There’s no question artificial intelligence (AI) is the main attraction of next generation technology. Naturally, AI is also the primary driver of data center demand. Add in cloud computing, telecommunications, security, and other vital aspects of IT infrastructure and, clearly, data centers are only becoming more essential across industries.
“New Millennium recognizes data centers are crucial to business success,” says Shane Clifford, Market Development Manager, Data Centers, at New Millennium. “For more than a decade we’ve worked to be an invaluable steel supply partner on data center construction projects. We’ve applied our expertise in steel joists and deck on every project, and we have gained a deeper understanding of the market’s unique intricacies. That’s made us a better partner from concept to construction.”
For large-scale data center owners, developers, and builders—sometimes referred to as hyperscalers—New Millennium delivers four keys to data center success: a dedicated team, speed to market, design flexibility, and sustainability. It’s a framework Clifford says begins with the guidance of a dedicated team and depends on project involvement from the outset. As leader of the data center team, Clifford’s priority is to spark early conversations with large-scale owners and developers as well as designers, general contractors, structural engineers, and steel fabricators. Ideally, these conversations become collaborations.
Traditionally, steel suppliers have been relegated to the backend of a data center build. Partnering at the start, however, allows New Millennium’s specialists to make more immediate product recommendations intended to prevent delays or impacts to cost. A team that grasps the full scope of a project in advance can more quickly identify challenges or opportunities from end to end.
“It’s not just a matter of selecting the best steel deck profile for the project,” says Clifford. “We weigh numerous factors to get to the right profile choice. We also work closely with partners to consider value engineering, facilitate load changes, and manage requests for information (RFIs). We assist on installation, coordinate schedules, provide project updates, and more. We offer team coverage, with a single point of contact.”
The hyperscale data center team at New Millennium includes in-house engineers, designers, project managers, and sales strategists. Collectively, they also contribute to the effort of making each data center future proof—integrating structural features that can accommodate technological updates and advances. Again, early involvement widens the tactical aperture.
Lead times. Globally, the data center market is projected to reach nearly $500 billion by 2029, according to Data Center Knowledge. It’s no surprise then that early talks with large-scale owners often start with lead times rather than project scope and even total cost. Unlike new warehouses, which can sit dormant until filled by a tenant, data centers tend to be business ready on day one.
“Our team approach is all about efficiency,” says Dan Longstreth, Strategic Account Sales Manager at New Millennium. “For steel joists and deck, we’re making recommendations to cure pain points at every stage, and that’s vital to ensuring structural integrity and meeting tight timelines. For the end user, speed to market is speed to revenue.”
Longstreth previously ran the detailing department at a New Millennium plant. His engineering background and steel deck knowledge adds to the team’s forward focus. For instance, since he also manages New Millennium’s relationship with one of the industry’s largest steel fabricators, his collaborative project insight might lead to specification of prefabricated steel decking components, reducing on-site labor and installation time. Strong partnerships and the interplay of New Millennium’s keys to success allow the team to consistently meet lead times.
Whether single-story, multi-story, or colocation, every data center project is driven by owner intentions. That means delivering on distinct performance requirements as well as time, cost, efficiency, add-on ability, and more. Case in point, multi-story construction requires careful consideration of total floor depth, loads, vibration and acoustic ratings, and overall aesthetics. New Millennium offers a range of long-span composite floor systems that address these requirements, but their data center team first seeks to understand the goals of the project before making recommendations.
“Our engineers grasp the scope and then explore the most economical design,” says Jill Engerman, National Accounts Project Manager at New Millennium. “For a particular data center project, they might suggest integrating some of our steel deck accessories so there’s less cutting in the field. Then we’ll work together on other opportunities to streamline, such as maximizing loads and staging deliveries to the site.”
As a project manager, Engerman is a single point of contact from start to finish. She’s currently managing close to a dozen data center projects and contends that expertise, cohesiveness, and resourceful flexibility sets their team apart. In a market where the equipment within a data center is continually being updated, Engerman believes New Millennium’s ability to be an engaging upstream partner on hyperscale projects is more valuable than ever.
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Jill Engerman - National Accounts Project Manager, Fort Wayne, IN
Certainly, data centers are one of the most energy-intensive building types. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, they consume 10 to 50 times the energy per floor space of a typical commercial office building. As a division of Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI), New Millennium benefits from SDI steel produced by high-efficiency electric arc furnace (EAF) technology. U.S. EAF mills generate a fraction of the carbon emissions produced and energy intensity required by blast furnace steelmaking. Additionally, New Millennium’s steel joists contain over 70% recycled content and its steel deck contains over 45% recycled content.
“In recent years sustainability has been a top priority in the data center market,” says Josh Bozzi, also a national accounts project manager for New Millennium. “Data centers are increasingly characterized in megawatts over square footage to capture a data center’s power consumption, capacity, and associated costs. We look at all aspects of sustainability with the engineer of record and general contractor and utilize the steel products most environmentally suited to the project.”
Bozzi also points to tools such as Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), which report a variety of lifecycle impacts including Global Warming Potential (GWP). Finding ways to reduce weight is another way New Millennium works to reduce a steel structure’s environmental impact. A great example is its distinct approach to flush-frame connections for steel joists, which offers a simplified specification that can mean up to 35% less steel weight while achieving vibration performance equivalent to wide-flange beams.
New Millennium is committed to being the right partner for large-scale data center projects. Early design collaboration activates its 4 keys to data center success. The company’s dedicated team will guide the right choice of steel joists and deck, streamline design and installation to accelerate speed to market, and employ products and practices that meet environmental goals with future-proof standards. After all, it takes specialized skills and ongoing collaboration to help build the IT infrastructure of the future.
Sphere. Its name alone conjures images of roving lights, dream-like motion graphics, mystical sounds, and musical crescendos. Measuring 366 feet tall and 516 feet wide—and dramatically outfitted with 580,000 square feet of fully programmable external LED lighting—this massively unique entertainment venue has been all the buzz since its opening in September 2023.
Industry perceptions can at times shield the obvious upsides of a particular steel building product. When it comes to designing high-performance floor systems, using wide-flange beams has been the norm. Take a deeper look and you’ll see using steel floor joists with Flush-Frame Connections from New Millennium is often a better way to go.
Building a better steel experience
