Red Zone Line Rebuilds for Solar Uprates
Pickett, an ESP Company, was contracted to design rebuilds for four different transmission lines to support new conductors capable of transmitting increased amps from proposed solar facilities.
Work included designs for rebuilding a total of 50 miles of single-circuit 230kV lines with bundled ACSR conductors and 12 miles of single-circuit 115kV lines with ACSS conductors. In total, approximately 500 existing structures were designed to be replaced with taller steel poles, including multiple engineered structures on concrete pier foundations as well as several low-profile and vertical switches.
Challenges included coordinating with other projects being carried out on the same transmission lines, determining how best to replace 23 miles of long-haul fiber within a very limited outage window, and modifying standard structure types to make construction installation more efficient.
Services provided as part of these projects included PLS CADD modeling, structural analysis, foundation design, development of bills of material, road and railroad crossing permit submittals, load tree development, and assembly of an overall construction package. Additional services included budget tracking and reporting along with delivery of regular project status update reports. Pickett will continue to provide construction support as these projects move into construction.
Size
50 miles
Status
In Progress
