2025 Award Winners and Nominees
Project Name
New Carlisle Data Center Campus
Description
A data center campus for Amazon Web Services (AWS) in New Carlisle, Indiana boasts a remarkable deployment of an innovative low-carbon mix design utilizing a cement blend that meets ASTM 1157 standards. Prior to deploying onsite, an extensive testing effort was facilitated by a consortium consisting of Concrete Strategies, Clayco, Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. at Concrete Strategies’ testing yard in St. Louis, MO. Three full-height tilt panels with varying levels of carbon reduction were cast and erected. As a result of testing, the novel mix was implemented onsite for the concrete foundation scope.
The novel mix design has a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 103 kgCO2e/yd3, (Carbon Dioxide equivalent per cubic yard) an impressive 60% below the NRMCA V3 2020 Great Lakes Midwest Regional Benchmark. In addition to the 1157 mix used for foundations, the data center hall slab-on-grade utilized cement with a 40% slag replacement.
Under the direction of Clayco and Concrete Strategies was the concrete mix design support of Ozinga. Partnering with Ozinga as the low-carbon material producer, the project represents the largest known implementation in North America of an ASTM C1157 performance hydraulic blended cement with high percentages of slag cement. This initiative drives meaningful progress towards reducing embodied carbon emissions in construction.
The success of this project is not only a win for the immediate Amazon Web Services site in New Carlisle but also establishes a durable framework for implementing future novel concrete mixes in construction. The team’s dedication to iterative optimization will ensure that the 1157 cement blend mix achieves even greater adaptability beyond foundational applications in future projects, driving a shift towards industry-wide adoption of low-carbon solutions.
This AWS project demonstrates boundless potential to inspire an industry-long transformation. By achieving significant reductions in embodied carbon while maintaining structural performance, this initiative sets a benchmark for sustainable innovation and responsible construction practices.
Through testing, collaboration, and real-world application, this success story pushes the boundaries of reducing embodied carbon emissions with concrete design. The New Carlisle AWS data center campus deployment is an example of what’s possible when innovation meets a commitment to sustainability.
Evidence
This project boasts a successful deployment of an innovative cement blend developed by Ozinga known as CarbonSense Cement®. This cement blend meets ASTM C1157 standards, emitting a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of just 103 kgCO2e/yd3, a staggering 60% reduction compared to the NRMCA V3 2020 Great Lakes Midwest Regional benchmark.
This project exemplifies excellence in the use of supplementary cementitious materials and innovative cements in the following ways:
• The use of ASTM C1157 cement with extensive slag replacement demonstrated a groundbreaking 60% reduction in embodied carbon resulting in a savings of 1487 tCO2e.
• The use of a 40% slag mix for the data center halls led to an additional savings of 1200 tCO2e.
• Combining both applications led to a total avoided carbon emissions equivalent to powering 560 homes for a year and the carbon offsetting power of 2,695 acres of U.S. forests in one year.
This innovative material was first tested in November 2023 for the Open Compute Project (OCP) for the hyperscalers, facilitated by Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. (WJE). The OCP is a collaborative community focused on redesigning hardware technology to efficiently support the growing demands on compute infrastructure.
• Laboratory testing mapped the mix maturity curve and evaluated ultimate strength properties.
• Field impact was evaluated through real-world tilt-panel tests, ensuring placement under challenging temperature conditions.
The testing efforts validated the project's strength capabilities and risk mitigation strategies, leading to the pioneering adoption of the 1157 mix for the data center foundations and aggressive slag replacements (up to 40%) for interior slab-on-ground applications.
Key Testing Results:
• The innovative 1157 mix achieved lifting strength within three days in lab settings. Despite freezing field temperatures during casting (near 20°F), the mix achieved lifting strength by day 7, confirming its adaptability.
• Favorable performance in cold climates was demonstrated when the mix with 25% slag outperforming the baseline mix of 100% Type 1L cement.
This Amazon Web Services data center project marked the largest deployment of 1157 performance-based cement in North America. This data center campus project, led by Clayco, was supported by the architectural vision of Gensler, engineering by SA Miro, concrete contracting by Concrete Strategies, and concrete material and mix designs by Ozinga.
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