Software giant Microsoft has developed a hybrid construction method using cross-laminated timber to cut embodied carbon by 35% compared to steel builds

The data centre industry’s search for construction methods that reduce carbon emissions has taken a new turn as Microsoft, the US software and cloud computing company, has announced it is piloting its first facilities built using mass timber.

The experimental builds in northern Virginia represent a departure from traditional data centre construction methods, which rely heavily on steel and concrete – materials that account for 15% of global carbon emissions according to World Economic Forum data.

The facilities employ cross-laminated timber (CLT) – engineered wood panels created by glueing layers of timber at right angles – alongside steel and concrete in a hybrid construction method. This approach reduces embodied carbon by 35% compared to conventional steel construction and 65% versus precast concrete builds.

While mass timber construction has gained traction in European commercial buildings over the past decade, its adoption in North American data centres has been limited by concerns over fire resistance and structural integrity. Microsoft’s implementation suggests these barriers may be surmountable.

Carbon reduction targets

The timber initiative forms part of Microsoft’s 2020 commitment to become carbon negative by 2030. The company aims to remove more carbon from the atmosphere than it emits and plans to eliminate all historic emissions since its 1975 founding by 2050.

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