|
Benefits of Mass Timber in Data Center Construction
Beyond the myths, a timber-built data center has some distinct advantages over the typical steel and concrete model.
​
Instead of a straight materials swap, the best way to consider the potential for MT in data center construction is to rethink the building process by shifting towards a “model-to-machine” mentality.
​
By integrating off-site fabricated MEP systems and shifting from “on-site construction” to “on-site assembly,” MT offers the potential for next-generation facilities with unmatched speed, sustainability, and scalability—far beyond material substitution.
Improving Construction Safety
(While Mitigating the Shortage in Skilled Labor)
MT’s construction advantages include bolted connections in lieu of welds, lighter components (80% less weight than steel beams/columns or concrete), and extensive off-site fabrication, which enhance safety and align with an assembly-focused model. Prefabrication minimizes high-risk field activities like overhead electrical work or heavy lifts by shifting labor to controlled factory environments. A more predictable setting allows for better ergonomic tools (such as automated lifts and adjustable workstations) and standardized safety protocols.
​
By shifting MT and MEP production off-site, projects can significantly reduce crew sizes, lowering the likelihood of accidents on constrained or remote sites. Factory environments enable ergonomic aids like robotic arms and anti-fatigue flooring, reducing musculoskeletal injuries—a persistent issue in traditional construction, where workers face repetitive strain.
​
Prefabrication also helps alleviate workforce shortages and safety concerns, as inexperienced workers increase accident rates. CBRE’s “North America Data Center Trends H2 2024” report notes that labor availability challenges stimulate the adoption of prefabricated solutions to maintain safety standards.
​
MT’s integration with kit-of-parts components and volumetric assemblies (electrical skids, multi-trade racks, precast duct banks, and sustainable mass-timber Hot Aisle Contaminants–HACs) redefines data center construction efficiency and safety, transforming modularized construction into a seamless, manufacturing-driven process. A typical hyperscale project might reduce recordable incidents through off-site methods that mitigate traditional risks while enhancing worker well-being across diverse regions.
Prefab Construction Workers courtesy of McKinstry
Sustainable & Recyclable Construction Materials
We have focused mainly on designing and building a new breed of data center, but it is imperative we make a conscious effort to reduce the negative impact on our global environment. Data centers are one of the most energy-intensive building types, consuming 10-50 times the energy per floor space of a typical commercial office building. These centers consume up to 3% of all U.S. electrical capacity, and we must be thoughtful stewards of our natural resources.
​
There is a connection between construction and conservation—an intentional focus on Life Cycle Cost (LCC) can result in facilities that positively contribute to ecological health. A primary contributor to deforestation is land conversion, in which the loss of valuable forestland results from changes in the land’s use. There is an opportunity to reverse this trend by sourcing materials from sustainably managed forests and strengthening the timber market. When the demand for timber is steady and predictable, the value of forestland increases, giving landowners a stronger financial incentive to preserve their forests. This creates a positive feedback loop where forest conservation becomes more economically attractive compared to converting land to other uses, helping mitigate the broader impacts of deforestation.
​
When sourcing MT for projects, it is critical that projects outline sustainable forestry requirements for timber suppliers. Not only is this necessary to accurately account for embodied carbon within Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), but it also creates a demand for sustainable forestry management practices and economically incentivizes forestland owners to prioritize the long-term vitality of the ecosystem they manage. By supporting this model, the data center industry can play a pivotal role in strengthening forest health and management.
​
A project can align MT and wood product specifications relative to forestland health, and ensure they support both the project goals and its end-user priorities. Whether the goal is to support local forestland owners and mills, reduce transportation, source-specific species to promote biodiversity or support forest management efforts to reduce wildfire risk, the design team can tailor the materials and their sourcing to create a built environment that reflects a commitment to both people and place.
LCA is an essential tool in evaluating the environmental impact of a building over its entire lifespan, from material extraction to demolition. A key focus of LCA is reducing embodied carbon (the carbon emissions associated with the production, transportation, and installation of building materials), an increasingly important factor in carbon reporting as data center companies work toward their 2040 climate pledge goals. MT offers a significant advantage in this context, as it incorporates biogenic carbon, which is captured by trees during their early growth and stored in the wood. This natural carbon sequestration, in addition to a carbon reduction of foundations and footings due to lower dead load, reduces the overall carbon footprint of the building and offsets some of the emissions associated with its construction.
Additionally, promoting sustainable forestry practices and reforestation efforts further enhance carbon capture, creating a regenerative cycle that reduces emissions and mitigates climate change. By prioritizing MT in design and construction, projects can contribute to lowering embodied carbon, supporting long-term sustainability, and advancing global carbon reduction goals.
​
Data centers are typically designed with an expected lifespan of around 30 years, which makes it essential to consider their long-term environmental impact, including future use and/or deconstruction. MT construction offers more efficient and cost-effective solutions for future adaptability compared to traditional building materials. Just as MT structures are assembled as a kit of parts, they can be designed for disassembly as such, and components can be reused with minimal re-manufacturing. This process preserves the captured embodied carbon within the timber elements. While materials like steel and concrete can also be recycled, the process involves intensive manufacturing with high carbon emissions.
Life Cycle Analysis Example
