Project Joshua Data Center

Location

Durham, NC

Market Sectors

  • Industrial
  • Mission Critical

Sub Sectors

  • Data Center
  • Infrastructure - Building/Site Utilities
  • Infrastructure - Digital/Computing

Client

Confidential

Partners

  • Cushman & Wakefield
  • Little Diversified Architectural Consulting
  • Kimley-Horn and Associates

Innovative and phased construction to create a design-build disaster recovery data center for a financial leader

A leading Fortune 500 Financial Services client sought to construct a new ground-up, state-of-the-art disaster recovery data center that specializes in securely managing and storing information for the institution. The 14,000-square-foot data center, referred to as Project Joshua, is in the Treyburn Industrial Park development and was delivered through a design-build partnership. Innovative construction techniques were utilized to adhere to schedule milestones and ensure the timely delivery of critical phases essential to attaining business needs and goals.

Repeat
Client
14,000
Square Feet
Design-build
Delivery
14 Acre
Greenfield Site
10-Month
Accelerated Schedule
Prefabrication
& MODULAR CONSTRUCTION APPROACH
Constructed on a 14-acre greenfield site, civil work included clearing, erosion control, site grading, storm, utilities, and hardscape. Public water and sewer services were also extended to the site to serve the new building.
Despite the project’s complexity, Barringer recognized the importance of precise timeline adherence, successfully completing it within approximately ten months.
The data center was constructed in sections, in a location off-site, and was then pieced together in a modular sequence.

Construction innovation through prefabrication

To meet the client’s stringent timeline requirements, an innovative solution was implemented to prefabricate the data center off-site in sections and assemble it in a modular sequence. This approach effectively addressed logistical challenges while ensuring alignment with the client’s project goals. Additionally, the support building and equipment yard were designed as durable, freestanding structures using precast concrete and steel, focusing on functionality and meeting the project’s specific requirements.

Addressing unsuitable soil conditions and unfavorable weather during construction

With unsuitable soils across the entire site, the civil and infrastructure trade partners were able to utilize GPS to accurately identify areas that could be left untouched by the undercut and excavate to an exact elevation to reduce the total amount of unsuitable soil hauled off-site. Despite the harsh winter and unsuitable soil, the team was able to turn over the building pad on schedule while continuing infrastructure work around the building construction.