5,000 ft. - 34 Kv. - Two Weeks

Speed to market is important to our customers and their end users. Electric Conduit Construction (ECC) was called on to extend a 35 Kv. distribution line 5,000’ to a new manufacturing plant that needed power. The engineering had been completed, but not all right-of-way permits were secured. The manufacturing plant construction was ahead of schedule and the wanted power. We were given two weeks to extend this power line and install eleven splice boxes along the line of lay.

The line of lay followed a road into an industrial park, passed under intersections and made a turn before terminating at the plant.

With a two-week deadline we had to make 500 ft. each day and install all splice boxes to keep the project on schedule. 90% of the line of lay lent itself to horizontal directional drilling (HDD). There were eleven short sections, leading to the splice boxes that were installed by the opencut method. The scope included placement of two six-inch conduits. One was for the 34 kv. conductor and the other a spare for future use.

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The Electric Conduit Construction project manager and superintendent decided to use two HDD crews, a splice box crew, and a pot-hole crew. The pot-hole crew deployed first and followed the locate marks for the first two drills. Locates identify foreign utilities, and it is ECC’s policy to expose the utility and excavate deep enough to allow observation of the drill and reamer as they pass beneath the utility. Potholing was done utilizing core boring equipment to open hard surfaces and then hydro excavation to remove soil and expose utilities. Once all utilities on a bore segment were identified drilling could begin, and the pothole crews could move to the next segment.

To speed the process each HDD crew drilled approximately 450’ shots towards each other. When the drill emerged from the exit pit a 16” reamer was attached, along with the two six-inch conduit and the reaming/pullback operation began. 10 shots were made with the final ending at the midpoint splice box.

Splice boxes were set by a crew utilizing an excavator for trenching, and excavation of the area for the box. Open cut sections from the splice box created a path to connect rigid conduit to the HDPE conduit, pulled in by the drill rig. The hard pipe was then routed into the splice box and grouted.

When the drill and splice box work was completed, the cable was pulled into each splice box, terminations were made, and the customer’s power was turned on.

ECC returned to the site and restored all parkways, sidewalks, pavement, curbs, and concrete.

Working with our utility customer we coordinated multiple crews to perform the work in such a way that one task facilitated the next. By keeping the HDD crews focused on drilling and pulling back conduit we met our customer’s deadline and helped them to meet the end user’s deadline.

Electric Conduit Construction will help you meet your underground or overhead construction schedules. We specialize in electrical, tele-communications, and fiber optic placement by underground or overhead techniques. Please click on “Project Request” to submit your information and one of our project managers will call you.

Or for general information call Carl Oko at 630-360-7903.