirements while delivering superior thermal insulation (R-value 1.6-1.8 m²K/W) for cooling efficiency.

Battery Rooms (BESS >600kWh): 200-250mm panels (4-hour rating) with fire engineering analysis for thermal runaway protection per NFPA 855 guidance.

Generator/Fuel Storage: 200mm panels (4-hour rating) for hazardous material separation per Fire Services Act 1988.

Office Areas: 100mm panels (1-2 hour rating) provide adequate separation at lowest cost for low-hazard zones.

How fast can ALC panels be installed compared to concrete block walls?

ALC panels install at 80-120 m² per crew per day—3 to 5 times faster than concrete block masonry (25-35 m²/day). For a 2,000m² compartmentation program, this compresses installation from 55-65 working days to 15-20 working days, saving 6-10 weeks on the critical path. Dry installation eliminates 14-28 day concrete curing periods and enables construction adjacent to live data center operations without humidity or dust contamination.

Installation Speed Comparison: Real-World Productivity

Traditional Concrete Block Construction:

• Productivity: 25-35 m² per 4-person crew per day
• Requirements: Mixing station, scaffolding, formwork for lintels
• Weather impact: Rainfall delays mortar setting, requires coverage
• Curing time: 7-14 days before load application, 28 days for full strength

ALC Panel Installation:

• Productivity: 80-120 m² per 4-person crew per day
• Requirements: Thin-bed mortar (2-3mm joints), hand tools
• Weather impact: Temporary protection needed, resume quickly after rain
• Curing time: Immediate load-bearing, finish application after moisture equilibrium (2-3 days)

Project Timeline Compression: 2,500m² Data Center Example

Scenario: New-build colocation facility with 2,500m² of fire-rated walls (perimeter + compartmentation).

Concrete Block Timeline:

• Wall installation: 70-85 working days (2,500m² ÷ 30 m²/day average)
• Curing/drying: 14 days before mechanical/electrical rough-in
• Finish application: 15-20 days (plaster, paint)
• Total wall cycle: 100-120 days

ALC Panel Timeline:

• Wall installation: 20-30 working days (2,500m² ÷ 90 m²/day average)
• Moisture equilibrium: 3-5 days
• Finish application: 10-12 days (direct paint or render)
• Total wall cycle: 35-50 days

Schedule savings: 65-70 working days (13-14 weeks) on the critical path.

How do I obtain BOMBA approval and CCC for ALC panel data centers?

BOMBA approval requires three components: 

(1) Material certification—manufacturer provides “Sijil Perakuan Bahan BOMBA” certificate with fire test reports per MS 1073: Part 3: 1996, 

(2) Design submission—Qualified Person submits architectural drawings to BOMBA parallel with building permit application, 

(3) Construction inspections—BOMBA conducts 3-4 site visits to verify installation. Timeline: 6-8 weeks from submission to fire certificate issuance for pre-certified systems. CCC application then requires BOMBA fire certificate plus PS1/PS2 forms and as-built documentation.

Conclusion

Malaysia’s data center boom demands construction solutions that simultaneously deliver fire safety compliance, construction speed, and cost efficiency. ALC panels are the only wall system proven to achieve all three in Malaysia’s tropical climate and regulatory environment.

Fire safety: 4-hour fire ratings with straightforward BOMBA certification and clear CCC pathway reduce approval risk and schedule uncertainty.

Construction speed: 3-5x faster installation compresses schedules by 6-10 weeks, accelerating revenue recognition and enabling phased expansions adjacent to live operations.

Total project cost: Despite 20-30% higher material costs, labor savings, schedule compression, and reduced mechanical capacity deliver 5-12% lower total project costs with 8-18 month ROI from energy savings alone.

Over 50,000m² of successful deployment across Johor, Cyberjaya, and Selangor validates ALC panels as the proven solution for Malaysia’s data center construction challenges.

Ready to evaluate ALC panels for your Malaysian data center project? Contact Vodapruf today for technical specifications, BOMBA certification documentation, project timeline analysis, and cost comparisons tailored to your facility requirements.

About Vodapruf

Vodapruf is a leading manufacturer and supplier of ALC (Autoclaved Lightweight Concrete) panels for data center construction in Malaysia and Singapore. With manufacturing facilities in Kulai, Johor Bahru (35km from Singapore), Vodapruf delivers pre-certified ALC panels with complete BOMBA documentation and technical support for fire safety compliance, thermal performance optimization, and fast-track construction.

🔧 Technical Services:

• Fire rating calculations and BOMBA compliance verification
• Thermal modeling for optimization
• Installation method statements and quality control

🏗️ Construction Support:

• Certified installer network (Johor, Cyberjaya, Selangor)
• On-site supervision for critical installations
• Material delivery coordination from Kulai factory

📊 Compliance Documentation:

• BOMBA “Sijil Perakuan Bahan BOMBA” certificates
• SIRIM fire test reports (MS 1073: Part 3: 1996)

📞 Contact Vodapruf:

• Email: wang@vodapruf.com
• Website: https://vodapruf.com
• Factory: Kulai, Johor Bahru