Utility

138kv Substation Modification To Accommodate New Generation Tie Line

Substation Engineering

Overview

• Location: Indiana
• Client: Midwest investor-owned utility
• Timeline: 12 Months

Scope

• Design expansion of existing substation yard to the west
• Design expansion of existing 138kv ring bus to the west. add new 138kv breaker position
• Design new 138kv h-frame structure to accommodate the new incoming 138kv line
• Design transmission line interconnection from first pole outside of the substation to the new h-frame
• Perform grounding study and design grounding improvements for the substation
• Design new control building to house new relay and metering panels
• Design fiber interconnection with existing communications system

138kV Substation Expansion

Substation Engineering

Scope of Work:

• Completed design to interconnect new 25MW battery & 100MW solar facility to existing substation
• Expanded existing 138kV ring bus and add one new 138kV breaker position
• Required temporary configuration of existing 138kV line to facilitate construction
• Engineered two new monopoles and one H-frame to reconnect transmission line to expanded station
• New control building with new fiber connection to support protection and controls, and telecommunications

Deliverables:

• Detail design and construction package
  • Drawings – demolition, protection and control, physical, civil, transmission line with load trees
  • Studies – ground grid, foundations, substation structures, transmission line structures
  • Review vendor drawings for equipment, engineered structures, and calculations
• Construction support
• Incorporate as-built drawings post-construction

Project Highlights:

• Orbital Engineering navigated precise construction sequencing including temporary configurations to enable site build out while limiting downtime. Design included the relocation of existing transmission line to successfully expand the substation for the new solar and battery facility interconnection.

345k Double Breaker Interconnect Substation

Construction Management

Scope of Work:

• Managed project construction through all phases of the greenfield build including civil work, below grade (ground grid, foundations, cable trench), and above grade (H-frame and steel erection, equipment setting, bus install, inside wiring, and incoming line stringing) 
• Provided safety, environmental, and quality oversight

Deliverables:

• On-site safety audits
• Daily progress reports
• Schedule tracking and input
• Requests for Information
• Non-conformance reports
• Facilitation of material deliveries/returns
• Third-party contractor coordination
• Commissioning support

Project Highlights:

• The two-year project was delivered on budget and on schedule with strong stakeholder engagement throughout its lifecycle. With no safety incidents and multiple contractors involved across major construction phases, Orbital successfully navigated complex coordination and handoff challenges by applying deep technical expertise and maintaining strict alignment with owner processes and procedures.

Management Programs

Construction Management

Roles and Responsibilities

• Enforce stop work authority
• Hold construction crews accountable for compliance with owner safety processes
• Oversee execution of daily job safety briefings
• Ensure adherence to all site-specific safety and environmental plans
• Investigate and report on incidents
• Ensure required permits are maintained
• Support pre-construction planning, review drawings and bill of materials to avoid delays
• Oversee schedule performance and contribute to the development of schedule recovery plans
• Monitor construction quality by verifying compliance with drawings and specifications and preparing non-conformance reports
• Facilitate the request for information process
• Coordinate material and equipment deliveries
• Manage material inventory
• Support subcontractor assignments
• Maintain organized project records such as redlines, photos, and equipment data for final turnover at project closeout

Program Highlights

• Orbital supports investor-owned utilities throughout the country with dedicated teams of construction managers and quality management professionals. With nearly 100 boots-on-the-ground resources, Orbital’s construction management teams play a critical role in the safe and successful execution of more than $750MM in construction work annually. Through robust onboarding and continuous education programs, Orbital’s teams have the capability to support a variety of projects including new build substations, substation equipment upgrades, new build overhead transmission and distribution lines, grid modernization, underground cable replacement, overhead and underground fiber builds, and communications structure erection.

