CLEVELAND – October 28, 2026 -- Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine will join a DCD Connect Virginia 2026 panel on November 4 to press for tighter alignment between data center construction and operations, after YOTTA 2026 discussions showed developers shifting from single buildings to full-campus power, cooling and water systems.
YOTTA 2026 participants flag megawatt capacity as the measure of project scale
Discussions at YOTTA 2026 centered on the growing adoption of modular construction and on critical specification decisions being made before projects reach the bid stage. Participants also named megawatt-related power capacity as a defining yardstick of project size, which raises the weight of power delivery, cooling systems and water resources.
Sherwin-Williams sent experts from its Protective & Marine, General Industrial, Coil & Extrusion and Energy businesses. Laura Adams-Keie, North America Market Segment Manager for Data Center/Semiconductor, said stakeholders are balancing power, cooling, water, modular construction, speed-to-build and long-term performance simultaneously, and that earlier coordination across project teams can improve alignment.
Construction Summit panel runs November 4 from 10 to 11 a.m.
The session, "From the Ground Up: Closing the Gap Between Construction and Operations," takes place on the Construction Summit Stage. Joseph Windover, Sherwin-Williams Construction Solutions Executive, will join industry experts to discuss engaging operations teams earlier in design and construction. The panel will address long-term risk, workforce challenges and the growing need for specialized retrofits in data center facilities.
Windover said decisions made during design and construction can shape maintenance planning and future upgrades "for years to come." Sherwin-Williams is also a sponsor of the event.
Modular builds raise specification continuity and maintenance questions
Modular and offsite approaches let developers balance scalability with speed, but they add considerations around fabrication practices, installation requirements and long-term maintenance planning. Keeping shop-applied, field-applied and future maintenance systems aligned supports consistency across structural steel, power, cooling and water infrastructure assets over the facility lifecycle.
Sherwin-Williams recently introduced a Data Center Facility Guide. It covers protection considerations across server halls, electrical and mechanical spaces, cooling systems, power infrastructure, roofing and water treatment environments, and is intended to help stakeholders evaluate requirements earlier in project development.