PCL Construction

Danny Horton

Constant data connectivity, processing and storage, and data-driven decision making continue to grow, driven by the growth of digital technologies including artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), bitcoin mining, data analytics and cloud computing. With this increase in data center need, prefabricated data center modules can offer a viable solution to expedite the building process and meet market demand. With such extraordinary industry growth, it’s becoming harder to complete data center builds on time and within budget due to constant demand for capacity, upgrades June 2023 CONSTRUCTIONBUSINESSREVIEW.COM 20 to aging facilities, labor shortages, budget constraints, location issues and construction and supply delays. Modular construction provides a quick scalable solution that can evolve quickly with new technological changes.

As the volume of generated data increases daily, modular construction is being leveraged to build data centers of all formats quickly without sacrificing quality since this is an efficient and flexible approach to meeting an ever-increasing market demand. High-performance customizable structures, modules are designed to be easily scalable, flexible and efficient. Modular solutions refer to portable data centers that are assembled offsite, which means they are deployed more quickly with less risk of downtime than traditional models. Modules can also be designed with redundant systems and components, creating more reliability and minimizing hardware failures.

Modules offer benefits for the demand of high-quality products with quick build schedules to meet the onslaught of demand for data centers and their requirements. During modular construction, individual sections of a building, or modules, are fabricated in a streamlined process in a controlled environment. This schedule allows owners and builders the ability to effectively meet schedule demand, while minimizing site and project delays and reducing overall costs. Providing the ability for client customization derives huge value when mixed with the benefits of expedited build schedules, quick delivery and installation at relatively low cost.

Predetermined specifications for mechanical, electrical and operational needs create a fixed and controlled cost. The process offers great flexibility in the building design as modular structures are entirely custom designed to accommodate any computing or technology need, making them suitable for any data center application. The modular approach allows for greater flexibility in terms of size, configuration and capacity, as modules can be added or removed as needed to meet changing requirements. It also adds value to the scalability of each facility with these high volume and repeatable units,

Modular construction’s unique building process creates environmental benefits as well, since this type of construction allows for reuse of materials, fewer jobsite deliveries, and the option to use recycled elements and materials and green-build elements. Since modules are assembled in an off-site controlled environment, construction and demolition waste is greatly reduced, there are fewer site disturbances, and modular buildings can be disassembled and refurbished, reducing the need for raw materials. The Waste & Resources Action Program (WRAP) specifies a 90% waste reduction through the increased offsite manufacturing and production.

Modular building also allows for optimized design and features to accommodate power and cooling, simplifying scalability to increase data loads because of the compact size. Another key factor in modular construction is the ability to add and support only what is needed so the facility is operating at maximum capacity. Proper capacity planning equals greater energy efficiency, so the opportunities for optimization and critical energy reductions in efficiency are easy to create.

These prefab projects save an average of 30% of construction time when compared to traditional projects due to the ability to manufacture the modules off-site and avoid construction and weather-related delays. Fewer personnel and resources are required as the work occurs in a controlled environment in a supervised facility, reducing cost and greatly reducing the number of workers, helping with the current construction labor shortage. The process also provides cost savings on installation since preassembled solutions are less expensive to operate as all components are optimized to work together.

Another time-saving advantage is the ability for site preparation to occur simultaneously with module production. Once all modules have been through a rigorous testing and commissioning process, the modules are placed onto truck beds and then individually shipped to the project site. The completed modules are then assembled per plan and handed off to the on-site construction team as a finished product.

Overall efficiency and optimization are key factors when choosing a modular data system to support rapidly growing demand for data processing and storage. As demand for data centers and their requirements continues to increase, greater versatility in facilities and design for data analytics storage, colocation, and edge facilities will continue to push modular components provide a cost-effective approach with lasting benefits.