Electricity + Control December 2018

TRANSFORMERS + SUBSTATIONS

The current state of the industry has challenged the time- honoured system of scheduled, or time-based, maintenance.

and drainage areas for a more effective contain- ment and drainage system to minimise fire risk.

to reach the tender phase within three months of the project’s start date. Bentley applications enhanced Aurecon’s col- laboration and information mobility, enabling them to reduce overall project costs and use the Bentley 3D model throughout the construction phase of this project. Project summary The ZAR 50 million project required Aurecon to im- prove the capacity of the municipality’s substation and increase the reliability of sustainable electricity supply to customers. The close proximity of the oil- filled equipment and firewalls in relation to high-volt- age equipment and overhead power lines posed a high fire risk in the event of an oil spill, and elec- trical clearance issues. To optimise equipment ar- rangement and meet electrical clearance standards, Aurecon needed accurate 3D modelling tools that allowed the team to virtually adjust the substation layout, easily and efficiently. Solution Aurecon implemented an integrated design ap- proach using Bentley Substation to produce accu- rate 3D images detailing direct distances from the substation structures to the overhead lines. The 3D model provided a realistic visualisation allowing Au- recon to adjust the layout to compensate for incor- rect electrical clearances, and design the oil spillage

Outcome Using Bentley Substation, ProjectWise WorkSite, and Navigator Mobile, Aurecon reduced substation design time by 50% compared to traditional 2D de- sign, while producing more accurate component lists, enabling the team to reach the tender phase within three months of the project start date. The reuse of existing foundations and steel supports combined with Bentley Substation’s ability to model equipment on existing foundations minimised on- site rework and demolition of steelwork and foun- dations, and reduced overall project costs. Software The unique modelling capability to change points of view in Bentley Substation enabled Aurecon to move equipment to different positions, experiment with different supports, and analyse numerous design scenarios within a short time, minimising risk and optimising ROI. Importing the 3D CAD-de- signed platform and drainage system into Bent- ley’s collaborative modelling environment allowed Aurecon to produce a comprehensive model. The complete design was exported into an i-model to be used on-site in Navigator Mobile to confirm constructability and accuracy of design measure- ments, and track construction progress.

Barry Grib is the managing director at DHG Engineers.

Electricity + Control

DECEMBER 2018

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