Central Point, Oregon, September 14, 2005-Erickson Air-Crane of Central Point, Oregon has been contracted by regional utility company Entergy Louisiana (www.entergy-louisiana.com) to assist in restoration of several miles of powerline damaged by Hurricane Katrina. The line is one of many that provide energy for nearby oil refineries affected by the hurricane.
An S-64E Aircrane has been dispatched from Pacific Northwest firefighting operations and is scheduled to arrive at the job site near Waterford, Louisiana, southwest of New Orleans on September 17th. Once on site, the S-64 will be employed to remove the existing damaged towers followed by placement of caisson foundations and steel poles on a stretch of wetland area that prohibits access to conventional ground-based equipment.
The S-64E Aircrane comes to the job with anti rotation rigging and a 20,000 pound capacity winch for precision placement of electrical transmission towers, air handling units on skyscrapers, and any other outsized load that requires inch-tolerance placement. Since 1971, Erickson Air-Crane has built power line towers over 8,000 miles of the U.S. and Canada. Erickson has, on several occasions, assisted in hurricane restoration projects such as lifting boats, rebuilding power lines, and removing debris.
Helicopter used for pole installations in sensitive wetland
DELAWARE CITY, DE. - In an effort to protect environmentally-sensitive wetlands, Conectiv Power Delivery is using a sky crane helicopter to install more than 300 electric poles needed to complete the power company's new 90-mile line that will serve up to 300,000 customers in Delaware.
The new line stretches from the Delaware City area in New Castle County to the Millsboro area in Sussex County. It spans approximately 336 acres of wetlands, which is about 20 percent of the new line's total land area.
"A major consideration for choosing the helicopter method to install wetland poles was minimizing the environmental impact," said Lee Frankel, vice president of Conectiv Power Delivery's New Castle Region Office. "It's a perfect example of the company's efforts to invest in reliability, while protecting the environment."
The entire project calls for nearly 1,500 newly-installed electric poles. In the environmentally-sensitive areas, Conectiv Power Delivery will install a total of 304 poles using non-traditional methods. For instance, to minimize impact on wetland vegetation and indigenous habitat, a hollow, steel caisson will be flown to each wetland site and vibrated into the ground, causing minimal soil disturbance. Each caisson will serve as the pole's foundation. After the caisson is installed, the helicopter will fly the pole to the site and slip the pole inside the caisson. Construction crews on the ground will then tighten bolts to temporarily secure the pole in the caisson before it is grouted in place.
Under conventional methods, large, heavy mats would have been placed across the wetlands so construction vehicles could transport equipment and poles to each site. The poles would have been dug into the ground, causing major soil disturbance. When the work was done, construction crews would have attempted to mitigate any damage caused to the wetlands.
"Conectiv had two options for installing those poles. And, proudly, the company chose the path of least impact," Frankel said.
The north-south transmission line is being built along a Conectiv Power Delivery right-of-way and adjacent to existing transmission lines. The project is estimated to cost between $55 -$60 million, costs that are expected to be reflected in rates over time. The new line will bolster reliability in fast-growing areas along the Delmarva Peninsula and is designed to transport enough electricity to serve about 300,000 customers. The bulk of construction will occur this year, and the line will be completed by May 2006.
In addition to minimizing wetland soil disturbance, Conectiv also designed the new line with the safety of large birds of prey in mind, ensuring a 10-foot clearance between conductors to accommodate wide wingspans.
"We know of three eagle nests in the vicinity of our line, so we took that into consideration when designing the new line to minimize any chance for their - or any other birds - electrocution," Frankel said.
The helicopter company installing the project's first phase of wetland poles - 137 poles - is Erickson Air-Crane of Central Point, Oregon. Erickson has been using its S-64 Aircrane helicopter with a patented anti-rotation device since 1971 to build more than 7,000 miles of power lines across the United States and areas within Canada, Alaska, Peru, and Korea.
Conectiv Power Delivery, a subsidiary of Pepco Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: POM), provides safe, reliable and affordable regulated electric or natural gas delivery services to more than one million customers in New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia.
