Data Center Construction Guide

Data center site selection is driven by five primary factors: power availability, fiber connectivity, water access, land characteristics, and jurisdictional environment. In Georgia, the convergence of these factors along the I-20, I-85, and I-75 corridors has created the densest concentration of hyperscale development in the Southeast.

Power is the decisive factor. A hyperscale campus can require 200-1,800 MW of electrical capacity -- more than some small cities consume. Georgia Power's willingness to build dedicated substations on data center campuses has been a key driver of the state's $100 billion pipeline.

Land requirements for hyperscale campuses range from 100 to 900+ acres. Sites must be relatively flat or economically gradable, outside flood zones, and with suitable soil conditions for heavy structural loads.

Fiber connectivity determines latency to end users and interconnection with other data centers. Atlanta's position as a tier-1 fiber hub provides the network backbone that hyperscale operators require.

Data centers generate enormous heat loads that must be rejected continuously. The three primary approaches are air-cooled, water-cooled, and hybrid systems.

Air-cooled systems use direct expansion (DX) cooling or chilled water with air-cooled chillers. These systems consume no water but are less efficient in hot climates.

Water-cooled systems use cooling towers that reject heat through evaporation, achieving higher efficiency than air-cooled alternatives. A 50 MW data center with cooling towers can consume 300,000+ gallons per day.

Closed-loop cooling has emerged as a compromise -- using evaporative assistance during peak conditions while minimizing water consumption.

Data center construction follows a defined sequence. The critical path typically runs through site grading, underground utilities, foundations, structural steel, building envelope, and mechanical/electrical rough-in.

Phase 1 -- Site development: Land clearing, mass grading (often 500+ acres), erosion and sediment control, and access road construction. This phase typically takes 3-6 months.

Phase 2 -- Underground infrastructure: Storm drainage, sanitary sewer, water distribution, fire protection mains, and electrical ductbank installation. On a hyperscale campus, this can involve 200,000+ linear feet of pipe and conduit.

Phase 3 -- Foundations and structural: Spread footings, mat foundations, equipment pads, and slab-on-grade. Foundation work on a single data hall can require 5,000-15,000 cubic yards of concrete.

Phase 4 -- Building envelope and systems: Roofing, wall panels, MEP rough-in, and interior build-out.

Phase 5 -- Commissioning and turnover: Integrated systems testing, load bank testing, failover testing, and documentation.

Georgia is the fastest-growing data center market in the United States, with committed investment exceeding $100 billion. The pipeline includes 63 operational facilities, 35 under construction, and 249 announced.

The pipeline is concentrated along three interstate corridors radiating from Atlanta. The I-85 south corridor hosts Project Sail ($17B), QTS Excalibur ($1B+), and T5 ATL IV ($800M+). The I-20 west corridor has Microsoft ($1.8B), DC BLOX ($1.15B), and Stream ($1B+). The I-75 north corridor holds Project Bunkhouse ($19B) and Springbank ($4.5B).

Georgia Power's $16.3 billion generation expansion -- 9,885 MW of new capacity -- is directly driven by data center power demand.

The construction labor market in Georgia is under significant pressure. Self-perform contractors who own their equipment and employ their own crews have a structural advantage in this environment.

For owners entering the Georgia market, the key takeaway is that construction capacity -- not capital -- is the constraint.