Roman Stone has been selected to supply its EZ-KEY Precast Duct Bank System for a major hyperscale data centre project in Canton, Ohio, with the system designed to reduce installation time, labour requirements and schedule risks associated with underground electrical infrastructure.
The contract represents a further expansion of Roman Stone’s involvement in critical infrastructure projects as investment in data centres, artificial intelligence and cloud computing increases demand for supporting electrical infrastructure across the US.
For project delivery teams, the EZ-KEY system provides an alternative to traditional cast-in-place duct bank construction by moving a greater proportion of construction into a controlled manufacturing environment.
The precast sections arrive on site ready for installation, reducing the amount of formwork, concrete placement and associated activity that must be completed in the field.
Precast approach targets faster installation
Each EZ-KEY section is 10 feet long and, according to Roman Stone, can be installed in under two minutes using alignment cones and the company’s Zip Pin connection system.
The modular approach is designed to maintain alignment between sections while reducing field labour and exposure to weather-related disruption.
For hyperscale data centre projects, where construction programmes can involve extensive underground electrical networks alongside tightly coordinated building, power and technology packages, accelerating enabling infrastructure can help protect subsequent stages of the schedule.
“This data center project, which we believe will be the first of many, reflects the growing demand for innovative infrastructure solutions that improve productivity while maintaining exceptional quality,” said Daniel Murray, President and CEO of Roman Stone.
“We’re proud to support customers across the country with engineered precast systems that help keep critical infrastructure projects moving.”
Mobile manufacturing supports project delivery
Roman Stone is also using mobile manufacturing and nationwide logistics as part of its delivery model.
The company can manufacture precast products at or close to project sites, using workers from surrounding communities. The approach is intended to reduce transportation requirements while providing manufacturing capacity closer to where infrastructure is being delivered.
Alongside production and logistics, Roman Stone provides project management capabilities to coordinate delivery of its precast systems.
The combination is particularly relevant for large data centre programmes where the volume and sequencing of infrastructure components can create significant logistics and programme management requirements.
Roman Stone said the EZ-KEY system can also be deployed on substations, utility corridors, transportation and telecommunications projects.
The Canton contract comes as the rapid development of hyperscale and AI computing facilities creates increased demand for electrical infrastructure and construction methods capable of supporting accelerated project schedules.
For project teams, the use of prefabricated infrastructure represents one approach to shifting work away from site, standardising installation and reducing labour and weather dependencies during construction.
