Renewable Development in New England
Transcription
Renewable Development in New England
OnSite H o o p e r Fall/Winter 2011 C o r p o r a t i o n Electric Power • Mechanical • HVAC Renewable Development in New England Throughout completion of Granite Reliable, Hooper and Hooper subcontractors worked 44,900 hours with zero recordable injuries. 12,000 hours were worked between Hooper and Hooper subcontractors with zero injuries in Sheffield. Granite Reliable Wind Farm Hooper’s Overhead Line Department began work in early 2011 under RMT, Inc. to help construct The Granite Reliable Wind Farm in Coos County, New Hampshire. Construction started with the building of a cross country, six mile 115kV transmission line, comprised of sixty three H-frame structures and a 1272 conductor. Following the completion of the transmission line the 34.5kV overhead collector system, utilizing 954 conductor, was built in three phases. The first circuit is nearly two miles long, consists of 36 structures and working seven days a week for the last three serves 12 turbines. The second two circuits months of the project to ultimately meet the share the same structures for the first five final completion date. miles before separating at which point one circuit continues another mile and connects to 14 turbines, while the final circuit continues Sheffield Wind Farm another seven miles and serves 7 turbines for Only miles away a second wind farm in a total output of 99 MW. Sheffield, Vermont was being constructed, This location presented many challenges with participation by Hooper’s Substation that the project team successfully overcame. Department. The Sheffield Wind project The terrain was extremely rugged forcing consists of 16 turbines, with an output of 2.5 crews to build temporary roads to numerous MW each for a total of 40 MW output for the structure locations to allow access for tracked entire farm. equipment. In some locations the terrain was Continued on page 3 so severe that helicopters had to be used to both set the structures and pull lead lines. 2. From the Adding to the difficulty of the project President was the tremendous amount of sub-surface granite that was 3. Fresh Faces encountered. Large air hammers along 4. Substation Rescue with blasting were utilized to excavate Training in the rocky conditions. Midway through the project, 4. Emergency Storm Response Hurricane Irene struck the East Coast 5. Fire Protection leaving millions of people without power up and down the East Coast. 5. Plumbing Department As lineman from across the country 6. General Heating and Air responded to restore power, there Conditioning, Inc. became a shortage of qualified linemen putting the schedule of the project 7. Electric Power Division in jeopardy. Hooper responded by 8. Community Outreach bringing in additional resources and In Nearly every state in the United States is capable of generating wind energy. According to the American Wind Energy Association, approximately 20 percent of the nation’s electricity needs could be supplied by wind energy. In recent decades, we’ve seen wind farms popping up across the nation as our country moves towards green initiatives in the exploration for renewable energy sources. There are many components to building a wind farm that take the expertise and experience Hooper Corporation can offer. The construction of wind farms is not a new endeavor for Hooper Corporation, yet the remote areas and mountainous terrain of the Northeast created two noteworthy projects in 2011. d i s tories S e Hooper Corporation | www.hoopercorp.com | General Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc. | www.generalheating.com Hooper Corporation | www.hoopercorp.com From the President Building Information Modeling (BIM) Coupled with Total Station Survey Technology Impacts Jobsite Safety in a Big Way measured In that time, we have s: the following impact • • • • • More accuracy in the layout of mechanical systems, resulting in high employee morale and productivity, by minimizing mistakes which result in rework, waste and confrontation. Less direct exposure to worker injuries by eliminating hazards (example: installing hanger inserts prior to concrete deck pours mitigates the hazard of falling by reducing need for ladders and elevated platforms and also mitigates noise and silica dust exposure from concrete drilling). Efficient scheduling and material flow resulting in a global housekeeping strategy with a daily action plan. Accurate prefabrication drawings enabling many components to be manufactured offsite in a controlled environment and then sequentially delivered and installed as needed. Pre-planning is dramatically enhanced. Hazard assessment and a master safety project plan can now be developed with much more efficiency and precision in a controlled learning environment by engaging project management, project supervision, safety professionals and BIM designers through the use • years, but it was the housekeeping, high employee morale and overall impact on jobsite safety that I found really thought provoking. With safety as my and Hooper Corporation’s #1 priority, I am convinced that positive behavioral modifications driven by intuitive technologies are a real game changer. We are just scratching the surface of the impact this technology will have on the health and safety of the men and women working in our industries. Consider the Hooper experience which is just over 3 years old. The use of BIM combined with Total Station Survey devices on jobsites provides precision system layout and planning of work activities. This should not be new news for industry professionals including, architects, engineers, general contractors, MEP’s and owners. What was new news for me after a recent inspection of several of our Mechanical Division jobsites was, after nearly 3 years since our first coordinated deployment of BIM and Total Station, my unforeseen revelation was that this technology has a HUGE value added by-product. This by-product has no limitation to its potential because it fundamentally initiates and directs significant positive human behavioral change. The logic and discipline that accompanies the acceptance and use of these technologies is a revolutionary leap forward in our ability to pre-plan and communicate not only orally and through written documents but also through the use of powerful 3-D visual modeling and pinpoint location calibrations on our work sites. Much like Apple’s iPad, this technology is intuitive by nature. The end user’s skill level, perceptions and task discipline quickly adapts and improves with its use. For pre-task planning purposes it aligns the employee and his or her group with a defined process while at the same time providing the group process control through the use of pre programmed flexible cues. Educators have coined the phrase “Blended Learning” when curriculum is combined using visual interactive electronic media and standardized group or one-onone training. What occurred to me as I inspected these BIM/Total Station jobsites was that Hooper’s use of “Blended Learning” for classroom training and orientations has intuitively, through the use of this technology, found its way onto our jobsites. The heightened degree of understanding and sophistication of task coordination, material procurement and installation methods as a result of the field deployment of this technology is a real eye opener. Gains in efficiency, cost savings and productivity have been recognized for several 2 of 3-D modeling. This assessment or multiple assessments depending on the size and scope of the project are then modified on-site by our safety professionals in unison with our field personnel as needed. With training and experience this technology provides a clear understanding of task requirements, enabling workers to accurately forecast into the future, increasing their critical knowledge of the steps and tasks required to fully complete a section of work. This allows crews to increase their pre-planning time horizon from a day or two, in some cases to several weeks while improving communication and the effectiveness of their required daily or change of task Jobsite Safety Analysis briefings (JSA’s). ABOVE: Jason Chambers demonstrates to Fred Davie, Ron Babler and Paul Schwenzfeier how the BIM process translates from the computer/designer to the jobsite via Trimble Total Station. ABOVE: Randy Thompson, Manager of Safety Services, and members of the Plumbing Department review a 3D model designed inhouse by Hooper CAD/BIM Technicians. s e c a F h s Fre www.hoopercorp.com | Hooper Corporation warm welcome to the a g in d n te ex in s u Join ployees: following Hooper Em Alison Hohl joined Hooper Corporation as the Corporate Communication Specialist in October 2011. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire with a degree in Mass Communication and Journalism and a minor in Spanish. After college Alison moved to Madison where she began working for a local nonprofit to fundraise and plan events in addition to member relations and marketing. Alison currently resides in downtown Madison where she’s able to enjoy much of the city on foot. She also likes going up north with family and friends, running and finding time to try new recipes. Deb Pond joined the Electric Power Division at Hooper Corporation in June 2011 as the EPD Office Supervisor. Prior to joining Hooper, Deb spent many years working in the Accounting and Finance fields. Deb and her husband, Mike, have 3 kids, and 7 grand kids. She and her family currently live in Beloit, Wisconsin. In her free time she enjoys painting, gardening and reading. Cody Statz joined Hooper Corporation in August 2011 as the Administrative Assistant - Fleet Operations in the Electric Power Division and was promoted to EPD Fleet Operations Specialist in December 2011. His educational background includes a degree in History from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. During school he spent his summers working with a locally based landscape construction company where his responsibilities included handling DOT and fleet vehicle compliance. Cody and his wife, Barb, currently live in Black Earth, Wisconsin. Cody enjoys