Case studies
Over the years, Tower Solutions has helped so many of our international customers overcome several kinds of high-voltage emergencies and power re-routing problems. Have a read through some of our case studies to see the various solutions we have innovated.
Indonesia – 500 kV Tower erection
Situation
500 kV horizontal tension tower on a slope lost its footing and collapsed
Constraints
Rough terrain, hard to reach location
SOLUTION
- Tower Solutions was asked to consult on the design and erection of ERS
- Towers built: 3 single phase dead-end towers, height: 42m.
ITALY – 230 Kv Bypass
Situation
ERS bypass tower required to allow work on existing permanent tower
Constraints
Lack of space– tower was in urban area with very little erection room for an ERS
SOLUTION
Two solutions were suggested:
- Design a tower with a smaller anchor footprint, place tower in the location suggested by Terna
- Move tower location by 5m to allow increased anchor radius
Solution 1 was selected and a tower with an anchor radius of 12.5m was built. This was only possible because of Tower Solutions’ sections having a high bending and buckling capacity, allowing very few anchors to be placed close to the base of the tower.
The final tower was built with a 160 degree line angle which would typically not be possible with conventional ERS – further showing Tower Solutions’ ability to design towers to fit any ‘out-of-the-box’ scenario
Montenegro – 220kV DEAD END TOWER ON A HILL
Situation
ERS to be built on either side of a valley for preventative maintenance in a mountainous region in North Montenegro. Two existing permanent towers (Tower 51 and 52) had to be replaced. Tower 51 was a suspension tower, Tower 52 was a tension tower with a high line angle.
Constraints
- Steep slope
- Solution needed for building delta ERS without exceeding maximum allowable compression load on post insulators
- Reduce overall number of towers for faster installation – the client wanted to replace the delta tower on one side of the valley with 2 towers.
Solution
- Tower Solutions’ tower base can easily be used on a steep slope due to its small footprint – a small section of the slope can be flattened as necessary
- To reduce compression load on the post insulators for a delta tension tower, two brace arms were built to split the line angle
- The above solution along with the tower’s high capacity allowed the client to replace Tower 52 with one single tower thereby reducing overall installation time and cost.
ITALY – 150kV INSTALLATION
Situation
Failure of a 150 kV transmission line, caused by intense snowfall accompanied by winds of more than a 100 miles an hour. This incident occurred in the Nebrodi mountains at an altitude of 1.600 meters.
Constraints
Hard to access location, difficult weather conditions.
SOLUTION
- Transport ERS components and tools via helicopter to restore power quickly.
PGCIL VIZAG – 800 kV HVDC RIVER CROSSING INSTALLATION AT TUNDABHADRA RIVER
Situation
In 2020, PGCIL Vizag used Tower Solutions’ ERS to address a high voltage, 800 kV DC river crossing scenario at the Tungabhadra river.
Constraints
- Very tall towers with long span (~900m) were required to cross the river span.
- Suitable anchors needed to be used for the river bed
Solution
- PGCIL was able to successfully carry out this installation. A crane was used to assist with the installation, and helical anchors were used to anchor the guywires into the ground.
CANADA – TOWER RELOCATION
Situation
A Canadian electrical power utility company in Alberta had a problem along its 240kV, double circuit, 2 bundle 477MCM ACSR/SD Hawk transmission line. Two towers that were situated on opposite sides of a steep coulee were at risk of collapsing because erosion of the sides of the coulee was beginning to encroach upon the foundations of the towers
Constraints
The challenge facing the Utility was how to move these towers without interrupting service. A service interruption would not only be disruptive to subscribers, it would also result in loss of revenue as well as potential penalties.
SOLUTION
- After considered evaluation, the Utility decided to use temporary towers to support the live lines while the tower relocation work was being carried out.
- The live power lines were transferred to these temporary towers, without disrupting service to subscribers. Then the main towers were dismantled and relocated to their new foundations.
ITALY – HIGH ALTITUDE INTERVENTION
Situation
On February 7th, the primary substation of Girifalco (CZ) in the region of Calabria, Italy was shut down due to the collapse of 2 adjacent towers that was caused by heavy snowfall and particularly fierce weather.
Constraints
The high financial costs (to be paid to ENEL) and the necessity to minimize down time meant that power had to be restored as quickly as possible. But the rough weather and difficult ground conditions presented a significant challenge.
Solution
- The utility decided that the best way to tackle the problem was to establish a working power line using temporary towers. A link, about 1.5 km long, was created using 3 temporary towers. This operation required the efforts of about 25 workers, including technical and operational staff.
- The dedicated efforts of the work crew managed to overcome these challenges using their skill, determination and a few useful tools.
ITALY – DESIGN ADAPTATION
Situation
Following adverse weather emergency, a new use of temporary towers by AOT Turin. A request for modification to the 132 kV T 801 Mercallo (VA) line to Cameri (NO), was made by ANAS, the Manager of the Italian Highway and road network. The modification was needed to make sure that the electrical line route was compatible to the new highway route changes that ANAS had planned on the national road n° 32 “Ticinese”.
Constraints
Relocation was not possible due to existing manufacturing facilities that were located nearby. The line also passes through rice fields where work could be undertaken only in winter when the rice fields were not flooded for irrigation.
SOLUTION
- This project was made possible through the versatility and adaptability of temporary towers. These temporary towers made it possible to reconstruct the line with virtually no need for down time.
- This diverse usage of the versatile temporary tower, which is designed for and usually implemented in emergency situations due to adverse weather conditions, proves its capability, enhancing our ability to safely manage our network.
AGENTS AROUND THE GLOBE
Our representatives work with our valued clients around the world, and Tower Solutions is looking to add qualified representatives to expand our presence.
Please contact our head office to be connected to an agent in your area.
1-905-846-8789
If you still need more help on choosing the right ERS system for you, DOWNLOAD OUR COMPLETE GUIDE ON CHOOSING AN ERS, where we break it down step by step, giving you everything you need to know. Fill out the form below to request your copy.