Location: Rosemount, Minnesota

Award: Lower Carbon Concrete

Project Team

Owner: Meta

Contractor: Mortenson Construction

Architect: Meta

Engineer: PASE

Research Group: University of Illinois

Concrete and Slag Cement: Amrize

Located in Rosemount, Minnesota, the Meta Rosemount Data Center is a landmark example of what happens when high-tech digital intelligence meets heavy-duty industrial construction.

To meet Meta’s ambitious sustainability goals, the team did not just rely on traditional methods. Instead, they utilized a first-of-its-kind AI-driven optimization framework, developed in collaboration with the University of Illinois, to computationally evaluate hundreds of different concrete mixes in real time.

The winner of that digital search was a high-performance mix heavily reliant on slag cement.

By replacing a major portion of portland cement with slag, the team achieved a massive 40 percent reduction in embodied carbon compared to regional benchmarks. But as we know, a low carbon footprint only matters if the concrete performs on the job site.

The slag-rich binder system did not just meet the requirements; it shattered them. While the project called for 1,500 psi in three days, this mix delivered over 2,000 psi in just 24 hours, approaching 7,000 psi at the 28-day mark.

For the crews on the ground, the inclusion of slag was the secret sauce for workability. It provided a consistent 6-inch slump and improved cohesiveness, which is critical for the high-precision, continuous pours required for data center slab-on-grade sections.

The Meta Rosemount Data Center proves that with the right data and the right materials, slag cement is the key to building the digital infrastructure of the future sustainably, quickly, and with superior strength.