Conversations at YOTTA 2026 point to growing industry focus on power capacity, modular construction, early planning and lifecycle performance

CLEVELAND, Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As AI infrastructure investment accelerates globally, a new challenge has emerged for data center developers: the need to deliver not only the centers themselves, but entire ecosystems with increasingly complex power, cooling and water structures capable of supporting the entire campus.

This represents the newest stage in the AI construction boom, requiring industry leaders to stay on the forefront of innovation and full-campus considerations in order to meet rising demand. At the same time, modular and prefabricated construction approaches are becoming more common as decision-making windows continue to shrink and project teams work to scale capacity and shorten deployment timelines.

Many of these challenges emerged as recurring themes during industry discussions at YOTTA 2026. Building on those conversations, Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine will advance these discussions alongside industry leaders at DCD Connect Virginia 2026, participating in the Construction Summit panel, “From the Ground Up: Closing the Gap Between Construction and Operations.” Conversations are expected to focus on speed-to-build, operational readiness, modular construction as well as the infrastructure demands associated with rapidly expanding AI data center campuses.

A leader in high-performance flooring, wall systems and coatings, Sherwin-Williams works with data center stakeholders across facility, power and water infrastructure environments to help evaluate protection, maintenance and lifecycle considerations from fabrication through long-term operations. Considering durability, maintenance and restoration earlier in the process can also support sustainability objectives by helping owners evaluate how assets can be protected, maintained and kept in service over their lifecycle.

Industry Conversations at YOTTA Highlight Evolving Infrastructure Demands

Discussions at YOTTA 2026 highlighted several trends influencing the next phase of data center development including the growing adoption of modular construction strategies and importance of early engagement as critical specification decisions are being made before projects reach the bid stage. Participants also discussed the growing emphasis on megawatt-related power capacity as a defining measure of project scale, underscoring the importance of supporting infrastructure such as power delivery, cooling systems and water resources.

Sherwin-Williams brought experts from across its enterprise, including Protective & Marine, General Industrial, Coil & Extrusion and Energy businesses, to participate in discussions spanning construction, fabrication, power systems, industrial manufacturing and asset lifecycle considerations.

“One of the strongest themes emerging across the industry is that data center development is no longer focused solely on the building itself,” said Laura Adams-Keie, North America Market Segment Manager, Data Center/Semiconductor, Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine. “As AI infrastructure projects scale, stakeholders are increasingly balancing power, cooling, water, modular construction, speed-to-build and long-term performance at the same time. Earlier coordination across project teams can help create better alignment as those decisions become more interconnected.”

Looking Ahead to the DCD Connect Virginia Construction Summit

Building on themes heard at YOTTA 2026, Sherwin-Williams will continue engaging with data center leaders as a sponsor, industry expert and panel participant at DCD Connect Virginia 2026.

Sherwin-Williams will participate in a panel discussion, “From the Ground Up: Closing the Gap Between Construction and Operations,” on November 4 from 10-11 a.m. on the Construction Summit Stage. Sherwin-Williams Construction Solutions Executive Joseph Windover will join a panel of industry experts to discuss the value of engaging operations teams earlier in the design and construction process to help mitigate long-term risks, address workforce challenges and prepare for the growing need for specialized retrofits in data center facilities.

“The push for speed and scale is changing how facilities are delivered,” said Joseph Windover. “As modular construction becomes more common and infrastructure systems grow more complex, decisions made during design and construction can influence maintenance planning, future upgrades and long-term facility performance for years to come.”

Protection Across the Entire Data Center Campus

Modular and offsite construction approaches continue to gain momentum as data center developers seek to balance scalability with speed to production. While these methods can streamline construction, they also introduce new considerations around specification continuity, fabrication practices, installation requirements and long-term maintenance planning.

Maintaining alignment between shop-applied, field-applied and future maintenance systems can help support consistency across structural steel, power, cooling and water infrastructure assets throughout the facility lifecycle. As AI infrastructure investment expands globally, project teams are increasingly drawing on global construction approaches, fabrication strategies and delivery models developed across multiple regions and markets.

Due to the growing complexity of modern data center campuses, Sherwin-Williams recently introduced its Data Center Facility Guide. The guide outlines protection considerations across server halls, electrical and mechanical spaces, cooling systems, power infrastructure, roofing and water treatment environments. By bringing these considerations together in a single planning resource, the guide reflects the growing need for coordination across the entire data center campus and surrounding ecosystem. It is designed to help stakeholders evaluate requirements earlier in project development and better coordinate decisions across construction, operations and maintenance.

For more information about Sherwin-Williams solutions for the data center segment, visit https://industrial.sherwin-williams.com/na/us/en/protective-marine/industry-solutions/manufacturing-processing/data-centers.html

About the Protective & Marine Division of Sherwin-Williams

Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine delivers world-class industry subject matter expertise, unparalleled technical and specification service, and unmatched regional commercial team support to our customers around the globe. Our broad portfolio of high-performance coatings and systems – including protective liquid and powder, fire protection and resinous flooring – excel at combating corrosion and help customers achieve smarter, time-tested asset protection. We serve a wide array of markets across our rapidly growing international distribution footprint, including Bridge & Highway, Energy, Commercial and Institutional Structures, Manufacturing & Processing, Marine, Rail, Power, and Water & Wastewater. For more information, visit protective.sherwin.com.

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SOURCE Sherwin-Williams