Erickson Air-Crane manufactures, operates, and supports the Skycrane under the name of the Erickson S-64 "Aircrane" helicopter with the largest fleet in the world. The S-64E has a lift capacity of 20,000 lbs. (10 tons) at sea level and the S-64F, which was first manufactured by Erickson in 1993, has a lift capacity of 25,000 lbs. (12.5 tons) at sea level.
Gulf Power saw the need to upgrade their transmission towers along the "Crist-Holley" line near Pensacola and improve the reliability of service for their customers in Northwest Florida. The renovation would include removal of the existing transmission tower structures and replacement with newer and stronger towers.
Environmental concerns prohibited large land-based construction equipment from entering the sensitive wetlands surrounding the powerline, so finding an aerial tower erection method was a high priority. Gulf Power contacted Erickson Air-Crane of Central Point, Oregon for the use of an Erickson S-64F Aircrane to accomplish the removal of fifteen and installation of nineteen structures. Erickson Air-Crane has been using the S-64 Aircrane helicopter with a patented anti-rotation device since 1971 building over 7,000 miles of powerline across the United States and areas within Canada, Alaska, Peru, and Korea.
Irby Construction Company of Jackson, Mississippi, was hired by Gulf Power as the primary line construction contractor. Irby personnel have a twenty year history of successful powerline work with Erickson Air-Crane. "We (Erickson) have always had a high degree of success when working on powerline jobs with Irby Construction." said Dave Horton, Operations Manager for Erickson Air-Crane. "Their extensive experience in line construction and savvy, team-oriented approach provides for the highest level of safety and a great amount of pride after every job we accomplish with them."
The first phase would take place at a section of the line running into the Northern boundry of Eglin Air Force Base called the "Yellow River" site. This section of the Crist-Holley line would see the placement of three new steel pole "H-frame" structures supported by tubular caissons driven into the ground to provide firm support in the soft marshland. Irby brought in a vibro hammer and vegetable oil hydraulic powerpack device complete with extendible leveling gantry arms for precision caisson driving work. The hammer and powerpack gantry are designed and built by American Piledriving Equipment Company of Kent, Washington. "The greatest advantage of the powerpack gantry is the amount of leveling control the crew has while driving the caisson." Says Jim Anderson, Construction sales and Marketing for Erickson Air-Crane. "The caisson is held in plumb and can be measured and adjusted by the gantry at any point while it is being driven." The S-64 Aircrane, piloted by Max Evans and Dave Cox, started the work by flying the "crane mats" out to the site to serve as temporary platforms for the hammer and powerpack gantry. Next came the powerpack gantry which was placed with the gantry arms precisely within the target area for driving the caisson. The vibro hammer followed and the S-64 Aircrane placed it on a crane mat to await the caisson. The Caisson was brought in and secured to the gantry arms. The Aircrane then brought the Hammer to clamp onto the caisson and flew back to the staging area to fly crane mats to the next location. After the caisson was driven far enough, the binders were released, the gantry arms retracted, and the caisson was driven the rest of the way to the proper depth. After the caisson was driven and plumb, the Aircrane lifted the powerpack gantry to a new position next to the driven caisson and flew a new caisson into the gantry arms and placed the hammer. After the second caisson foundation had been driven and leveled, half of the crew moved on to the next site and the Aircrane transported the powerpack gantry, crane mats, and vibro hammer to begin the process again. When the six caisson foundations were driven and leveled to support the three steel pole H-frame towers, the Aircrane helicopter brought each H-frame tower as a completed unit and placed it within the caisson sockets. Erickson Air-Crane assists in the design and production of all guide systems for helicopter construction work. Crews worked vigorously to tighten the leveling bolts around each base and secure the tower. "After seeing the ease in which these towers were installed, anyone has got to be a firm believer in the precision of the APE powerpack gantry device. There is no guesswork involved. The towers slipped right in." said Dave Horton after all three H-frame structures had been placed at the Yellow River site.
