Google Data Center in Iowa Uses Concrete

What started as a $600 million project for Google in Western Iowa has been expanded numerous times, with the latest estimates to top $1.5 billion. Concrete not only played a major role in the structure and interior floors, but was also chosen for service drives and parking lots, reports NRMCA Senior National Resource Director Jon Hansen. The data center houses some of the infrastructure behind Google search, Gmail, Google Maps and the Google+ social network. Google Data Center Operations Manager Chris Russell said, "As demand for our services grows, our operations need to grow as well."

In recent months, other Internet giants Amazon and Facebook have also announced a number of larger construction projects around the country, Hansen noted.