The $800 million data center that’s under construction in Rosemount will feature an AI-optimized concrete mix that’s designed to meet Meta’s specific needs.

Amrize and Meta partnered on this first-of-its-kind concrete mix, and this customized approach is expected to be replicated on many other construction sites. Earlier this year, Holcim, a huge Switzerland-based cement company, spun off its North American business and branded it as Amrize. Chicago was selected to be the operational headquarters for Amrize.

Meta and Amrize worked alongside the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Golden Valley-based Mortenson Construction to refine a concrete mix for improved performance.

Rodrigo Gallardo, Amrize senior vice president, said having this technology helps perfect concrete mixes for strength properties, speed and carbon footprint reduction. Other local projects that Amrize has worked on include the Amazon Distribution Center in Woodbury, the Southwest Light Rail Transit and the North Loop Green.

Customers depend on different types of mixes and the structural concrete mix prepared for the data center being built in Rosemount is estimated to reduce the total carbon footprint of the concrete by 35%, Gallardo said in a TCB interview.

“Using AI, we can optimize our specialized concrete formulations for data center requirements, from performance needs like strength and durability to thermal regulation and energy-efficiency. We look forward to continuing this exciting work with Meta to scale up the adoption of advanced tailored concrete mixes,” Jaime Hill, president of Amrize Building Materials, said in a news release.

“This is a game changer, both in the United States and across the globe,” Gallardo said.

The digital economy has created a high demand for construction of data centers. Amrize is collaborating with what it termed “hyperscalers and construction leaders,” including Mortenson, “to help accelerate innovation and the adoption of new technology and advanced building materials, including AI-optimized concrete mixes,” the company said in a written statement.

Meta hasn’t released an opening date for the Rosemount data center. When Meta announced in March 2024 that Rosemount had been chosen as the location for the 715,000-square-foot center, it was heralded by Gov. Tim Walz as a major economic development victory.