The next and final phase of the 230 kv transmission line rebuild project took place along a section of the Crist-Holley Line that originated from the Gulf Power Crist Plant north of Pensacola. Fifteen structures were scheduled for upgrade from a single circuit to double circuit tower. Work started with the Aircrane helicopter removing the fifteen existing structures with a claw hook grabbing to cable rigging attached to each tower. The replacement towers were a new design incorporating the strength of a steel pole design with the capability of double-circuit line transmission. The line was designed by Mesa Associates and the towers were designed and built by Thomas and Betts. Both companies are based in Memphis, Tennessee. Each structure was designed to be built in three sections with the exception of two larger 4-section river crossing towers. The Aircrane placed the 18,500-pound bases of every structure along the line first and tower crews were at each placement to complete the bolt-down. Specially designed guides were bolted onto the base sections to facilitate a quick and easy fit of each middle section. Dave Horton commented on the guide design; "Erickson got involved early in the design process and designed vangs to be manufactured with the middle (tower) sections that would allow the guides to be bolted securely. The result is a stronger, more reliable guide system." The 19,500-pound middle sections were placed next with a minimum of time and effort. The Erickson S-64 Aircrane helicopter is the only helicopter in the world with a fully functional aft pilot station. This aft seat station has a full set of flight controls that allow the pilot to have full positive control of the aircraft during precision construction operations. While the aft pilot takes control of the aircraft during the delicate placement, the front seat pilot keeps the helicopter oriented properly and monitors all of the gauges. To facilitate placement of the third steel pole section, Thomas and Betts manufactured a pyramid guide at the top of every middle section. The pyramid guide proved very useful as the Aircrane placed the final third stage steel poles on each structure in an average of 4 minutes.
The helicopter construction phase of the Crist-Holley transmission line rebuild project involving Erickson Air-Crane lasted five days from October 17th to October 21st.
Erickson Air-Crane manufactures, operates, and supports the Skycrane under the name of the Erickson
S-64 "Aircrane" helicopter with the largest fleet in the world. The S-64E has a lift capacity of 20,000 lbs (10 tons) at sea level and the S-64F, which was first manufactured by Erickson in 1993, has a lift capacity of 25,000 lbs (12.5 tons) at sea level.
The date was June 8, 2000. At the intersection of country roads 67 and 28, near Robstown, Texas, the first guyed section of a 981-foot broadcast tower had been erected by H.C. Jeffries Tower company of Porter, Texas.
The ten-foot-face, solid rod tower is designed to be supported by guy wires at 150-foot intervals. A large candelabra / pedestal array would sit on top of the stem and support multiple DTV, NTSC, FM, and two-way antennae as well as Microwave transmission equipment.
Paul J. Ford Company completed the design and engineering of the tower under guidance by H.C. Jeffries.
Mobil Steel Corporation fabricated and packaged all of the steel tower sections at their 55,000 square foot facility located in Porter, Texas near the H.C. Jeffries headquarters. It is there that all raw materials are brought in, assembled and packaged for self-support, angle, or rod tower structures. The facility has the capability to produce one 600-foot-plus tower per month.
Steve Bales Construction built the equipment house at the base of the tower as well as all of the cement foundations for the tower base and guy anchors. It is through a close association with these professionals in the field that H.C. Jeffries maintains complete control of scheduling since all of the associated companies are working as a team.
Matthew A Sanderford, Jr., P.E., coordinated the installation of the television transmitter service for the first tenant, KZTV Channel 10. In addition, his company, Marsand, Inc. of Alvarado, Texas, designed and installed the systems for electrical service, surge protection, and emergency power switching for all tenants at the site. With 20 years of experience in television transmitter operations and manufacturing, Marsand, Inc. provides technical support, consulting services, design and construction of studio and transmitter sites across the United States and Hawaii.
H J Tower Management, Inc. coordinated the securing of the site, construction services, and initial tenant negotiations. Information concerning this tower and other projects managed by H J Tower Management, Inc. is available by calling toll-free 1-877-97TOWER
The helicopter arrived on June 11 th after preliminary groundwork had been completed. The Aircrane selected for this job was the Erickson S-64F model Aircrane with two Pratt and Whitney turboshaft engines generating 9,600 horsepower. The engines power six fully articulated main rotors that provide a lift capacity of 25,000 pounds at sea level.
The tower stem sections and candelabra pieces were prepared with the necessary guide systems and rigging for placement on the tower . The stem sections were fitted with an angle guide and locking flange pin assembly developed by Erickson and Jeffries Operations Staff to align and secure the flanges for bolt-down once the stem section is placed with the helicopter.
