Page 63 - Colorado Construction & Design Magazine - Spring 2023

“The facility functions very successfully,” Bledowski says. “Its users have indicated a great deal of satisfaction in how the building exceeds their expectations and needs.”
Data Defense
Beyond literal lives, maintaining the way of life for people, communities and nations relies on having infrastructure and buildings that can remain in operation, even when faced with physical threats. In a society highly reliant on technology, data centers have become a key piece of that infrastructure. It is extremely important that these centers, and the data housed inside, always remains safe.
Data centers are another example of a building type for which the durability benefits of precast, combined with the other attributes of the material, can be a real asset. These
are structures that companies and communities rely on to function at a high level for many years.
To keep these facilities operational during and after catastrophic events, data centers require high design loads to resist the forces of natural disasters. Precast structures have the advantage of being able to transfer these forces
through proper load paths down to the foundation. In response to severe storms, hurricanes and tornadoes, testing and demonstration have shown that impact from airborne debris is easily resisted by an insulated wall panel system.
In addition, all precast members can be designed and constructed to meet a 4-hour fire rating.
The inherent durability
of the material delivers a core stability and resilience beneficial to data centers. As with military facilities, full-scale testing of
precast wall panels has
demonstrated excellent energy absorption of blast loading. Progressive collapse requirements can be accommodated in the early stages of connection design and product placement. Precast can deliver that while still offering
an impressive degree of aesthetic flexibility, accelerated schedule, energy efficiency and other benefits.
As with many other types of projects in all kinds in all places, the selection of precast, prestressed concrete enables owners and project teams to tackle numerous goals, while contributing to long-lasting, resilient, durable structures that will do the number one job that any building must do— protect lives and ways of life.
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