1. Onshore Windfarm
Construction and Operation
Onshore Windfarms
Construction and Operation
ICE Scotland
Renewables Conference
Edinburgh and Area Branch G&S
21 March 2012
Jim Wilkinson BEng CEng MICE
Contracts Manager
2. Onshore Windfarm
Construction and Operation
Introduction
C A Blackwell are a privately owned civil engineering contractor
operating nationally
Established in 1956 Renewables Conference
Directly employ around 110 staff and over 400 skilled operatives
One of the largest privately owned
plant fleets in the UK with over
300 items of major plant
Offices in Earls Colne, Tewkesbury,
Wakefield and Grangemouth
3. Onshore Windfarm
Construction and Operation
Onshore Windfarm experience
Staff have, in the aggregate, experience of over 30 windfarm
projects
Extensive experience of Scottish onshore sites
Projects currently in hand include Renewables Conference
Clyde South 56 Turbines (SSER)
Clyde North 27 Turbines (SSER)
Carraig Gheal 20 Turbines (GreenPower)
Clashindarroch 18 Turbines (Vattenfall)
Withernwick 9 Turbines (EnergieKontor)
Crookhill 12 Turbines (Coronation Power)
4. Onshore Windfarm
Construction and Operation
Construction scope
Typical Scottish Windfarm project size
£20M+ BOP / D&B
20+ 3.5MW WTG
30 – 60km access tracks
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Off site enabling works
Location
Geographically remote
Poorly connected to infrastructure
Exposed weather conditions
Sensitive ecological constraints
Poor ground conditions
Programme
Time critical
12+ month programme
5. Onshore Windfarm
Construction and Operation
Pre-Construction : Organisation
Organisational structure
Contractor multi disciplined team
50 professional and management positions
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250 operatives
150 contractors and subcontractors
Client multi disciplined team
20 professional and management positions
Project management team
ECOW
CDM-C / H&S Advisor
Technical Authority / Engineer
Bank Engineers
6. Onshore Windfarm
Construction and Operation
Project Director
HSEQ Manager
Contracts Manager Commercial Manager
H&S Advisor H&S Manager
Quality Manager
Environmental Environmental Civil Design Electrical Design
Advisor Manager
Project Manager
Agent Agent Agent
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Design Coordinator
Electrical Manager Project QS Plant Manager
Tracks Structures Windfarm Design coordination Electrical Commercial Plant Yard
& & & & & &
Quarry Operations Batching Sub Station Surveying Contractual Vehicles
Sub Agents Sub Agents Sub Agents Setting Out Engineers Electrical teams QS Plant Fitters
General Foremen General Foremen General Foremen Land Surveyors Cabling teams Assistant QS Plant Maintenance
Section Engineers Section Engineers Section Engineers
Section Foremen Section Foremen Section Foremen
Environmental
Squads Professional Services
Labour / Plant / Equipment / Sub-contractors Site based
Work Activity
Visiting
7. Onshore Windfarm
Construction and Operation
Pre-Construction : Site establishment
Site establishment
Main project office accommodation for circa 100 persons
Provision of power, water, sewerage and cleaning services
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Installation of IT and communications
Access control and site security
Construction of parking areas for around 100 vehicles
Construction of plant yard and maintenance facilities
Construction of materials storage and lay-down areas
Installation of batching plant
Installation of satellite offices
8. Onshore Windfarm
Construction and Operation
Pre-Construction : Communications
Communications Plan
Office communications
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External offices
Internet connectivity
Data transfer
Mobile phone coverage
Site wide communications
Site satellite offices
Mobile phone coverage
Radio communications
Emergency channel
9. Onshore Windfarm
Construction and Operation
Pre-Construction : Access
Construction access arrangements
Public roads
Liaison with Police and Roads Authority
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Existing road network and restrictions
Road improvements for delivery vehicles
Site access
Site access control
Third party arrangements, FCS, land owners, etc
Underground and overhead service protection
Temporary site access tracks
Traffic Management Plan
Warning and advisory signage
Emergency Plan
10. Onshore Windfarm
Construction and Operation
Pre-Construction : Security of supply
Security of supply in busy market conditions
Staff
Experienced motivated key staff
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Plant
Large internal plant fleet
Internal batching plant and equipment
Labour
Large internal skilled workforce
Preferred supplier contracts
Provision of worker camps / accommodation facilities
Sub-contractors
Preferred suppliers and approved vendors
11. Onshore Windfarm
Construction and Operation
Construction Planning
Programme
Lead in period ideally 12 weeks
Key milestone dates
Grid transformer delivery
Grid connection
Turbine delivery Renewables Conference
Power generation
Constraints
Planning
Lease agreements
Ecological
Risks
Weather
Ground conditions
12. Onshore Windfarm
Construction and Operation
Health and Safety Planning
Competence:
Identification and assessment of skills;
Information, Instruction and Training;
Control:
Standards and expectations outlined from the start;
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Safety lead from the top down;
H & S responsibilities clear and all parties held accountable.
