How Fiber Reinforced Concrete Brings Speed and Flexural Strength to Data Center Construction

Faster, Stronger Green Concrete: How Recycled Fiber Speeds Data Center Construction

Concrete teams are saving days without adding risk

Data center schedules are precise by design. Power, equipment, and operations are all coordinated long before construction begins, leaving very little room for improvisation.

In data center construction, a day late is like being a year late anywhere else. Following years of planning, speed is suddenly critical. The concrete package—especially floor slabs, precast panels, and structural components—has to move efficiently from pour to finish without slowdowns.

And while early flexural strength is paramount to any pour, in the hyperscale data center construction space, achieving low-embodied-carbon concrete is every bit as important. This is where REGEN Fiber’s E-Flex 250 is emerging as a leader in increasing the speed to minimum flexural strength while reducing concrete’s overall carbon footprint.

Early testing with E-Flex 250 suggests both precast producers and ready-mix crews on poured-in-place jobs can gain several days in their schedule, simply by changing how they reinforce.

Getting ahead with early flexural strength

Concrete mixes reinforced with E-Flex 250 have hit minimum flexural strength on or before day 5, sometimes hitting strength by day two. Strength continues to climb in the first week, testing over 50% higher than the baseline. At 28 days, performance levels out at 36% above control with no sign of decline.

These early strength gains matter for both plant-cast and field-poured elements, allowing faster form removal, tighter production cycles, and earlier loading when needed.

Testing is ongoing and the full picture is still forming—but for teams under schedule pressure, early results like these are promising, and worth paying attention to.

More progress, fewer problems on-site

Field feedback points to something just as important as strength: how easy REGEN Fiber products, including E-Flex 250, are to work with.

Crews report that REGEN Fiber’s products have excellent workability, flows easily through the pump, and has even distribution in the mix—no clumping, no fibers balling up, no clogging up the hose. That keeps pours moving and eliminates one of the most common frustrations with synthetic or virgin fibers.

Unlike wire mesh reinforcement, REGEN Fiber requires no cutting, tying, or staging—and no rerouting around jobsite trip hazards. In ready-mix applications, contractors have been surprised by how well the fiber integrates into the mix without disrupting workflow or equipment.

Compared to wire mesh or some other fibers, the overall time savings and workability benefits are real—and immediate.

Sustainability without sacrificing performance

REGEN Fiber products are made from 100% recycled wind turbine blades using a patented, all-mechanical process in our large-scale Iowa facility. No heat, no chemicals. For builders under pressure to reduce embodied carbon, it offers a way to reinforce concrete without adding to the material footprint.

It can reduce or eliminate the need for wire mesh in certain applications, which not only cuts carbon but simplifies handling and installation. That’s a win for safety, cost, and schedule.

All of REGEN Fiber’s products have Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). An EPD provides transparent, third-party verified data on environmental impacts from raw material sourcing through manufacturing. These declarations support key certifications like LEED and BREEAM.

For project teams, that means fiber reinforcement from REGEN Fiber can be part of a documented strategy for meeting ESG targets and material transparency requirements.

Where recycled fiber fits in your data center build

REGEN Fiber could bring strong results across a range of structural applications, including:

• Precast wall panels
• Large floor slabs
• Utility vaults and equipment pads
• Foundations and poured-in-place structural components

Because it works seamlessly in both precast and paving or flatwork, it offers flexibility for developers aiming to standardize low-carbon practices across their data center portfolio.

It’s also a smart choice for teams exploring sustainable material pilots or aiming to streamline timelines without adding risk.

The upside of being slightly ahead

The push for faster, greener data centers isn’t slowing down. In fact, it’s only accelerating as hyperscale developers double down on AI infrastructure and carbon reduction targets.

Choosing materials like E-Flex 250 won’t solve every challenge—but it can unlock time and environmental savings in places you might not expect. Early adopters are already seeing what’s possible when a recycled fiber makes concrete easier to work with and faster to cure—without compromising long-term strength.

If you’re specifying materials for your next data center project, and speed or sustainability are priorities, it might be worth a closer look.

Let's talk about how it could fit into your next project