watching Badger and Packer football games and coaching his youth football team. In his free time he likes to golf, fish, hunt, and spend time with family. Jason Paquette joined Hooper’s Plumbing Department in April 2011 as the Plumbing Shop Manager with more than 20 years experience. Jason spent ten of those years working on the supply end and the other ten working in general warehousing. Jason currently lives in Stoughton, Wisconsin with his girlfriend, Melissa and they each have two daughters, Cassie, Riana, Megan and Emily. In his free time, Jason enjoys golfing, fishing, being outdoors and spending time with his family. Greg Wondra joined Hooper’s Plumbing Department in March 2011 as a CAD/BIM Technician. He attended MATC – Madison and earned a degree in Architectural Technology. Before coming to Hooper Greg worked for Horizon Fitness. Greg and his wife, Jamie, currently live in Portage, WI with their daughter, Hanna, age 4. Greg loves watching and playing football. In his free time he also likes driving, racing and working on cars. Don Magill joined Hooper’s Plumbing Department in April 2011 while finishing up his degree in Architectural Technologies from MATC – Madison. In June 2011 he joined Hooper full-time as a CAD/BIM Technician. Don currently lives in downtown Madison where he enjoys riding his bike, taking classes, and long walks on the beach. Recently Don began volunteering for Meals on Wheels which is a program that delivers daily meals to senior citizens. Renewable Development in New England, continued from Page 1 to VELCO’s 115 kV transmission grid through a 115 kV interconnect station which Hooper constructed as part of this project. At the end of the project, VELCO routed one of their 115 kV transmission lines into and out of the interconnect station to provide power to the wind farm as well as provide the connection to the transmission system. This project presented similar challenges to Granite Reliable because it was miles away from accessible supply stores, sub-surface This power is brought to the Hooper Corporation constructed substation via 2 underground collector circuits and feeds a 50 MVA main power transformer located in the collector substation. This main power transformer stepped the voltage from 34.5 kV up to 115 kV so that it could be transmitted out onto VELCO’s (Vermont Electric Power Company, Inc.) transmission system. The collector substation is interconnected conditions required the need for blasting, and wet road conditions severely limited site access with concrete trucks. Despite these challenges, crews were able to complete the project as scheduled in September 2011. According to RMT, the Sheffield Wind facility will have the capacity to power approximately 14,500 homes annually. For more information visit www.awea.org and www.rmtinc.com. 3 Hooper Corporation | www.hoopercorp.com Safety Substation Rescue Training Safety training is a core value within the Hooper Corporation and it is our goal to ensure all crews are safe all day, every day. By constantly monitoring our safety measures through JSA’s, field training and safety modules we are constantly improving our training techniques to guarantee we are up-to-date with changing industry standards. The RollglissTM R500 Rescue and Escape Device is used during training to assist with self and assisted rescues in addition to evacuation techniques. Substation Rescue Training was developed jointly by both field personnel and the Hooper Safety Department. Both parties were able to contribute information on goals, objectives and training scenarios to employ. The majority of the training was developed as hands on, practical training. In July and August 2011, Hooper substation crews completed the first set of training which will be added to the annual training requirement for Hooper employees. Training consists of three rescue scenarios: a steel rescue, ladder rescue and man basket rescue in addition to “classroom” and discussion of these principles. Each individual brought through this training will have the opportunity to use these mock scenarios to rescue a victim. Having this additional training will significantly improve our substation rescue techniques and provide our field crews the confidence to perform rescue if necessary. To maintain safety, training is performed in de-energized environments. Emergency Storm Response Hooper Crews Make National Mark the East Coast in Available and ready 24/7, the Hooper November 2011 Emergency Response crews have helped causing millions restore power to a number of storm damaged of people to go regions in 2011, making this one of the without power. busiest years-to-date for Storm Restoration. Power outages were In the past year teams have traveled across caused by 21” of the nation to restore power in Alabama, snow, ice and winds Massachusetts, Illinois, Wisconsin, New up to 55 mph and Jersey, and Minnesota. With natural disasters supplying “Working on the East Coast seems to mass amounts be the most grueling work…18 hours of wind, ice, a day with traffic congestion and low rain, hurricanes city bridges makes maneuvering