Inlet/Outlet Valve Evaluation

Natural Gas

Scope of Work

• Performed GIS and records-based analysis of 1,617 gas regulating stations
• Evaluated compliance with inlet/outlet critical valve design standards
• Validated valve data from GIS and Maximo using spatial analysis and attribution logic
• Assigned station risk ratings based on valve presence, type, and quantity
• Developed formal reclassification, design, and investigation workflows for 1,100+ non-compliant stations
• Recommended future valve placement or conversion to critical designation using industry standards

Deliverables

• Executive summary and class 5 capital planning estimate
• G.A.C.-coded dataset with risk priority assignments 
• Planning template outlining time estimates by station priority level
• Engineering design trigger list for non-compliant or undocumented stations
• Reclassification workflow diagram and phase 3 execution guidance
• GIS shapefiles for pipelines, stations, valves, and analysis overlays
• Maximo/GIS data cleanup recommendations and asset tracking integration

Project Highlights

• The team analyzed 1,617 stations across the service territory, finding that approximately 32% were compliant, 44% required formal design, and 24% were convertible through reclassification. They introduced a desktop validation and G.A.C. priority framework to streamline program actions, supported program execution with valve planning templates and phase 3 task sequencing, and applied the client’s gas standard for valve design criteria to maintain emergency access compliance.

Odorant Replacement Project

Natural Gas

Scope of Work

• Replaced aged odorant injection system, storage tank, containment, and building at gate station
• Decommissioned and remove existing and abandoned odorant systems and associated infrastructure
• Developed and install new odorant system including shelter, piping, controls, foundations, and electrical
• Coordinated full engineering lifecycle: design, demolition, procurement support, construction oversight, and commissioning
• Executed project within defined shut-in window to maintain system reliability and operational continuity

Deliverables

• Redlined piping and instrumentation diagrams, 3D model, isometric piping drawings, construction bill of material, and valve tie-in lists
• Civil, mechanical, structural, and electrical drawings
• Demolition drawing packages with mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation and controls scopes
• Procurement packages for tank, building, odorant system, and temporary odorization
• On-site construction support, contractor coordination, and commissioning oversight
• Final documentation including updated drawings, redlines, and closeout package

Project Highlights

• The project executed a full odorant system replacement within a limited five-month shut-in window, managing the demolition of two systems in parallel with the new installation to maintain site layout. The team proactively coordinated a temporary odorization option in case of commissioning delays, provided continuous oversight from initial design through construction and as-built documentation, and supported the development of long-term record drawings and standardized site files for future reuse.

Federal Funded Maintenance Program Management

Natural Gas

Scope of Work

• Lead multi-year remediation program targeting pipeline crossings, attachments, station coatings, and vehicular protection
• Developed and manage program execution for both distribution and transmission assets
• Coordinated engineering design, field documentation, and construction oversight
• Implemented phased strategy to address incomplete records, stakeholder coordination, and environmental constraints
• Updated scope to reflect evolving regulatory standards and risk assessments

Deliverables

• Engineering design packages for crossings, coatings, and protection devices
• Document control system for tracking as-builts, construction status, and compliance
• Quality assurance and quality control oversight during construction with daily/weekly field documentation
• Program tracking tools for budget, schedule, and asset-level progress
• Stakeholder communication framework to support utility, municipal, and contractor coordination
• Lessons learned and continuous improvement reports

Project Highlights

• The project successfully remediated all 23 targeted sites, and in 2024 the program expanded to include additional station coating and vehicular protection scope. The initiative supports the long-term goal of remediating over 800 assets by 2026, with an adaptable framework that accommodates evolving scope and shifting regulatory focus, providing full lifecycle support from design through construction, quality assurance, quality control, and final documentation.

10,000 FT Medium Pressure Steel Main Replacement

Natural Gas Utilities

Scope of Work

• Completed design to replace 10,000 feet of medium-pressure steel main with polyethylene (PE) piping in an urban like corridor
• Coordination with both county and municipal jurisdictions for permitting and right-of-way
• Compliance-driven design schedule to support regulatory deadlines

Deliverables

• Detailed engineering and construction drawing package 
• Documentation – bill of materials, trenchless forms, pressure test forms, service orders, corrosion analysis, constructability review, environmental compliance plan
• Construction support – request for information responses, design updates, tie-in plan procedures and drawings, and permitting clarifications

Project Highlights

• The project encompassed a large scope within a dense, urban-like environment, requiring multi-jurisdictional permitting across city and county agencies. A tight compliance timeline necessitated expedited design and coordination.