Erickson Air-Crane manufactures the Erickson S-64 Aircrane helicopter from the original template designed in 1962. Helicopter pioneer and aviator, Igor Sikorsky visualized and designed the S-64 as a flying crane capable of the same precision and lift capacity as a large land crane but with a boom that could reach up to 14,000 feet over land and water.
The S-64 Aircrane features a fully operational pilot station located in the aft section of the cabin. A plexi-glass bubble surrounds the aft-seat pilot as they control the pitch, yaw, and elevation of the helicopter. The aft pilot station allows for a high degree of precision in placing almost any object weighing up to 25,000 pounds.
A majority of the lifts were comprised of sections of the tower stem that would reach over 900-feet into the air. The crew on the tower positioned themselves at the junction of every section to secure and bolt-down each of the flanges as the helicopter placed them. Crewmembers that work on H.C. Jeffries tower projects are handpicked and highly trained in high-altitude steelwork. They perform in nearly every capacity from parts runner to welder to mechanic before they see any time up in the tower. The result is a tight-knit group of specialists that create a fully self-sufficient tower team to complete any job safely and quickly.
After five stem sections are placed, the tower is secured with three guy wires. Attachment of the guy wires on to the sections was accomplished quickly since they were prepared on the ground and laid out at the appropriate lengths. The S-64 Aircrane and the experienced crew made short work of the pinning process. After the 3 guy wires were attached, the ground crew worked until dark using brute strength and a Caterpillar 3-drum cable pulling machine to bring the guy wires to the exact tension specified in the design. The guy wires at each section carry a different load depending on where they are on the tower. Top and bottom area guy wires have the least load and are tensioned at around 21,000 pounds. Around the middle of the tower, where high winds can cause serious bending, guy wires are tensioned around 31,000 pounds.
The candelabra pedestal array is composed of three tower-mounted leg supports that brace the three lattice-box antenna mooring structures. The boxcar-sized structures will provide easy access to mooring points for almost all broadcast antenna and microwave fixtures.Erickson Air-Crane Operations Staff assist in the creation of the appropriate guide system during the design process. This involves close communication with the structural engineers and designers to arrive at the fastest and safest way to fit the sections together with the helicopter. The arms were placed and adjusted by the tower crew to the exact tolerances that would allow for placement of the boxes.
Once the arms were spaced correctly, the boxes were placed and secured with a minimum of time and effort.
H.C. Jeffries tower crews are no strangers to helicopter construction. With helicopter tower construction experience in Shreveport, Louisiana and El Paso, Texas under their belt, they knew the rules for safe and efficient operation. During the job, they were constantly aware of each other and the load being carried by the helicopter. Together, they worked like a clockwork mechanism to bolt down and secure each box.
Guy wires were attached to the boxes within an hour and the last guyed section was ready to be brought to the proper tension. Local CBS affiliate station KZTV of Corpus Christi contracted for the placement and operation of a Trasar analog / digital broadcast antenna built by Andrew Corporation of Illinois. The 73-foot antenna is the first to be placed on the tower after construction. The 5-foot diameter antenna base plate was the first piece to be set on the western arm of the pedestal array on the tower. A series of guides and locking devices were welded onto the two-inch thick plate. The guides were built to direct the antenna into the exact orientation during placement as spring-loaded flange locks secure the antenna during bolt-up. The 73-foot long Trasar antenna was specially rigged to minimize swaying action during the lift. The base was shrouded with a one-inch thick steel cone to protect the sensitive interior as the antenna was guided onto the plate. A land crane suspended the base to prevent it from scraping on the ground as the helicopter picked the antenna up and away towards the tower. The patented anti-rotation device on the Aircrane assured that the antenna did not spin out of control during transport. The S-64 Aircrane helicopter set the antenna exactly at the correct orientation on the base plate. The locks on the guides clamped down tight on the flange and the tower crew accomplished a secure bolt-down of the antenna in six minutes.Once the job was completed, the Aircrane sat down and the entire crew celebrated a safe, successful, and record-breaking tower construction operation.
The S-64 Aircrane helicopter combined with a crew of hands-on professionals surmounted the problematic high winds of Corpus Christi to construct a 981-foot broadcast tower in 11 days.