Data Center Construction in Fate, Texas

In Fate, a data center shell has to carry more than a warehouse does, and that is where we begin. We build the slab, the structure, the roof and the enclosure to loads and tolerances set by the equipment that will go inside: heavy battery racks, generators on the roof or at grade, chilled-water piping overhead and cabinets that weigh a ton or more. Owners can take the shell as a finished product and fit it out later, or we can carry the building from foundation to turnover under one contract.

Fate has grown quickly, from 6,357 residents in 2010 to 17,958 in 2020, and that growth has brought large commercial planning to the Interstate 30 corridor. The council approved Lafayette Crossing, 267 acres of mixed use planned at Memorial Parkway and I-30, northwest of their crossing, including a hospital, offices, retail, light manufacturing space and a 120-room hotel. Fate additionally pledged infrastructure help for Project Cactus, a roughly 80-acre shopping project from the same developers. An area growing this way offers the kind of sizable, relatively level parcel on which a single-story shell with room for yards makes sense.

Location matters for deliveries. Downtown Fate sits 4.8 miles east of downtown Rockwall on State Highway 66, and FM 551 runs just north of the interstate, so the frontage roads and the highway give trucks hauling precast panels, joists and decking a straightforward approach. We note this in our site plan so owners can see how steel and panels arrive and where cranes will stand.

A single-story shell with wide column spacing and a tall clear height suits colocation and enterprise halls, and it allows the cooling plant to sit on the ground beside it. A colocation data center is usually built as one or more identical shells that can be fit out as leases are signed.

A smaller shell or a modular building may suit an edge facility. A multi-story structure is possible but changes the structural, riser and loading assumptions. A new three-story self-storage building of 154,848 square feet at Industrial Drive and the I-30 Frontage Road, budgeted at $9 million, gives a sense of how multi-story construction is priced locally, and we use it as a baseline when comparing structural options.

The city reviews site plans, building plans and fire access, and the fire department will review hydrants, lanes and any fuel storage. We bring civil, architectural, structural, mechanical and electrical drawings to a pre-submittal meeting so that comments arrive before the formal application.

Projects of this size are also registered with the state's accessibility program, which lists new commercial projects with their cost and schedule. We prepare that registration along with the permit set, and we confirm which inspections are required at each stage of work. Special inspections for concrete, reinforcing steel and welding are scheduled with the testing laboratory in advance, so that a pour or an erection day is never held up by a missing inspector.

The foundation and slab are significant. A data hall slab is thicker, flatter and more heavily reinforced than a retail floor, and areas under generators and batteries need more. Roof structure, insulation, drainage and tie-down points for equipment are another driver, followed by the exterior wall system and fire separations.

We estimate the shell in a way that separates owner choices from fixed costs: clear height, bay size, wall material, roof loading and the number of future expansion walls. Owners can then trade one against another. Our structural steel and roof framing estimates are built from the same assumptions.

The scope includes site clearing and grading, drainage, utilities, foundations, mission-critical concrete slabs, structure, roof and walls, loading and security entries, and the rough-in for power and cooling. For owners who want the building to be ready for equipment, we continue through electrical and mechanical systems and commissioning.

The interior of the shell is kept clean and dry once the roof is on. We plan temporary power, protect floors and stage equipment so that the later fit-out begins without rework.

We start from the power and cooling loads, then work back to the building. That keeps the shell from being drawn before anyone knows where a generator, chiller or switchgear lineup will sit. Where precast panels fit the program, our tilt-wall and precast shell approach gives mass, fire resistance and a fast erection sequence. A well-planned shell has space for risers, a path for future equipment and wall openings in the right places.

Equipment orders are a part of the shell schedule, and our long-lead equipment procurement process feeds the structural coordination. Late changes to a generator or a switchgear drawing can force a slab or wall change, so we track the long-lead items and lock the structural coordination before concrete is poured, which also supports the delivery plan for the larger equipment on the site. For nearby sites, we can compare costs and approach with Garland or Allen, and a developer can see how a site owner would price a shell against the same assumptions.

Send us the planned load, the bay and height you want and the date you need a dry building. We will return a shell estimate, a structural option comparison and a schedule.

What is included in a data center shell?

Typically the site work, foundation and slab, structure, roof, exterior walls, doors and the rough-in for utilities. The electrical and mechanical systems are added in fit-out. We write the scope line carefully so that owners and tenants know what is complete.

How thick should a data hall slab be?

The engineer of record sets it from the loads. Racks, battery cabinets and generators are heavy, and the slab must be flat enough for equipment to be set and aligned. We place the slab in a controlled sequence and test flatness and cure before loading it.

Can I build the shell now and finish the interior later?

Yes. That is a common approach for colocation developers and for owners who expect to grow. The shell is sealed, the utilities are brought to the building and the interior is fit out when the tenant is known.

Which structural system works best?

It depends on span, schedule and cost. Tilt-wall and precast systems provide mass and fire resistance, and structural steel provides clear spans and flexibility. We estimate both and recommend the better fit for the site.

How does the growth of the area affect construction?

More projects compete for trades and materials. We secure trade partners early, order long-lead items such as steel and precast panels ahead and sequence deliveries to avoid conflicts with other work.