This project involves the overall engineering of a new 176-mile, 161kV transmission line from Raven Substation in Lake City, FL to Sinai Cemetery Substation near Chattahoochee, FL, together with modifications and expansions of each substation and at the communication repeater station at the transmission line mid-point. The transmission line is designed using major sections of double-bundled 1272 ACSR conductor and a double-circuit section of single 1590 ASCR conductor installed on single-pole steel or spun concrete structures.
A variety of structure configurations are being employed to address blowout, guying and ROW constraints. Responsibilities include multi-disciplinary engineering encompassing ROW access design, substation civil and electrical layout and design for fiber regen hut (control house), and transmission line design; coordination and oversight of real estate acquisition; surveying; federal, state, and local permitting; and construction support.
Detailed coordination is required across subcontractors, third-party consultants, key stakeholders, as well as interconnecting co-ops and municipalities. Construction and outage constraints necessitated an aggressive design schedule requiring line spotting, real estate acquisition and environmental permitting to be conducted in parallel while addressing long lead times on structure procurement and fabrication, and foundation design issues and public outreach due to karst and other poor geological conditions. Design considerations have required performing AC mitigation studies and addressing joint use distribution and fiber communications.
