Story

Contracted Scope • Insulated Tilt-up Panel Building including Generator Yard- conversion from original Steel Frame Insulated Precast • Building Footprint: 140,000 SF • 143 Tilt-up Panels o Tallest Panel Height: 75’-5” o Widest Panel Height: 36’- 5 5/8” o Heaviest Panel: 75.17 T • 136,000 SF Slab Metal Deck on Steel Framing • Bracing of Exterior to Helical Anchors & Deadman Weights • Timeline: December 2022 thru October 2023 Project Narrative The majority of the QTS buildings in the area are an internal steel frame structure with a non-load bearing exterior precast skin. The buildings are built with the steel frame being erected, the interior slabs being poured and the precast being erected at the end. This process allows QTS to provide the best slabs possible for their buildings since they are poured after the steel erection. QTS tasked us to maintain the standard they expected for the slabs even though we were pouring the slabs first for panel casting and then erecting the panels and steel off the slabs. The overall layout for the building was not conducive for tilt panel casting and erection. An irregular shaped exterior along with interior full height panels made for a difficult conversion from precast to tilt panel installation. To help maintain the quality of slabs required by QTS we prioritized casting the slab on grade as a whole with as little leave-out as possible to help maintain a uniform finish with the least amount of construction joints as possible. We also used less invasive products (glue down versus nail) for panel forming to make sure there was minimal rework on the slabs. The final product reflected an exceptional finish for the slab on grade although panels were cast upon and steel was erected off them. Due to poor soil conditions that required a significant amount of undercutting, our concrete scope nearly doubled from 5,000 CY to 9,000 CY of concrete to install the footings and foundation walls. Southland knew from the beginning that the Data Hall was the critical path for the project due to its irregular shape. We built the schedule around getting those panels cast and installed first. This sequencing meant that we couldn’t install the admin/front of house foundations until after the data hall panels were erected. This also meant we would not be able to cast and erect the admin/front areas before the steel so those panels were done afterwards; typical to precast skin. This required significant logistical work to make sure that the panels were cast in an optimal area to ensure there was enough room around the tight site. Overall the project was extremely unique due to its conversion from a precast to a tilt-up exterior skin. Our field crews did an excellent job in managing all the logistical issues that came from this change while also delivering a top-line data center that lived up to the high expectations required from QTS.