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The federal government’s goal of leading the AI infrastructure pack means many opportunities for contractors whose focus is earthwork and site prep.
The article below originally appeared in and is posted with permission from:
https://www.constructionequipmentguide.com
In July, the White House announced its action plan for winning the global AI race. Innovation, infrastructure and international diplomacy are named pillars of the administration's plan to push AI development and deployment.
Near-term goals are set and implementation actions are recommended.
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The AI Age is good news for civil contractors who specialize in site prep and pre-construction.
Under its pillar to accelerate AI innovation, the Trump administration calls for reduced red tape and onerous regulation, among many other changes in policy.
With the federal government's seal of approval, centers continue to be designed and built across the country.
That drive to lead the AI infrastructure race creates many opportunities not only for building contractors but for contractors whose focus is earthwork and site prep. Depending on the scale of the facility, this pre-construction phase can be a considerable undertaking, according to construction software provider Autodesk.
"The site is levelled and cleared to prepare it for construction, then excavations for footings, utility and infrastructure placement begin," it said.
"Construction begins on sub-floors, and electrical grounding grids are laid to protect equipment," added Autodesk in a blog post.
Site development contractor Muller said the demand for reliable data storage and processing has skyrocketed in recent years. Businesses, government agencies and institutions all rely on data centers to power their operations, the company noted.
As the foundation of the digital economy, data centers require meticulous planning and construction to ensure long-term reliability and performance, it said.
"Building a data center is a complex endeavor that involves multiple considerations."
That includes every phase, "from site selection to utility installation, and from erosion control to regulatory compliance."
Data Centers On Hyper Scale
The North American "hyperscale" data center market is set to grow from $9 billion in 2022 to more than $20 billion in 2025, according to Sunbelt Rentals.
A provider of equipment to contractors who specialize in site prep work, Sunbelt wrote in a blog post that new data centers are more than just big buildings.
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"They have redundant HVAC systems designed to keep everything cool and dry and backup generators to keep things running in case of a power failure."
Companies have to factor the effects of climate change into the design and location of new AI centers, Sunbelt continued.
Can it be cooled if average temperatures rise? Must the structure be hardened against extreme weather? Is there reliable, long-term water and power?
"These are questions that affect every phase of construction from design to commissioning," wrote Sunbelt in a walk though of data center construction phases.
The company suggests that planning helps in ensuring stakeholders have what they need to keep the project on schedule and within budget.
"The first step in any successful data center project is clearly defining the data center design and construction objectives," said Muller. "This involves understanding the scope of the project, the expected future capacity, and the necessary compliance and security standards."
Whether the project is for a co-location, cloud or enterprise data center, defining the type and purpose of the facility early on is essential, said the contractor.
"Is it meant to serve a local region, a specific company or a global network? Will it need to expand in the future to accommodate growing storage demands?"
The ideal data center should meet both current and future requirements, said Muller. A critical part of this process involves determining the scalability needs.
This process also should ensure that the design can accommodate growth without disrupting the data center's operations, it said.
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"Additionally, compliance with standards for security, energy efficiency and environmental impact is essential, particularly for government and military projects."
Budgeting is a crucial part of any construction project, but data centers require special attention due to their scale and complexity, said the company.
"Balancing the budget with the long-term operational needs of the data center facilities is essential to ensuring that the project remains sustainable and efficient over time."
Choosing the right location for a data center is one of the most critical factors for long-term business success, said Muller.
The site, it said, must meet specific requirements to ensure the data center's smooth operation and ability to handle expansions.
"A data center requires more than just a large plot of land," said Muller. "You need to evaluate the proximity to power sources and fiber networks."
During the site survey and engineering phase, reference points and markers will be staked to guide the construction of everything on the data center site.
"The work starts with existing conditions, including the terrain, structures ad above- and below-ground infrastructure," said Sunbelt.
The local climate also is a factor, said the site developer, Muller. Zoning laws, permits and environmental regulations also can impact site selection.
Once a site has been selected, proper site development is critical to ensuring a strong foundation for the data center.
In the excavation, grading and erosion control phase, these crews will remove, add, shape and compact soil and prepare it for the foundation.
"That could require a perfectly level base or one with a set slope," noted the Sunbelt blog post. "Once complete, the general contractor brings in … onsite power and gets ready for pipe and utility line installation."
Erosion control is a vital consideration for any construction project, but for data centers site stability and regulatory compliance are key concerns, said Muller.
"Without proper erosion control, stormwater runoff can wash away soil, destabilize the foundation, and introduce contaminants into the local ecosystem."
This can threaten both the integrity of the data center facility and the surrounding environment, said the firm.
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"Effective erosion and sediment control measures can prevent costly damage and ensure compliance with environmental regulations."
Further, data centers depend on access to a robust network of utilities, including power, water and high-speed data connections.
"Utility installation is one of the most critical steps in the pre-construction phase," said the company."
Data centers require large amounts of electricity to power both servers and cooling systems. Water may be needed for the cooling system, and reliable fiber networks are essential for data transmission. That's why both wet and dry utility installations are necessary to support the operations of a data center, said Muller.
Utility installation affects power, gas and water lines as well as underground cables and sewage pipelines.
A site utility contractor can determine the exact location, depth and layout of any existing infrastructure.
"They keep the worksite safe while overseeing electrical and plumbing contractors, who install additional underground utilities," said Sunbelt. "The grading contractor ensures surfaces are level in preparation for pouring the foundation."
The type of structure to be supported, the soil it will lay on, bedrock depth and environmental risks become critical factors in foundation design.
"Ultimately, a combination of concrete and steel below keeps the structure above stable," said Sunbelt. CEG
