PEMB Data Centers: The Future of Construction

The growing digital landscape triggered significant changes in the way data centers are built. Previously, these facilities were housed in existing buildings or dedicated structures built with traditional construction methods. However, the increasing demand for data centers has made it difficult for traditional construction to keep up.

As the need to build faster and cost-effectively rises, steel buildings are becoming the preferred structures to house ever-growing data centers. At Armstrong Steel, we offer pre-engineered metal buildings (PEMBs) to meet the demand for facilities that can secure and maintain sophisticated systems that support modern digital technologies, like cloud computing.

In this blog, we will discuss how PEMBs are defining the future of data center construction. Keep reading as we share their benefits and how these structures are driving data center growth and innovation.

Understanding data center construction

At its core, a data center is a facility that houses data and critical applications, and it should be designed based on your organization’s unique network of storage and computing resources. A typical data center comprises storage systems, routers, switches, application-delivery controllers, servers, and firewalls.

Today, data centers have become increasingly vital in supporting modern technologies such as cloud computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), and artificial intelligence (AI).  The rise of these platforms has led to more complex data centers that require faster, smarter, and more efficient construction methodologies. Steel buildings can meet these changing demands.

Data center construction: What’s in store?

The future of data center construction focuses on technological innovations, such as:

• Advanced design tools, like BIM (Building Information Modeling)
• Automation
• Modular construction

These trends are changing how data centers are designed and engineered, leading to the construction of more powerful, efficient, and larger structures. When you build with steel, you can readily incorporate these advancements. Plus, you’ll have a building that can grow and keep up with your changing needs.

New approaches in data center design and construction

The increasing global data consumption demands bigger, better data centers that can provide greater processing power and storage. This prompted builders to find effective ways to finish projects quickly and affordably.

Although some projects can get away with traditional construction, they often take a lot of time to complete. Plus, they cost more to expand and configure for edge and hyperscale data centers. These facilities serve a fast-growing digital market. Steel buildings speed up the completion of data centers promptly and cost-effectively so they can start operating as soon as possible.

Prefabricated and modular metal buildings

Pre-engineered metal buildings are emerging as key solutions to the growing need to build data centers quickly and at a reasonable cost. PEMBs are easy to customize for any need. With Armstrong Steel, you have building consultants to help you design a structure that can easily accommodate cooling systems, server racks, and electrical units. Plus, your steel building kit will be ready to assemble and erect as soon as it arrives on your job site. All this translates to reduced construction times, potential delays, and costs.

Save time with a steel data center

Prefabricated steel buildings are easy to assemble on-site. We provide them with assembly drawings and anchor bolt patterns so you can put together each piece of your building quickly. All the major connections are already punched with holes, eliminating the need to drill. Everything is engineered precisely to fit seamlessly, and most components are cut and numbered to correspond with the drawings.

Complete your data center as soon as possible

Erecting our steel buildings is easy. We provide a step-by-step guide with every PEMB kit to streamline your construction process. After installing your structure, you can finish it with any construction material and achieve your desired interior and exterior finish. We design our PEMBs to support all kinds of roof and wall designs so you can customize the look and feel of your data center. This also ensures your building appears consistent with your brand or corporate image.

Faster building times

Since they are pre-assembled, steel buildings can speed up project timelines and ensure your data center is ready to use as soon as it’s finished. The modular framing reduces inefficiency and waste, making PEMBs a better alternative to traditional construction.

Scale your data center

The secret to a pre-engineered steel building’s flexibility is modular construction. It makes your data center scalable, so you can speed up construction schedules without compromising quality and function. This is especially crucial for hyper-scale data centers that keep growing in unpredictable stages. Sometimes, the growth happens in bursts.

Prefabricated metal buildings can prevent overbuilding while ensuring efficient capital expenditure management. This approach allows your facility to adapt while eliminating major renovations, rebuilds, or the need to buy a new metal building.

No waste

Modular designs allow us to optimize our material usage for steel buildings. We design PEMBs in-house to avoid residual waste. In turn, you pay only for the materials we use without worrying about excess costs. Additionally, we specifically engineer every piece of your metal building to meet local codes and loads so we can avoid using excessive materials.

Save energy with PEMB data centers

Data centers run around the clock, so it’s not uncommon for them to rack up cooling and heating costs. Building with steel can help reduce the overall costs to keep a data center functional and efficient 24/7.

Make your data center energy-efficient

Rigid-frame steel buildings insulate far better than structures made of wood and concrete, improving your data center’s energy efficiency. This can bring vast savings on cooling and heating while easing your worries about overheating, moisture problems, and other issues that can cause disruptions.

Temperature control in data centers

PEMBs are also the best for controlling the indoor environment of a data center. It’s important to manage humidity and temperature to avoid operational problems. If your building is too humid or warm, the servers and equipment won’t work as intended, leading to data loss and costly downtime.

Pre-engineered steel buildings can be integrated with cutting-edge HVAC systems to mitigate those problems. The steel frame supports advanced insulation to help maintain consistent indoor environmental conditions.

Focusing on sustainability

Data centers (because of their nature) consume a lot of energy — in fact, they are estimated to consume 1-2% of electricity worldwide. The numbers are expected to increase as digital expansion continues. This is why more companies are turning to energy-efficient data centers that can maximize operational efficiency without compromising savings.

It’s easy to integrate renewable energy sources like hydroelectric, solar, and wind power in steel buildings. You can build data centers in regions with access to those resources, ensuring a reliable supply of green energy.

If you’re building your data center in a colder climate, natural cooling systems can be part of your PEMB data center to minimize the use of air-conditioning. Prefabricated metal buildings can also support other innovative energy-saving solutions like heat recycling systems and liquid immersion cooling to further minimize energy costs.

The bigger role of BIM in PEMB data center design and construction

Building information modeling (BIM) is standard in modern construction, especially in PEMB design. We use this technology as a comprehensive solution for managing projects, especially complex structures like data centers.

With BIM, we can integrate all aspects of a steel building’s design into a 3D model so construction teams can work together and identify potential issues right away. This approach encourages builders to address the nuances between cooling, mechanical, and electrical systems before beginning construction. So they can avoid costly and time-consuming rework.

Beyond construction

Once your data center is up and running, you can use the BIM model to manage your facility. This digital version of your data center can aid in asset information management so you can plan maintenance, oversee energy use, and direct system upgrades. By visualizing and simulating how your data center works in the real world, you know it’s built and running to the highest standards and optimized for efficiency.

Future-proofing your data center

We’ve discussed the flexibility of steel buildings.  Now, let’s explore how that flexibility can help you future-proof your data center.

Add a module or an extra bay

The footprint of your data center needs room to grow to keep up with the increasing processing and storage requirements. PEMBs can be extended with an additional module or bay down the road. By the time you need to expand, your building can scale and meet your new requirements. This makes steel buildings great for future-proofing your investment, ensuring your data center can keep accommodating new equipment and technologies without costly renovations and rebuilds.

Compliance with standards in data center security

Security is critical for data centers. The good news is that pre-engineered steel buildings can be designed to meet the most stringent security measures. Steel structures are non-combustible and resistant to seismic activities and high winds. Plus, they won’t succumb to termites and pests. Thanks to their flexibility, they can be designed with secure server rooms and fortified entry points.

Experience the future of data centers with PEMBs

Armstrong Steel is keeping up with the future of data center construction with our pre-engineered steel buildings. Discover how our structures can be a game-changing solution to your data center by calling 1-866-963-2140. Interested in buying a metal building? Start by getting a quote here.

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