our and tornadoes, equipment into these areas difficult storm restoration at times.” has proved to - - Greg Bricco be a growing General Foreman part of Hooper Corporation. In May 2011, hundreds of tornadoes spread across the mid-Atlantic into New hit Tuscaloosa, Birmingham and Jefferson, England. Within 6 days Hooper crews helped Alabama destroying power lines and leaving restore power back to many homes and 263,000 customers without power. Hooper businesses. With this type of work, crews crews were called to action by Alabama Power generally encounter dangerous scenarios that and worked extended hours to help restore require longer hours and more manpower power in less than two weeks. than normal. “Working on the East Coast A surprising and early start to winter hit Did you hasers? rm C o t S r e p o o say H ““ 4 seems to be the most grueling work…18 hours a day with traffic congestion and low city bridges makes maneuvering our equipment into these areas difficult at times,” says Greg Bricco, General Foreman for Hooper Corporation. When you want acute attention to safety, a quick response and the job done right, Hooper Corporation Emergency Response is here. www.hoopercorp.com | Hooper Corporation Fire Protection Constellations...Galaxies...Planets...What’s Next for Epic? As Epic Systems Corporation continues to grow their Verona campus, Hooper Corporation’s Fire Protection Department has remained on-site with continued success since 2003. Through this long-standing relationship, Hooper Corporation’s Fire Protection Department has become very familiar with what it takes to complete aesthetically appealing fixtures to align and blend in with the variety of themed buildings. Since the beginning, Hooper Fire Protection has had a hand in the completion of Campus One: six office buildings and a 1,500 car ramp; Campus Two: four office buildings and a 2,065 car, four-level parking garage; and The Learning Campus: Voyageur Hall and the Epicenter. In January 2011 Hooper Fire Protection continued work on the galaxy-themed addition to The Learning Campus. The new addition is named Pluto and maintains a similar intergalactic feeling. This threestory addition was completed in October 2011 and is now home to 10 large training rooms and break areas. New 8-inch sprinkler piping was installed in Pluto to join with existing pipe. As with other fire protection work done at Epic, the exposed-timber and steel beams create a different dynamic for Hooper crews because the sprinkler piping needed to be painted and shaped to conform to the structure and colors of the roof. Although Hooper Fire Protection has been working at the Verona location for almost a decade, this particular section of work did present a few new challenges that earlier additions did not. Since the sprinkler piping addition of Pluto would ultimately tie into the existing Learning Campus, care and safety was at the forefront of this job. However, due to the nature of work, prior to connecting all of the piping together, water needed to be shut down, drained and then refilled multiple times thoughout the project. When valves needed to be shut off or work could potentially disrupt Epic employees, Hooper crews worked night shifts to avoid any impact to office occupants. As visitors and other groups walk around the Epic campus Can you spot the sprinkler system? Hooper Fire Protection works to make sure piping and sprinklers blend into the wooded and steel beams. today, it is a feat to even notice the seamless work Hooper did. In this case, that means a job well done. Notable Announcements Plumbing Department From Madison to Lacrosse, Stevens Point and Menomonie, the Hooper Plumbing Department has continued to expand their service territory throughout Wisconsin. In the past two years, the Plumbing Department has completed both large and small scale projects for the University of Wisconsin system. New dorm plumbing was redone in Stevens Point while new plumbing was installed in various academic LEED Announcements In late 2011, The Hooper Plumbing Department completed two entirely new Meriter Outpatient Clinics. Working under Tri-North Builders, the Meriter Deforest-Windsor project spans 30,000 square feet; the Meriter Monona facility is almost twice the size at 57,600 square feet. Both buildings were built for LEED Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. The use of recycled materials, in floor heating, natural lighting and outside LED lighting all contribute to the environmentally friendly design. General Heating completed the HVAC design/build in-house for both clinics to LEED Certification standards. Both clinics offer easy access to primary care doctors and are part of Meriter’s new integrated health system in an effort to make it easier for patients all around. The two job sites were managed simultaneously allowing for a quick completion even through harsh winter weather. buildings on the Lacrosse campus. In February 2012 a similar restoration to Stevens Point will begin in the Menomonie campus dorms. Although much of this work has been done locally in the past, the increasing