Regardless of public awareness, data centers form the backbone of digital infrastructure: housing the servers, networking equipment, and storage systems that are crucial for maintaining society’s daily operations. However, expanding a data center involves more than just adding servers, or putting in more shelving.
Data center expansion requires additional physical space, structural integrity, and a design that accommodates future growth—all while maintaining strict security.
Metal building systems provide the perfect solution, offering the strength, scalability, and efficiency needed to meet evolving infrastructure demands. Read on to learn how these innovative structures can help your data center grow smoothly.
Strength and Durability for Long-Term Use
Metal building systems are designed with strength in mind, using materials like steel.
Durable steel can easily withstand extreme weather conditions and resists wear over time.
Your building is better able to withstand temperature changes, snow, wind, rain, and sun. Most metal building systems are designed around products with extremely long lifespans.
This means reduced maintenance costs and a long-lasting structure that protects your servers and important equipment. A durable, robust metal building ensures your infrastructure’s safety, providing peace of mind that your data center can endure various environmental challenges for into the future.
Fast and Efficient Construction
Time is of the essence in any construction project, especially when your data center is at capacity and needs to expand quickly.
Metal building systems offer the advantage of pre-engineered components that can be manufactured off-site and swiftly assembled on-site. When your system arrives at the job site, the parts are in order and pre-punched for quick assembly by a trained crew.
This approach not only reduces labor costs but also significantly shortens project timelines, enabling you to get your data center operational faster.
Scalability to Meet Future Demands
Metal buildings are modular, and when it’s time for more space, you can easily add more room to your facility. Metal building structures can be easily expanded to accommodate more servers, cooling systems, and other essential equipment—without expensive building modifications or the need for time-consuming remodeling.
Whether you’re adding an extra wing or extending the current facility’s height, metal buildings allow for seamless growth without needing a complete overhaul of the existing structure. This makes future expansions more manageable and cost-effective, providing the flexibility needed as your business demands increase.
Cost-Effective Construction Solution
The materials used in metal buildings are generally less expensive than those used in traditional brick-and-mortar construction, and the efficiency of the construction process requires fewer labor hours.
Steel buildings are energy efficient, helping to reduce your ongoing operational costs related to heating, cooling, and electricity consumption. With reduced upfront and long-term costs, metal buildings deliver excellent value for data center expansions.
Customizable Design Options
Metal buildings are highly versatile and customizable, making them an excellent choice for data center expansion. You can design a building that meets your industry and brand’s requirements, from the layout to specialized ventilation systems or a custom wood-framed office area.
Need extra cooling capacity for your servers? Metal buildings can be adapted to include advanced HVAC systems, fire suppression systems, and even unique design elements that align with your company’s branding.
Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Solutions
Steel is 100% recyclable and can be reused at the end of the structure’s life cycle.
As an industry, pre-engineered steel buildings support energy-efficient designs, including features like reflective roofing and insulated wall panels.
Using energy-efficient components can help reduce the overall carbon footprint of your data center. You can also qualify for tax incentives and LEED credits, to save on operating costs.
Adaptability to Changing Technology
Metal building systems provide the adaptability needed to modify or upgrade facilities as technology and market trends change.
For example, as new server technologies demand different layouts or bigger cooling systems, your facility can be reconfigured without requiring extensive renovations. This flexibility is a key advantage for data centers, helping future-proof your business and reducing your need for costly rebuilds.
We work with industry leader industry leader Butler Manufacturing™, and their focus on adapting to trends and industry needs has kept their business at the forefront of construction technology for over 100 years.
Is your data center ready for its next phase of growth? Our team at MGM General Construction Corporation specializes in creating scalable, durable, and customizable metal building systems designed to meet your needs. Contact us today to learn more about our services!
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When you’re talking about sustainable construction, one material stands tall as a beacon of environmental responsibility and economic viability: steel. Beyond its sturdy facade and structural prowess, it is a material that embodies the principles of recycling, reliability, responsibility, and revenue protection.
