Underground Infrastructure Solutions for Data Center Development

ECI Contracting delivers safe, scalable underground utilities and pipeline infrastructure for data centers.

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Why Choose ECI for Data Centers

Data centers demand more than speed. They require precision, reliability, and risk mitigation underground. ECI Contracting partners with data center developers and general contractors to deliver utility, pipeline, and site infrastructure that supports mission-critical operations.

From early planning through final restoration, we help reduce risk, meet schedules, and ensure underground systems are built right the first time, so your facility performs reliably for decades.

Why developers and GCs choose ECI:

  • Over 100+ years of combined construction experience from leadership team
  • Proven experience delivering critical infrastructure beneath complex sites
  • Design-build, HDD, utilities, restoration, and mitigation under one partner
  • Dedicated safety team and clear project ownership from start to finish
Horizontal directional drilling setup for underground utility installation at a data center site, featuring a large drilling rig, pipeline, and construction materials in a prepared trench.

Our Underground Services for Data Centers

Person wearing headphones analyzing detailed construction plans for underground infrastructure on a computer screen, emphasizing ECI Contracting's design-build capabilities for data centers.

Design-Build Infrastructure

ECI’s design-build approach streamlines underground construction for data center projects by aligning engineering, constructability, and execution from day one.

Capabilities include:

  • Preliminary design and feasibility analysis
  • Utility and pipeline layout coordination
  • Cost estimating and constructability reviews
  • Construction and final restoration

By including ECI in your Design-build phase, it reduces change orders, accelerates schedules, and ensures underground systems align with real-world site conditions.

Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD)

HDD is often critical for data center developments that require utility crossings beneath roads, railways, waterways, or existing infrastructure.

ECI provides:

  • Small- and large-diameter HDD installations
  • Conduit, pipe, and casing installation
  • From simple to complex crossings
  • HDD constructability including hydrofracture risk evaluation and monitoring
  • Precision bore planning and execution

HDD minimizes surface disruption while protecting critical access routes and adjacent facilities.

Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) equipment on construction site with mud and pipes, illustrating ECI Contracting's underground utility installation services for data centers.
Construction site featuring horizontal directional drilling (HDD) for utility installation, with workers, heavy machinery, and large-diameter pipes laid out in a trench, emphasizing ECI Contracting's expertise in underground infrastructure for data centers.

Utility, Pipeline, and Water Line Installation

ECI delivers full-scope underground utility construction to support data center operations, including:

  • Water lines for cooling systems
  • Sanitary and storm sewer infrastructure
  • Electrical and duct banks
  • Gas utilities where required
  • Pipeline and site-wide utility distribution

Our crews understand the tolerances and reliability required for data center utilities and build systems designed for long-term performance. We offer a variety of solutions tailored to meet your budgetary needs using our plowing, trenching, or horizontal directional drilling capabilities.

Restoration Services

Data center projects often involve expansive sites and strict owner standards. ECI provides complete restoration services to return job sites to pre-construction conditions, or better.

Restoration includes:

  • Soft surface restoration: grading, seeding, erosion control
  • Hard surface restoration: asphalt and concrete repair
  • Roadway, access drive, and pad restoration

We respect the job site, protect surrounding property, and deliver a finished product that reflects the quality of the facility above ground.

Restoration site with freshly poured concrete, construction barriers, and a skid steer loader, illustrating hard surface restoration for data center infrastructure.
Excavated area with exposed drain tile and restoration sign, surrounded by soil mounds, indicating underground infrastructure work for data center drainage systems.

Drain Tile Repair & Mitigation

Many data centers are built on large tracts of former agricultural land. Underground construction in these environments requires specialized drain tile expertise.

Powered by our partnership with Ellingson—the “E” in ECI—we provide:

  • Temporary and permanent drain tile repair
  • Drain tile mitigation for utility and pipeline installation
  • Tile mapping and GIS documentation
  • Coordination with landowners and developers

We ensure drainage systems are restored to equal or better condition, protecting site performance and long-term land stability.

Gaining Confidence Underground Starts Here

Stop stressing over aging, unreliable underground infrastructure. With ECI, you gain a clear path forward and peace of mind with a trusted partner on your side.

Tell us about your project, goals, and challenges.

We define the right approach, set clear expectations, and get to work with precision.

With ECI on your team, you’ll move forward knowing your infrastructure is in expert hands.

Contact ECI today

Data centers typically require water lines, sanitary and storm sewer, electric, duct banks, and gas utilities. ECI provides full-scope underground utility and pipeline construction to support these needs.

Yes. Our trenchless design-build delivery model and in-house construction capabilities allow us to accelerate timelines while maintaining safety and quality standards.

Yes. We regularly partner with developers, EPCs, and GCs as a specialized underground contractor supporting large-scale infrastructure packages.

Many data centers are built on former agricultural land where subsurface drain tile systems play a critical role in managing water movement. If these systems are not properly identified, mapped, and repaired during construction, it can lead to long-term drainage issues, soil instability, and potential foundation risks. ECI Contracting, backed by Ellingson’s agricultural expertise, ensures drain tile systems are accurately located, properly mitigated, and fully documented to protect both the site and long-term performance.