demand for work in other areas will surely make state-wide travel a recurrent trend for the Hooper Plumbing Department. Dan Schultz and Nate Orvick, Plumbing Department, recently received the LEED Green Associate accreditation. In order to qualify to take the test they completed an 8-hour online course entitled “Green Building and LEED Fundamentals” put on by SIG (Sustainable Investment Group) and sponsored by the AGC (The Associated General Contractors of America). There are continuing education requirements in order to maintain the credentials and also the possibility to obtain higher levels of LEED accreditation. Co ! s n o i t a l ngratu 5 6 Hooper Corporation | www.hoopercorp.com General Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc. A Collaboration of Efforts is Essential for Epic’s Geothermal System A collaboration of efforts between General Heating and Air Conditioning and Hooper Corporation has taken place at Epic since early this year as GHAC works to complete two large scale geothermal projects by spring 2012. The Geothermal Utility Project, consisting of 10 ten total miles of SDR 11 HDPE pipe, ranges in size from 6 to 36 inches. Upon completion, the project will create a two loop geothermal piping system: the first loop will tie in a new 2,000 bore well field to Epic’s existing 1,500+ bore well fields; the second loop will connect the sprawling campus of buildings to all well fields for HVAC use. The heart of this geothermal system is a partially underground pump house which consists of eight 450 HP pumps which will pump water through the well fields and back to the buildings. This will provide the tempered geothermal water needed for the HVAC equipment to heat or cool the buildings. Although it sounds simple, there are many hidden factors that go into a project like this one. First, all of the HDPE pipe must be fused together on-site. This means lifting two 50 foot HDPE pipes into a fusion machine where they are fused together at 450°F. To help lift the HDPE pipe into the fusion machine Hooper Corporation was brought SDR 11 HDPE Pipe spans 10 miles across Epic’s campus. in. It takes Hooper Corporation operators and a couple of 100,000lb. backhoes to lift and maneuver the fused 36” HDPE pipe which can reach 1,000+ feet in total length. Hooper’s Fabrication Shop also played an important role in fabricating the pipe for the pump house and underground valve isolation vaults for the geothermal piping loops. The Fabrication Shop was able to custom make all of the pipe and pipe stands in-house after receiving the BIM images from GHAC’s CAD team. Having the ability to build in-house helps streamline the building process and the stable working conditions are an added bonus. Once the piping was fabricated, it was brought on-site for General Heating to install. For the first time GHAC was able to utilize a new Trimble GPS locating device to document the location and elevation of each pipe before it was buried. The result is a real time as-built drawing of all the pipe buried in the ground on their property. In the future if Epic needs to dig in an area, GHAC can mark out potential ABOVE LEFT & RIGHT: The General Heating CAD/BIM team worked together to design and build much of the piping before bringing it on-site. ABOVE: General Heating crews work on the beginning phases of the Pump house. conflicts underground so they can be avoided before digging. To learn more about Trimble GPS visit www.trimble.com. For more information on Epic’s geothermal system visit www.generalheating.com. www.hoopercorp.com | Hooper Corporation Notable Announcements Hooper Corporation Awarded Double Circuit 345kV Project In September 2011, Hooper Corporation was awarded an important 345 kV project in Colorado. Xcel Energy awarded Phases II and III of the Pawnee Smokey Hills project near Fort Morgan, Colorado to Hooper Corporation which is scheduled to commence in December 2011. This project covers 64 miles of steel monopole construction on foundations. Of the 64 miles, the double circuit line spans 52 miles with each circuit consisting of two bundled 1272 ACSR conductors; the remaining 12 miles are single circuit. This project will present a few challenges since it will be constructed next to two existing 230kV lines resulting in a significant amount of induction and will traverse some environmentally sensitive areas with sandy soil conditions. Xcel Energy Alliance Post Rock Wind Farm Xcel Energy has been a valued client of Hooper Corporation for many years. In fact, the Electric Power Division has had some form of contractual relationship with the Northern States Power Company since 1952. In 2011, Hooper’s relationship with Xcel Energy took a significant step forward. Hooper Corporation was awarded a five year alliance contract to perform transmission and substation construction and maintenance for both their Colorado (PSCO) and Minnesota/Wisconsin (NSP) service territories. This alliance will result in a significant increase in services provided to Xcel in both areas for the duration of the contract. Hooper Corporation is very excited about this opportunity