As Canada’s roster of data centres rapidly expands, the precast concrete sector is playing an important role, offering the load capacities, construction speed and building configurations owners in the sector are asking for.
Delegates attending a recent Buildings Show presentation in Toronto hosted by the Canadian Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (CPCI) heard that high quality and durability are imperative for the data centre sector, and precast can deliver.
The CPCI was represented by Ozzy Dervisoglu, preconstruction director at PreCon Precast; Karl Truderung, associate with Tower Engineering; and Ben Bayat, managing director with Building Theory, whose presentation was on video. CPCI president Val Sylaj served as host.
Dervisoglu noted data centres are vital for organizations that rely on continuous operations, such as telecommunications providers, financial institutions and cloud services.
“Any disruption of data centre operations would have a serious impact on our lives,” he said.
In the past decade, Dervisoglu said, global demand for data centres has doubled and Canada has followed suit, driven by a combination of technological, economic and societal trends such as big data, AI, cybersecurity compliance and edge computing.
“All of these things are exploding and the demand for data centres likewise,” he said.
Canada currently has an estimated 239 operating data centres. Among the country’s comparative advantages globally is its cool weather, given data centres are major heat generators, and ample renewable energy.
“These structures are energy hogs,” said Dervisoglu.
Quality control
To seal the deal in bids, CPCI members quote McKinsey in citing 30- to 40-per-cent labour-cost savings, better quality control with manufacturing in factory-controlled settings, improved safety from reduced labour onsite, and a 10-per-cent reduction in waste material in comparison to stick builds.
Prefabrication enables rapid construction timelines that deliver the basic shell of a building in a matter of months. Typical panels are eight-feet-by-40-to-50-feet, and precasters can erect roughly 30 to 40 per day, Dervisoglu said.
During his video presentation, Bayat outlined the work schedule for a 150,000-square-foot data centre build in New Jersey earlier this year, where the owner was keen to bring the new capacity online quickly. The structure was a total precast and the contract type was design and build.
Bayat’s firm served as structural engineer of record and precast specialty engineer for the project. The team worked remarkable quickly.
“The design and precast completion was done in less than 12 weeks,” Bayat said, noting
the construction schedule required six or seven days work most weeks.
“The project includes 1,600 pieces, almost 160 pieces per week. That was a very impressive milestone.”
Heavy loads
Technical rooms were designed with extra-wide panels, which Bayat said significantly help reduce the production and installation time.
The building was designed to enable easy future expansion.
“If some of the walls get removed, the building still can have the same performance and the integrity of the building is not compromised,” said Bayat.
Load design was for up to 600 pounds per square foot.
“That is a heavy loading that is typical for data centres,” he said.
Another goal with the project was invisible connections, Bayat noted.
“With the invisible connections, you can increase the longevity of the building, you can improve the fire ratings, and you can help to speed up and expedite the construction and production of the pieces,” he remarked.
Unlike the stereotype, significant attention was paid to the esthetics of the building, Bayat said.
“Data centres do not necessarily need to be a boring box shape,” he said. “They can integrate lots of architectural features (such as) ground curves.”
Dervisoglu also addressed esthetics, noting architectural finishes can be applied to precast cladding, enhancing the visual appeal while maintaining its functional integrity.
In all cases, Dervisoglu said, GCs should retain the precast sub at the earliest stage of the project cycle – ideally at design development. A typical schedule would see lateral stability analysis for the foundation followed by production of precast shop drawings with elevations, plans, sections and connection details.
Ideally the design elements are then swiftly given approval by the GC and other consultants, he said.
