Their challenge

This Fortune 500 power company needed a design to upgrade an existing two-circuit 34.5kV station to a 69kV rated box bay station with four possible locations for incoming circuits. Due to the configuration of the existing station, the 34.5kV structure could not accommodate two additional lines without prior enhancement to the structural steel.

Our solution

Salas O’Brien created a custom steel design to form a new box bay, which was also upgraded to handle equipment with higher voltage ratings and clearances. The custom steel also allowed for two additional locations for electrical lines to go into the substation. The solution utilized a custom strain bus design and custom bus supports—carefully designed so that the manufacturer could build the custom design from station prints. Our team also provided responsive construction support throughout the design and up until the project was put in to service.

The results

The proactive, meticulous work executed by our team resulted in a successful custom design that met and exceeded our client’s expectations. Our experience coordinating with other contractors and vendors also informed our contributions to this project and helped ensure that the client received efficient, high-quality service and an excellent end result.

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