and strongly believes the alliance will be positive for both Xcel Energy and Hooper Corporation. Farewell, Roy Carter Roy Carter: Vice President, Board Member and the Department Head of Line Clearance, will be retiring at the end of 2011. After 42 years, 35 years with Hooper Corporation, Roy Carter has solidified his place as a leader in the industry as well as in the history of the company. Roy is well known in the industry and highly regarded for his knowledge, commitment, success of his customers, as well as the respect and fair treatment he shows his employees. At Hooper Corporation he has been an integral piece in the leadership of the company for many years. In addition to managing the Line Clearance Department, Roy has served with distinction in his corporate capacities including Chairman of the Hooper Foundation and by being a stable Electric Power RMT, a long time partner of Hooper Corporation in the Renewable Energy Market, has awarded a significant portion of the electrical construction package of the Post Rock Wind Farm to Hooper Corporation. The Post Rock Wind Farm is a 201 MW wind farm located near Ellsworth, Kansas. Hooper Corporation will be responsible for the installation of the underground collection system which consists of more than 70 miles of trench and cable along with related transformers and other apparatus. In addition, Hooper Corporation will construct a 30 mile, 230 kV Transmission Line. Construction on the collector system began in November and the construction of the transmission line is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2012. Watch for Hooper Corporation at the upcoming EEI Transmission, Distribution & Metering Conference in Newport, RI. and sought after resource of wisdom and guidance. His trade experience began early, working summers and after school for the Humphrey Tree Expert Company which was owned and operated by Roy’s mother, Marie Humphrey. Roy attended the University of Wisconsin - Madison and earned a degree in Landscape Architecture. After obtaining his degree, Roy assumed full-time management responsibilities with Humphrey in 1974. In 1976, the Humphrey Tree Expert Company was sold to Hooper Corporation and with Marie’s retirement, Roy became the youngest department head on record for Hooper Corporation. Roy has been a trusted and valued member of the Hooper management team ever since. Roy is a man with many interests, a great wife Sue, three children and an extended family who will keep him busy in his retirement. He will be missed here at Hooper; however, we all wish him nothing but the best in his retirement and look forward to building upon his legacy of success. April 1-6, 2012 7 8 Hooper Corporation | www.hoopercorp.com Community Outreach What’s your favorite way to give this holiday season? Through its Employee Matching Gift Program, the Hooper Foundation matches employee donations to charitable organizations dollarfor-dollar. The Employee Matching Gift Program was created to encourage and help our employees contribute to their communities. A fund is set aside annually to match both Hooper Corporation’s and General Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc.’s employees’ generous charitable contributions. This program is a way for Hooper and General to make a positive impact in each community in which our employees are involved. For example, if an employee in Iowa wishes to donate to their local food pantry, by completing and sending in an Employee Matching Gift form to the Hooper Foundation, the Hooper Foundation will double the employee’s contribution by matching it dollar-fordollar. Funding recipients must be 501(3)(c), or legally tax deductible. United Signal is the newest company in the Hooper Corporation family. United Signal provides a broad range of services to the railroad industry which is in a period of significant growth and investment. The establishment of United Signal has created a great opportunity for many individuals to further their careers in addition to providing others with a great opportunity to start a new one. If you or anyone else that you know is interested in the employment opportunities that United Signal has to offer, please go to their website at www.united-signal.com to find out more information and complete an employment application. H o o p e r Fall/Winter 2011 OnSite C o r p o r a t i o n Electric Power • Mechanical • HVAC Contributors: Fred Davie, President; Steve Lindley, VP of Operations - Electric Power Division; Jake Davie, Project Manager; Kurt Hedstrom, Project Manager | Editor: Alison Hohl, Corporate Communications Specialist For all your emergency storm response needs, look no further than the Hooper Corporation Emergency Storm Response Team. Reach our emergency line 24/7 at 877.630.7554 2030 Pennsylvania Avenue P.O. Box 7455 Madison, WI 53707-7455 608.249.0451 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED OnSite is now available electronically! Please contact [email protected] if you are interested in receiving your OnSite newsletter electronically.
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