2013DFIWilliamBerminghamInnovationAwardNomination

NominatingFirm:CruxSubsurface,Inc.
ProjectSummary
TheSunrisePowerlinkProject(Sunrise)involvedconstructionofanew117mile,500kVtransmissionlinecapableofcarrying1,000
megawattsofrenewableenergyfromImperialValleyintoSanDiego,California.ThelineofficiallywentintoserviceonJune18,2012
andcontributestoCaliforniasRenewableEnergyMandate.With40helicoptersoncontract,Sunriseisalsooneofthelargest
helicopterassistedconstructionprojectsonrecord.

FoundationConstructionChallenges
Thealignmentcrossedanumberofrigorousandprotectedenvironments,includingNationalForestLandandPeninsularBigHorn
Sheephabitat.Roadaccesstotheselocationswaseithernotfeasibleornotpermitted,limiting234ofthe421latticetowersitesto
helicopteronlyaccess.Micropilefoundationswereemployedasadeepfoundationalternativeatthesesitesbecausethespecialized
equipmentusedforconstructioncanbemorecompactandlightweight,makingitconducivetohelicoptertransport.Theremaining
187towersitespermittedroadaccessandemployeddrilledshaftfoundations.
Concretecapswereoriginallydesignedforallmicropilefoundations,butanalternativesolutionwasrequiredwhentheproject
encounteredschedulechallenges.Adelayedstartdateandnonnegotiablecompletiondatereducedtheprojectconstruction
timeframefrom24monthsto18.Individualtowersiteswerealsosubjecttospecificworkwindowsdependingonapplicable
environmentalandvegetationmanagementmitigationmeasures.Thetaskofschedulingexistingconstructionplansaroundthese
unpredictablewindows,andwithintheshortenedprojecttimeframe,provedimpossibleandpromptedtheownertoexplore
alternatives.

IntroductionandQualificationofSteelPileCapDesign
CruxSubsurface,Inc.(Crux)introducedasteelpilecapdesignasanalternativetocastinplaceconcretecaps.Thesteelpilecaps
wouldrequirelessfieldconstructiontimeandwouldprovidetheownerwithmoreflexibilityoverthecriticalpathofconstruction
activities.Cruxhadpreviouslyinstalledsteelpilecapsonnumeroustubularsteelpoleprojects,butthecapdesignforlatticetowers
hadnotyetbeenimplemented.CruxworkedcollaborativelywithownerSanDiegoGas&Electric(SDG&E)todefinedesignand
fabricationstandards,andreceiveapprovaltoimplementthesteelcapsonSunriseinatimelymanner.
SDG&EandCruxagreedthesteelcapwouldbedesignedwithequalorgreatercapacityastheconcretecaps.Thesteelcapswould
alsoneedtofastentomicropileswithoutwelding,ashotworkwasprohibitedonmuchofthealignment.Theboltedconnections
betweenthepilesandthecapwouldneedenoughfixitytolimitfoundationdeflectionsto1.0inchesatthemaximumfactored
foundationload.Thedesignlifewasdefinedas75yearsand,duetotherigorousenvironmentthesystemwouldbeemployedin,it
wasagreedthatthecapwouldneedtoperformwithoutregularlyscheduledmaintenance.
The caps were designed using finite element modeling to predict stresses and deflections. The advanced analysis methods of the
finiteelementmodelingallowedthedesignteamtoreviewlocalizedyieldingandbucklingpotentialoftheunstiffenedplatesinthe
cap assembly. The Owner and their consultants participated in a peer review process with the finite element design. Once in
agreement,twoprototypepilecapswereconstructedandinstalledonmicropilefoundationsatatestsiteneartheprojectalignment.
Afullscaleloadtestwasconducted,applying1000kipsofcompressionloadand300kipsoflateralloadsimultaneously.Deflections
in the micropiles and the pile caps were measured during the load test and compared with finite element analysis to confirm the
modelspredictions.

ImplementationandSignificanceofDesign
Afterayearlongcollaborativeeffort,thepatentpendingboltedsteelpilecapwasapprovedforuseonSunrise.Ofthetotal936
footings(234towers)employingmicropilefoundations,888receivedsteelpilecapsand48receivedconcretecaps.Theconcrete
capswereconstructedonsite,requiringanaverage14fieldcrewhoursand6.75helicopterhours.Thesteelcapswereconstructedin
anoffsite,controlledfacility,requiringanaverage5fieldcrewhoursand1.75helicopterhours.The64%reductioninfieldhours
providedSDG&EwithincreasedschedulingflexibilityandsignificantlycontributedtotheontimecompletionofSunrise.
Additionalbenefitsofthesteelcapincludeddecreasedenvironmentalimpact,reducedsafetyriskandincreasedqualityassurance.
Thesteelcapshadfewerexcavationrequirementsandrequiredlesshelicopterhoursduringconstruction,reducingtheoverall
environmentalfootprintoftheproject.Minimizingfieldlaborhoursandhelicopteruseledtodecreasedsafetyrisksassociatedwith
theseactivities.Finally,manufacturingthecapsoffsiteinacontrolledenvironmentprovidedincreasedqualitycontrolandtestability.
Thetransmissionanddistributionindustryisrapidlyexpanding;withinvestmentinhighvoltageelectricaltransmissionexpectedto
exceed$41billionintheUnitedStatesbetween2011and2020.Consumersandstatemandatesarecallingforanincreasedportion
ofthispowertocomefromrenewables,whichareoftenlocatedinremoteregions.Thetaskoftransportingtheserenewablesto
metropolitanareas,frequentlycrossingruggedandenvironmentallyprotectedterrain,hasintroducedanumberofunique
constructionchallengestoprojectowners.Micropilefoundationswithsteelpilecapsprovidedasolutiontothesechallengesonthe
SunrisePowerlinkandwillserveasanexampletosimilarlychallengedtransmissionprojectsinthefuture.