The use of steel in construction dates back centuries, with the Industrial Revolution marking a pivotal moment for steel. As construction needed stronger materials, steel’s malleability and durability propelled it to the forefront and forever transformed the modern skyline and how we created it.
A few hundred years later, steel remains indispensable worldwide. Let’s explore some of those reasons.
Steel: Earth’s Most Recycled Material
Clients are often surprised at the economic circularity of steel, or how much of it is put back into production. Steel is the most recycled material on Earth and can be recycled over and over and over.
Steel According to the World Steel Association, Europe’s steel packaging recycling rate reached an impressive 84% in 2019. Germany, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands stood at 90%, with Japan at 93.3%.
The United States recycles a huge amount of steel and companies like Butler Manufacturing™ focus on providing a large portion of recycled steel in their Pre-Engineered metal building systems.
Using steel in commercial and industrial construction reduces the demand for raw materials and curbs the environmental impact of mining and extraction. Embracing sustainability like the steel industry has means a large part of the steel we use is already recycled.
This cyclical reuse of such a strong construction material, that loses no strength through the recycling process, makes steel an indispensable part of green building. That also brings us to our next important point.
The Endless Loop: Recycling Steel Without Compromise
Contrary to some beliefs, recycling steel doesn’t compromise its quality or effectiveness. Steel is unique in that ability to be recycled repeatedly without losing structural integrity.
The recycling process involves melting down scrap steel to create new steel products, and this cycle can be repeated time and again as impurities are removed during the process. This conserves resources and minimizes the carbon footprint associated with steel production.
Economic Benefits: Revenue Protection Through Steel Recycling
Beyond its environmental benefits, steel recycling also makes economic sense.
The recycling industry associated with steel contributes significantly to global economies. According to the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, the recycling industry provides over 500,000 jobs in the United States alone, generating approximately $116 billion in economic activity.
Interestingly, recycling steel consumes 74% less energy than producing new steel, resulting in cost savings for manufacturers to keep costs lower for consumers.
Steel’s Resilience in Construction
Apart from its circular attributes, steel’s reliability in construction is unmatched. Its strength-to-weight ratio makes it ideal for high-rise buildings, bridges, and other critical structures.
Steel-framed buildings are durable and flexible, allowing for modifications and renovations with minimal waste. This adaptability adds another layer to steel’s sustainability by extending the lifespan of structures and reducing the need for demolition and reconstruction.
Steel does not rot, warp, and can’t be infested by insects. Such a large part of building design deals with how water in various forms is purposely moved through a building, and steel avoids many of the age-old problems mankind has faced in large-scale construction.
A Responsible Choice
In the era of climate change and environmental awareness, responsible choices in construction materials are more than requests.
Medical facilities, data centers, and other specialized facilities often have stricter, industry-specific building standards. Steel building systems and components give us the chance to meet increasingly high energy efficiency demands.
Choosing steel in construction aligns with the principles of responsible resource use and low environmental impact. The steel industry worked towards sustainability before the recent push for regulations.
The steel industry decreased its carbon footprint through innovations such as electric arc furnaces and sustainable sourcing of raw materials while increasing material recycling.
Looking to the Future
As the construction industry continues grappling with the imperative of sustainability, steel emerges as a frontrunner in shaping a greener future. The circular economy principles embodied by steel—recycled, reliable, responsible, and revenue-protecting—will make it a linchpin in sustainable construction practices for the foreseeable future.
From reducing the demand for raw materials to fostering economic growth, steel stands tall in structures and pursues a more sustainable and resilient world.
Close Out
It’s time to build a future where strength meets responsibility. Choose MGM General Construction Corporation for projects that blend innovation with eco-consciousness. Also, as a Butler Builder®, we’re part of Butler Manufacturing’s™ network of Pre-engineered metal building contractors and designers. Offering sustainable solutions and efficient designs, we’re here to help you meet strict carbon commitments and regulations.
Contact us to construct a future that stands tall together.
