Precast concrete elements for Amsterdam data center from Apeldoorn

One data center after another is being built in Amsterdam. It is now the turn of data center AMS11 on the Amsterdam Schiphol Campus. A nice order for Preco, which as a total supplier of precast concrete elements for this project is designing, producing and delivering a large number of hollow-core slabs, walls, elevator cores, stairs and landings. For the Apeldoorn-based company, although this is one of the first projects with the Irish contractor Mercury, it is certainly not the last....

So AMS11 is being built by Mercury, an Irish company that specializes in building data centers throughout Europe. According to Menno de Man, project manager at Preco, it took some getting used to each other and the English language at first. "Building in English is a little different from what we are used to," he says honestly. "Mercury uses a consultation structure of mainly Teams meetings on each specific topic and uses an online platform for data exchange. That digital consultation structure took some getting used to for us in the beginning, but now in practice we are reaping the benefits. Everything is worked out to perfection and is perfectly coordinated."

Stability

The data center basically consists of a steel structure. Further stability is provided by the precast concrete interior and exterior walls, elevator cores and the stairs and landings. "In total, for this project we are supplying about 2,500 m2 of walls and elevator cores and sixteen pieces of different stairs and landings in precast concrete," says De Man. The floors for the Amsterdam data center also come from Preco's factory in Apeldoorn. "We produce over 20,000 m2 of hollow-core slabs in two thicknesses: 400 and 265 mm. The 400 mm hollow-core slabs are for the second floor, the 265 mm for the roof."

After an intensive preparation process, Preco started producing the precast concrete elements at the end of November last year. "The lead time for the total project for us is about twenty weeks, during which we deliver the elements in phases. At the end of February 2024, 25 freights of hollow-core slabs were delivered, in early March another ten freights of walls, and so the 'train' continues until the final production run in mid-May."

For Preco, the construction of AMS11 is one of the first orders from the Irish company Mercury, but apparently the cooperation is pleasing on both sides because meanwhile the total supplier of precast concrete elements already has several new projects on order. "We are used to 'remote' digital tuning and we like it," acknowledges De Man. "Moreover, Mercury's professionalism matches Preco's structured method of production and delivery. We are currently finalizing the drawing work for the stairs and landings so that we can order the molds and produce, deliver and install the elements as quickly as possible."