Crusoe Energy AI Data Center on Lancium Clean Campus
Abilene, TX
DBC supported the project from its earliest concept, starting as a napkin sketch, to a fully dried-in building in under five months.
DBC supported the project from its earliest concept, starting as a napkin sketch, to a fully dried-in building in under five months.
DBC was selected to design, fabricate, deliver and install prefabricated insulated metal panel (IMP) exterior wall systems for Abilene Data Center’s new hyperscale data center campus.
When complete, the campus will consist of eight 100+ MW buildings each, total of 1.2 GW, featuring a central utility hall and four 25 MW data halls in each building. Phase one includes two buildings engineered to support direct-to-chip liquid and traditional air cooling, enabling flexibility for high-density compute environments.
We installed 672 prefabricated IMP panels per building, marking our first use of this exterior system across our markets.
Panel fabrication was completed in under 40 days, with field installation averaging 15 to 20 panels per day with a maximum of 42 panels/day. Each building was enclosed in less than eight weeks, allowing for rapid dry-in and early turnover to interior trades. These results highlight DBC’s ability to execute with speed, precision, and coordination, which are critical to the success of large-scale, fast-track projects.
15-20
15-20
Panels installed per day
80%
80%
Modeling time reduction
Efficiency by Repetition
Given the fast-paced schedule, DBC adapted its design approach to support the project timeline without compromising quality. Multiple mockups were created to validate the watertight performance of the exterior wall panels. To streamline modeling, the team implemented a repeatable panel strategy, designing a single panel type that could be replicated across the building. This approach proved highly effective, approximately 270 of the 672 panels shared the same design, significantly reducing modeling time. For one building, this repeatability combined with condensed trade coordination resulted in approximately 40% time savings. As the strategy was extended across all eight buildings, the majority of the panel designs carried over, enabling an overall modeling time reduction of about 80%.
This efficiency was further supported by trade partners who maintained consistent penetration locations within each panel, simplifying coordination. As a result, DBC completed the design phase at the fastest rate in its history, setting a new benchmark for future fast-track projects.
Minimizing Site Impact and Optimizing Execution
DBC’s prefab approach was designed with site logistics and trade coordination in mind. Our team significantly reduced footprint and disruption to concurrent workstreams by using a lean on-site operation with minimal material staging, efficient shuttle logistics, and smaller lifting equipment. This approach proved particularly valuable in a complex, high-density site environment where trade stacking and scheduling conflicts can impact overall progress.
Teamwork and Innovation
The successful delivery of this project highlights the power of strategic partnerships. DBC’s Phoenix-based fabrication and installation teams worked with DPR Construction and their self-perform workforce to enhance fabrication and labor capacity. Together, we shared installation knowledge rapidly, cross-trained to adapt in real time, and jointly solved challenges around fabrication. This unified response ensured production continuity and on-time delivery.
Field crews remained focused on safety and quality despite extreme weather conditions—including heat, wind, rain, and snow—demonstrating the resilience and discipline from integrated planning and shared accountability. This milestone project advanced our self-performing capabilities and underscored our ability to deliver complex building envelopes at scale, safely and in close partnership with DPR Construction and their self-perform teams.
Setting the Foundation for Future Phases
This initial phase established a repeatable model for prefabricated panel delivery on high-performance data center builds and validated our ability to take on large-scale, envelope-focused scopes confidently. The success of these first two buildings positioned DBC to deliver on future phases with greater certainty and efficiency, contributing directly to the broader program’s execution strategy.
Prefabricated structural wall system saved the GC 10-12 weeks on their schedule, allowing MEP trades to start earlier than a traditional construction approach.
