The Client:
National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED)
Their Needs:
Groundline was engaged by NGED to design a new uprated electricity feed into an industrial unit at Colehill, Birmingham. The preferred connection point was at tower PE007. However, due to its close proximity to existing industrial units and the conductor spanning over an electrified railway, tower replacement was not feasible. Therefore, modifications were the only option.
What We Did:
Tower PE007 Modifications: Tower PE007, a PL16 D60 type tower, had a 50ft extension to mitigate the railway crossing and was deviated beyond its standard design parameters. A traditional ground-positioned sealing end platform was not an option due to the extreme height of the platform connection. Groundline designed and detailed a fully bespoke cable ladder to combat this challenge.
Surge Protection: In addition to adding a sealing end platform to the tower, provision was made for surge protection. As the standard PL16 platform does not cater for surge arrestors, a fully redesigned and detailed platform was required.
Construction Issues: During construction, the appointed contractor installed the platform base upside-down, causing the cable ladder and support struts to not land correctly. The platform was temporarily supported by a scaffold. Groundline assisted with detailing replacement members and new drilling patterns for the landing steelwork to remedy the error.
The Results:
Despite the complexity of this challenging arrangement and having to 'reinvent the wheel,' Groundline delivered a fully compliant connection to the customer. This project demonstrated the expertise and resilience of Groundline's engineers and CAD team.
