Location:
Prineville, Oregon
Client:
Confidential Technology Client
Services Provided:
Geotechnical Engineering
Sitework Monitoring
Special Inspection
Construction Materials Testing
Project Overview:
A Confidential Technology Client selected Prineville, Oregon to construct its largest data center campus in the United States. Construction began in 2010 and continues today with data halls, administrative support, storage, substation, security, construction offices, and back-up power generation facilities on the approximately 400-acre campus. Data Centers have high power demands and the campus also includes a series of on-site substations along a major north-south BPA transmission line.
Scope of Work:
Wallace Group geotechnical staff have provided the Client and their design and construction teams with comprehensive geotechnical investigations for all but the initial phase of data center campus development. The work includes developing foundation, seismic, site grading, stormwater and pavement design recommendations, in addition to thermal and electrical resistivity testing and analysis to support transformer, switch gear, pole structures, and subsurface electrical duct bank design.
Two next-generation data halls are currently under construction and Wallace Group is continuing work on the QA/QC and Infrastructure Construction Management team providing geotechnical site development testing and special inspections for concrete, masonry, structural steel, welding, fireproofing, anchorage and non-destructive testing on behalf of the client’s Global Construction team.
Challenges:
Technical challenges include highly variable geologic terrain with medium-dense to dense volcanic soils overlying hard bedrock. This allowed for moderately high foundation bearing pressures, thereby reducing construction costs. Site grading also required rock excavation/blasting and on-site crushing to various engineered fill specifications. The sourcing of on-site soil/rock/fill materials eliminated off-site truck traffic and gained significant LEED benefits for the project.
“Wallace Group has been one of the most reliable partners in our data center construction program. When it comes to geotechnical engineering, construction materials testing, and special inspections. Their team is professional, trustworthy and a good advocate for us in the field. We look forward to continuing our partnership with them.”
Infrastructure Construction Manager
