Utility

Programmatic Construction Oversight

Construction Management

Overview

• Location: Indiana
• Client: Midwest investor-owned utility
• Timeline: Annual program

Scope

• Safety and Environmental:
  • Enact Stop Work Authority and hold all site personnel accountable for Owner’s System Safety Process.
  • Participate in the development of and enforce daily site JSA’s (Job Safety Analysis).
  • Report on safety and environmental incidents via the Owner standard process.
  • Ensure adherence to site specific safety plans and environmental compliance plans.
  • Track permitting to be sure appropriate permits are in place and time frames are observed.
• Planning and Schedule Monitoring:
  • Support pre-construction efforts to ensure projects are completed safely, efficiently, and economically.
  • Review drawings and BOM’s prior to start of construction to avoid delays associated with material / personnel.
  • Report on status of scheduled activities (behind, ahead, percent complete, anticipated complete date, etc.)
  • Participate in development of schedule recovery plans when necessary.
• Quality Assurance:
  • Ensure that projects are constructed according to engineering drawings and applicable specifications.
  • Develop and submit RFI’s and NCR’s (Non-Conformance Reports).
  • Vendor, Sub-Contractor and Supplier Interface.
  • Coordinate deliveries and returns of construction material and equipment.
  • Keep inventory of materials and identify field material needs in an effort to avoid project delays.
  • Support coordination of subcontractor assignments.
• Record Keeping:
  • Ensure all redlines, photos, and equipment data (model, serial numbers, etc.) are organized for turnover at project completion.

Orbital’s Construction Management Teams have managed projects of all types, such as:

• New build substations (Hinshaw Interconnect Substation)
• New build overhead transmission and distribution
• Switchgear and transformer replacement
• Pole, structure, and overhead conductor replacement (Trans. Monopole Exchange)
• Underground cable replacement
• New fiber installations and fiber replacement
• Communications tower erection

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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.

 

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12kV Switchgear Replacement

Substation Engineering

Scope of Work

• Completed design to replace end-of-life 12kV switchgear
• Expanded existing yard to accommodate new switchgear and mobile substation installation
• Sited grading and stormwater controls
• Upgraded transformer protection 
• 12kV underground circuit getaways

Deliverables

• Detail design and construction package
  • Drawings – demolition, protection and control, physical, civil
  • Studies – ground grid, foundations, substation structures
  • Review switchgear vendor drawings
• Stormwater pollution prevention plan
• Construction support
• Incorporate as-built drawings post-construction

Project Highlights

• While engineering the site modifications, Orbital engineering successfully corrected existing drainage issues at the site while providing the necessary footprint for the switchgear replacement.

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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.

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New Client Connections

Electric Distribution Engineering

Scope of Work

• Construction design of a new overbuilt double 15kV circuit
• Designed new overhead extension dedicated for new customer while maintaining operation of underground services for surrounding industrial customers
• Completed demolition of existing underground facility services and distribution equipment
• Coordinated design with customer equipment, construction and in-service dates

Deliverables

• Site visits to scope and assess constructability of underground service
• Produce a detailed design and construction package (cost estimate, design sheets, design maps, bill of materials, circuit diagram, and material reservation using client work management application)
• Coordinate easement and permit research and secure permits with local & state jurisdiction
• Create and distribute construction packets to appropriate line shops
• Provide design support during construction

Project Highlights

• Successfully achieved customer cost commitments on a expedited schedule and provided critical support to our utility partner when internal design resources were unavailable to meet the project scope and schedule.

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34kV Breaker Replacement Program

Substation Engineering

Scope of Work

• Replace four 34kV circuit breakers
• Adaptation to re-use existing foundation
• Replace seven disconnect switches
• New cable trench
• Upgrade bus differential relaying and transformer relaying

Deliverables

• Detail design and construction package
  • Drawings – demolition, protection and control, physical, civil and structural
  • Review vendor drawings for breakers, disconnect switches, and cable trench
  • Material procurement support
• Construction support
• Incorporate as-built drawings post-construction

Project Highlights

• Orbital Engineering provided full engineering services for the breaker replacement program, including management of multiple sites, coordination of equipment ordering, and completion of required protection upgrades.

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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.

 

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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

 

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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.

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