2025 Award Winners and Nominees
Project Name
Compass Datacenter PHX I-I-Building 2, 3 &4
Description
Cemex, an NRMCA producer member, partnered with Sundt to support Compass Datacenters in achieving its sustainability goals for the multi-phase construction of its new data center campus in Goodyear, AZ. This project marks a significant expansion in the data center market, strategically aimed at meeting the increasing demand for hyperscale capacity. The first phase consists of two data centers, delivering combined 72 MW of IT load, with the master plan to expand up to 350 MW, supported by an on-site 230kV substation.
Compass Datacenters prioritized sustainability in its project design, identifying concrete as a key area for reducing embodied carbon. Sundt and Cemex collaborated to implement this vision by selecting sustainable concrete solutions that aligned with the project’s environmental goals. Cemex provided concrete mixes incorporating sustainable materials and documented the environmental benefits through Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and other reports. Additionally, the project incorporated carbon capture technology through CarbonCure, which injects captured CO2 into fresh concrete, permanently sequestering the gas while enhancing the material’s durability and performance.
These efforts helped demonstrate a measurable reduction in the project's carbon footprint while maintaining the high-performance standards required for data center construction.
Through this partnership, Compass, Sundt, and Cemex successfully integrated sustainability into a large-scale infrastructure project, setting an example for environmentally responsible construction in the data center industry.
Evidence
Cemex’s involvement in the Compass Datacenters project exemplifies the use of sustainable materials and industry best practices to enhance performance and reduce environmental impact. These cutting-edge solutions directly align with the judging criteria, demonstrating improvements in strength, durability, resilience, energy efficiency and embodied carbon reduction. Below are the key justifications for why this project deserves a Concrete Innovations Award:
Compass Datacenters set out to reduce the environmental impact of its construction process by prioritizing lower-carbon materials. Sundt and Cemex collaborated to implement this initiative by selecting sustainable concrete solutions that reduced embodied carbon while maintaining strength and durability. Cemex provided verified EPDs and sustainability reports to validate the carbon reductions achieved through the mix designs.
By incorporating sustainable materials, Cemex optimized concrete performance while reducing the carbon footprint. The mix designs maintained high compressive strength and durability, meeting the structural requirements for a data center while aligning with sustainability objectives.
To further enhance sustainability, the project also incorporated CarbonCure technology which injects captured CO2 into the fresh concrete mix. This innovative process permanently sequesters the carbon while enhancing the concrete’s compressive strength and durability.
The project’s concrete solutions contributed to the long-term resilience of the structures, enhancing their ability to withstand demanding operational conditions.
Cemex, an NRMCA producer member, served as the primary concrete supplier, working alongside Sundt to bring Compass Datacenters' sustainability vision to life. Cemex’s ability to provide documented carbon reduction data and tailor mix designs to meet project needs was instrumental in achieving the project's environmental goals. This project stands as a model for integrating sustainability into large sale infrastructure. By working together, Compass Datacenters, Sundt and Cemex successfully reduced the environmental impact of concrete use while maintaining high performance and durability. The collaborative approach and commitment to measurable sustainability make this project a strong candidate for the Concrete Innovations Award.
LINK: https://www.sundt.com/the-future-of-sustainable-concrete-using-carbon-capture-technology-in-concrete-mixing/
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