Data centers are specialized facilities characterized by unique structural demands, typically featuring three times the seismic mass and twice the floor height of conventional buildings. To comply with the stringent annual downtime limits of Tier III and Tier IV classifications (1.6 and 0.4 hours, respectively), these facilities require operational continuity. This study evaluates their seismic performance in high-seismicity regions and examines the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA-942) requirements regarding base isolation. A comparative nonlinear time history analysis (NLTHA) was conducted on a multi-story data center under Maximum Considered Earthquake (MCER) demands across three configurations: a baseline fixed-base structure (Risk Category II), a stiffened fixed-base structure (Risk Category IV), and a base-isolated system. The findings highlight a critical limitation in standard design approaches. Although the stiffened fixed-base model effectively resisted high inertial forces and limited drifts to code-compliant levels, it failed to mitigate peak floor accelerations. This potentially increases the risk of operational downtime, as peak floor accelerations in the server areas exceed the threshold. Within the scope of the analyzed models, the defined design parameters, and the established research limitations, this study demonstrates that conventionally stiffened fixed-base structures do not provide the acceleration control necessary for critical infrastructure. Therefore, base isolation proves to be an effective option to meet critical operational demands by controlling floor accelerations below the specified threshold. These findings support the TIA-942 standard provisions regarding the necessity of implementing base isolation to maintain the operational continuity.
