By Cory Maker, Manager of Product Marketing at Ditch Witch
Data centres are rapidly becoming the backbone of the digital economy, powering everything from artificial intelligence to cloud computing to everyday online transactions. Entering this year, nearly 50 million square feet of new data centre space was under development.
For underground construction professionals, this surge represents not just a wave of projects, but a chance to play a critical role in building the infrastructure that keeps the digital world running. The opportunity is significant, but so are the demands, as these facilities require complex, large-scale utility ecosystems.
For those prepared to meet the demands, the sector promises steady, large-scale work. But data centres are not typical builds. Data centres need a significant amount of energy to power their high-performance computing racks and often large amounts of water to cool those assets. The facilities also require extensive high-strand fibre bundles into and out of each site. And the utility scope only gets more complex as data centre owners and operators consider on-site energy generation options to ease demands on local power grids.
The size and scope alone of data centres significantly increase the workload for contractors, requiring vast amounts of power, fibre and water, which leads to a surge in underground utility work. Accelerated timelines further intensify these demands. To succeed, contractors must combine well-coordinated planning with the right equipment and expertise to deliver safe, efficient and resilient underground utility systems.
Big utilities, big demands
Fast deployment of data centres requires having all hands – and machines – on deck. To meet aggressive time targets, contractors often need to run multiple machines simultaneously on site. This makes upfront logistics planning critical to account for all the moving parts, manage parallel work and avoid equipment and workforce shortages.
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As data centres emerge as key drivers in underground construction, contractors must adapt to meet significant utility demands. Understanding the primary utility needs of these large-scale projects is essential.
Unlike smaller utility extensions or fibre-to-the-home projects, data centres demand infrastructure on an entirely different scale. They require:
Electricity
Data centres require multiple high-capacity feeders from utility interconnects, often ranging from 115 to 230 kV, integrated into campus substations. These projects necessitate concrete-encased multi-cell duct banks, thermal backfill or precise spacing to meet ampacity models, and extensive vault and manhole networks for efficient cable pulls and maintenance.
Water
Essential for cooling, make-up water systems may use reclaimed or industrial sources where permitted. Data centres also incorporate process or reverse osmosis (RO) lines, alongside comprehensive fire-protection loops equipped with isolation and metering.
Fibre
To support robust data transmission, data centres need geodiverse carrier entrances and extensive long-haul laterals. High-strand trunks and diverse path configurations are critical to ensuring reliability.
This combination of scale and resilience makes data centre work far more complex than typical underground projects.
Utility installation
Establishing reliable, high-capacity connections for these utilities requires precise and efficient utility installation. Using underground installation methods will help protect infrastructure, maintain surface integrity and maximize the data centre’s long-term operational stability.
Most underground installations can be open cut at a depth of 1 metre to 1.5 metres. Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) at anywhere from 3-to-18 metres deep can be reserved for installations in hard-to-access areas and when surface disruption must be avoided, like underneath roads.
Underground utility lengths can range from 150 metres to 4,500 metres depending on if a data centre has on-site utility connections. Contractors can expect to run fiber in 25-mm to 15-cm conduit and power in 10 to 15-cm multi-cell duct banks.
Every project should begin with soil and site analysis, identifying underground obstacles and depth requirements. These findings inform machine selection, tooling and installation method, ensuring safe and efficient execution.
Essential equipment for data centre projects
Precision and productivity are crucial in data centre construction, underscoring the importance of selecting the right equipment. Common equipment for data centre construction includes:
- Horizontal directional drills (HDD) are indispensable for burying conduits beneath roads and buildings without disrupting the surface. Equipped with all-terrain technology, HDD rigs navigate challenging terrains with precision, allowing access to hard-to-reach areas while minimizing environmental impact.
- Mixing and recycling systems play a critical role in fluid control during lengthy or rocky bores, ensuring smooth and efficient operations.
- Vacuum excavators, essential for potholing and conflict checks, manage excavation fluids effectively, further enhancing site safety and efficiency.
- Trenchers and microtrenchers cut narrow trenches for conduits, cables and ducts, making them ideal for on-campus fibre installations and shorter runs. Their versatility allows them to operate across various soil types, from compacted ground to rocky terrains, making them perfect for projects that require branching or dual ducts.
- Vibratory plows offer quick, minimally invasive installation for conduits and cables in soft soils, providing rapid results with minimal surface disruption. These machines excel in environments where speed and minimal restoration are priorities.
- Guidance and locating tools, like Subsite systems with wireline or gyro capabilities, are essential for navigating long, deep or EMI-heavy bores, ensuring accuracy and efficiency throughout the project.
To optimize efficiency and minimize disruption, a hybrid approach is often best. Use vibratory plows for long stretches in soft soil, trenchers for deeper or more complex installations and HDD in areas where surface disruption is a concern, such as under roads.
Beyond equipment
Successful data centre construction requires more than just the right equipment, and technology alone doesn’t guarantee success. Contractors should also consider:
- Rock tooling: Use PDC and TC bits and hole openers for rocky conditions.
- Purpose-built pull heads: Essential for handling multi-duct bundles.
- Drilling fluid management: Prevent losses and protect geological formations.
- QA/QC and documentation: Maintain strict quality assurance and clear documentation.
- Safety and logistics planning: Critical for managing large crews and multiple moving parts.
Future Outlook
The outlook for data centre construction is one of sustained expansion and escalating complexity. Rising demand for fibre mileage, larger duct bank systems and advanced water infrastructure will keep utility contractors at the forefront of this work. At the same time, rising power constraints are likely to accelerate on-site generation solutions, further broadening the scope of underground utility packages. Yet, success will not hinge on opportunity alone.
It will depend on a contractor’s ability to secure skilled labour, deploy the right equipment and execute with precision under fast-track schedules.
For those willing to adapt, the data centre boom is more than a market trend. It is a transformative chance to lead and shape the future of underground construction.
