Hyperscale Or Colocated, Data Centers Stand To Benefit From Precast Concrete Construction

There are currently more than 2,700 data centers in the U.S. serving the public and private sectors’ computing and networking needs, with demand expected to increase by 10% annually until 2030. Expected to reach a value of $342B this year, the global data center market is slated to continue trending upward due to the nation's increased reliance on technology.

Building the backbone of the country’s IT infrastructure is no easy task. High Concrete Group is serving this market by providing data center owners with precast concrete building solutions to meet the ever-increasing demand.

“The predominant choice for building a data center is now precast because it allows for much longer, uninterrupted room spans,” High Concrete Group Director of Sales Jamie Sweigart said. “Without the need for intermittent columns like in a steel frame building, it allows owners to freely design these data centers with more open space for critical equipment.” 

High Concrete Group is an architectural and precast concrete provider that works throughout the Northeast, Midwest and mid-Atlantic regions. The firm has completed projects across various sectors in addition to data centers, including higher education, mixed-use facilities and healthcare.

Unlike traditional cast-in-place concrete, precast concrete is a product made off-site under controlled conditions with reusable molds. It is ready for use as soon as it arrives on-site. Sweigart said that with its greater durability, lower costs, ease of maintenance and shorter lead times, precast concrete is gaining popularity across the industry, including with increasingly in-demand hyperscale and colocation data centers. 

Hyperscale data centers are large “business critical” facilities that typically house at least 5,000 servers. Often utilized by large corporations like Microsoft or Amazon, these data centers have the bandwidth to process and store a vast amount of information due to their massive physical size. Many of High Concrete’s hyperscale projects can be found across the Midwest. 

Colocation data centers, on the other hand, are generally smaller spaces that give multiple clients the opportunity to rent space within a facility. Though High Concrete has worked on colocation data centers throughout the country, there is a large concentration in Northern Virginia — many of which are total precast structures.

“With total precast structures, everything about it is precast, from the walls and columns to the beams and roof,” Sweigart said. “In Northern Virginia, precast is dominant because it provides extra security measures. Many precast structures are fortified to withstand certain blast requirements, weather conditions and have a much greater impact resistance than cast-in-place concrete.”

In Midwest hyperscale projects, the firm has taken a slightly different approach due to differing market demands. Since the superstructures of the buildings there tend to be made of steel, and therefore don’t need their concrete elements to provide the same level of security as on the East Coast, the firm mainly works to envelope the skins of these data centers.

With High Concrete’s two locations in Springboro, Ohio, and Denver, Pennsylvania, the firm can serve the different needs of the East Coast and Midwest data centers, he said.

High Concrete Director of Marketing Melissa Reid said that regardless of class or type of data center, precast concrete solutions offer benefits to any building’s facade and internal structural components.

“When it comes to building new data centers, communities are concerned about the look of these large, gray boxes in their backyards. Many municipalities are now requiring data center owners and developers to enhance the facade to help beautify the surrounding area,” Reid said. “That’s why precast concrete is now favored in the industry, as it can easily be customized with a variety of finishes to enhance the overall aesthetic of the structure.”

As for the internal structure of the data center, a major factor to consider when deciding what material to use and how to design the space is how electricity is sourced locally. 

“Data center construction is contingent upon fiber and power availability,” Sweigart said.

Reid said that the way in which electricity is wired into the structure dictates rack and cooling unit placement. Due to precasts’ longer spans, owners can be more space-efficient with rack and cooling unit placements, therefore encouraging greater revenue generation.

“In addition to providing more income-generating space, precast solutions have thermal protective properties, ultimately cutting down on the amount of electricity needed to run the facility,” Reid said.

Sweigart said that for any owner or developer that wants to build a data center, now is the time. Data centers can bring in millions of dollars every single day, so every day one isn’t operational, the more money is lost. 

“Speed to market should be a top priority for data center owners and developers, especially in the Midwest where harsh weather conditions may be present throughout the year,” he said. “Precast is the fastest building material on the market, and it will be a very important element of construction moving forward.” 

This article was produced in collaboration between High Concrete Group and Studio B. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.

Studio B is Bisnow’s in-house content and design studio. To learn more about how Studio B can help your team, reach out to studio@bisnow.com.