138kV Generation Line Interconnection

Transmission Line Engineering

Overview

• Location: Indiana
• Client: Midwest investor-owned utility
• Timeline: 12 months

Scope

• Designed 138kV generation tie line to connect into existing substation in PLS-CADD.
• Designed a temporary configuration for the 138kV feeder line to maintain power while substation expansion occurred.
• The final configuration comprised of three engineered monopoles and one engineered H-Frame on foundations.
• Plan and Profile Drawings, Framing Drawings, Load Tree Drawings, Foundation Design Drawings, Stringing Charts, Staking Tables, Worklists, and Material Lists

New 69kv-12.5kv Substation

Substation Engineering

Overview

• Location: Indiana
• Client: Midwest Investor-Owned Utility
• Timeline: Approximately 9 months

Scope

• Design civil and drainage plan for new substation
• Design new 69kv-12.5kv substation including the following major pieces of equipment:
• (2) 69kv incoming line load break disconnect switches
• (2) 69kv bus tie disconnect switches
• (2) 69kv circuit switchers for primary transformer protection
• (2) 69kv-12.5kv, 28mva transformers
• (1) 12.5kv switchgear building with (5) 12.5kv feeder circuits
• Design 12.5kv feeder cable/conduit runs to 1st pole outside of the substation
• Perform grounding study and design ground grid
• Prepare storm water pollution prevention plan (SWPPP) for project

Overdue Pole Audit

Electric Distribution Engineering

Scope of Work

• 1549 poles were identified failing inspection but had no record of being replaced between 2015-2020
• Field audit identified poles and document findings
• Created design packets for poles that have not been replaced

Deliverables

• Report of findings from audit including, photos and checklist noting branding, inspection tags, double wood, reinforcements, and additional items
• Produce a detailed design and construction package (cost estimate, design sheets, design maps, bill of materials, circuit diagram, and material reservation)

Project Highlights

• Orbital spatially enabled a prioritized list of utility poles to assess potential replacements. A custom inspection schema was deployed in a field data collection app. All collected information was synced to a centralized GIS dashboard and database, enabling automated generation of photo reports for poles flagged for replacement, streamlining the creation of bid packages for construction teams.

Buried Regulator Program Evaluation

Natural Gas

Scope of Work

• Evaluated 3,300 buried gas regulators across a regional network
• Developed cost-efficient remediation strategies based on risk and infrastructure proximity
• Assessed replacement options, including mainline extensions and above-grade designs
• Benchmarked project costs using historical construction data
• Built geospatial tools to identify regional clusters and prioritize replacements
• Created installation guidelines using a data-driven breakeven distance threshold

Deliverables

• Engineering assessment report including:
  • Cost comparisons for above-grade vs. below-grade remediation methods
  • Risk evaluation and compliance considerations
  • Capital project analysis of 27 replacement efforts
• GIS-based proximity analysis and cluster modeling to guide future planning
• Prioritization tool using spreadsheet, dashboard, and geospatial integration
• Replacement decision-making framework incorporating breakeven cost thresholds
• Tracking enhancements to align asset records across engineering and mapping systems

Project Highlights

• The project produced a utility-wide remediation model for buried gas regulators, defining per-regulator cost drivers and a breakeven point for choosing between regulator replacement and main extensions. Orbital analyzed multiple design alternatives to standardize future installations and enable strategic, program-wide planning through GIS, engineering analytics, and stakeholder input.

161kV Transmission Line Rebuild

Transmission Line Engineering

Overview

• Location: Indiana
• Client: Midwest cooperative
• Timeline: 12 months

Scope

• Designed the rebuild of a 3-mile 69kV transmission line in PLS-CADD. The new line was designed to 161kV framing for future configurations
• Rerouted alignment in two locations to avoid river meandering and a house encroachment
• Project had three junctions with one-way and three-way switches
• Permitting, construction, and As-built support
• Plan and profile drawings, framing drawings, phasing drawings, stringing charts, staking tables, worklists, and material lists

345kV Ring Bus Substation

Substation Engineering

Scope of Work

• Completed design for greenfield 345kV substation with six-position ring bus configuration
• Controlled building layout including wall elevations, vendor coordination, and drawing review

Deliverables

• Fully engineered design and construction package including civil structural, physical, and protection and control
• Transmission line loading
• Studies – ground grid, lighting, and lightning
• Review vendor drawings for equipment
• Construction support
• Incorporate as-built drawings post-construction

Project Highlights

• Orbital Engineering completed the full greenfield design, coordinating with client engineers for foundation placement and sizing, communication interfaces, and security, and guided equipment vendors to ensure all equipment integrated into the design for proper performance and compliance with governing codes and standards.