DALLAS, TX., September 5, 2024 – Dallas is one of the fastest-growing data center markets in the United States, setting a new absorption record of 386 MW in 2023. With new companies riding the wave to enter the market, so also comes rising speed-to-market and total cost of ownership pressures that project owners can address by planning for prefabrication, labor and site selection, according to DPR Construction’s Andy Kirby, one of the company’s advanced tech core market leaders based in the Metroplex.

Addressing Bisnow’s Data Center Investment Conference & Expo (DICE) South Kirby offered three top takeaways:

Be open to the underutilized benefits of Prefabrication

“A lot of times, the focus with prefab is only making things go faster, but at some point, you make [installations] go so fast that you’re beating your equipment [delivery] times. said Kirby. There are numerous benefits to Prefab in addition to speed that are underutilized. “When engaged early in the project, Prefab gives us the opportunity, to reduce the number of worker-hours, potentially reducing costs, and having a significant positive impact on safety,” he added. Offsite prefabrication can also improve quality, making sure critical building elements work seamlessly in a controlled environment when the switch is flipped for operations.

Expand access to skilled trades now

Larger data center projects are translating to the need for a more skilled trade workers.

“Years ago, we were seeing facilities in the range of 30 to 40 megawatts, and now its 500 megawatts to 1 gigawatt,” Kirby said. “That means hundreds of people on the general contractor’s side, not to mention trade partners. That is encouraging, but we need to start planning for it now. Prefab also benefits the need for experienced workers in the field -- as elements are constructed offsite, the demand for highly complex skills on site are alleviated. There is more emphasis on basic installations once it gets on site, decreasing manpower needs and increasing safety.”

Consider the impacts of site selection carefully

"Dallas is well-suited for expansion because it’s an established data center hub,” Kirby said, “But we are starting to see that the market is stretching into west Texas, which is affecting the workforce availability. Land is more available in these remote areas, but land with power is more scarce. Owners must consider the ramifications of site selection on power and labor force availability.”

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