Co-operation:
Daily co-ordination involving all parties;
Contractor work review;
Establishment of safety committee.
Communication:
Construction Phase Plan;
Used as site management tool - NOT generic;
Site specific induction;
Tool box talks, daily task briefings etc.
13. Onshore Windfarm
Construction and Operation
Environmental Planning
Environmental Management Plan
Environmental Method Statement
Pollution Prevention Plan
Water Quality Monitoring Plan
Pollution Incident Plan
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ECOW co-ordination
ECOW daily log
Constraints management and monitoring
Third party liaison
SEPA, SNH, Planning Authority, FCS and others
Environmental Management
Full time Environmental Manager and Advisors
Continuous improvement Plan
14. Onshore Windfarm
Construction and Operation
Construction Operations
Enabling works for turbine and grid transformer delivery
Design swept path analysis
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Road improvements
Site access junction
Exceptional loads and clearances
Service diversions
Tree surgery
Traffic Management Plan
Liaison with Police and Roads Authorities
Temporary traffic management
15. Onshore Windfarm
Construction and Operation
Construction Operations : Track alignment
Set out consented alignment
Forestry clearance
Topographic survey and peat probes
Consider ecological constraints Renewables Conference
Consider watercourse crossings
Consider ground conditions
Draft alignment design
Earthworks balance
Submit micro-siting for approval
Final alignment design
Construction issue drawings
16. Onshore Windfarm
Construction and Operation
Construction Operations : Track details
Floating track
Criteria
Peat depths generally >1.0m Renewables Conference
CBR >0.5%
Undisturbed surface
Construction detail
Geogrid or brash mat
Processed rock 125mm down
Generally 800mm depth of construction
17. Construction Operations : Track details
Plant and equipment
3 man geogrid handling squad
Dozer
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14T roller
20T excavator
3 no 30T ADT
Production
Typically 125-200m per day
Dependant on stone supply
18. Onshore Windfarm
Construction and Operation
Construction Operations : Track details
Cut to fill track
Criteria Renewables Conference
Peat depths generally <1.0m
CBR >5%
Construction detail
As raised rock 250mm down
Earthworks balance
Optimised volume and mass haul
19. Onshore Windfarm
Construction and Operation
Construction Operations : Track details
Plant and equipment
2 no 14T LGP excavators
45T excavator and breaker
30T excavator and breaker
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D65 Dozer
14T roller
3 no 30T ADT
Production
Typically 50-125m per day
Dependant on topography, depth of overburden, in-situ rock strength, mass haul
and stone supply
20. Onshore Windfarm
Construction and Operation
Construction Operations : Borrow pits
Consented borrow pits
QR99 compliance
Quarry plan
Signage, drainage and fencing Renewables Conference
Forestry clearance / Overburden strip
Drilling and blasting operations
Rock processing
Concrete aggregates
Floating roads
Structural backfill
Track surfacing
Restoration
21. Onshore Windfarm
Construction and Operation
Construction Operations : Permanent drainage
Permanent drainage design
Drainage philosophy
Track drainage Renewables Conference
SUDS approach
Watercourse crossings
CAR registration and licensing
Bridges generally >2m in bed
Piped crossings generally <2m in bed
Ecological constraints
Water supply points
22. Onshore Windfarm
Construction and Operation
Construction Operations : Temporary drainage
Temporary drainage design
Guidance documents
Environmental Statement
Constraints
SEPA, SNH, CIRIA and FCS publications
Forests and Water Guidelines published by Conference
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FCS
The Good Practice During Windfarm Construction guidance document
published jointly by Scottish Renewables, SEPA, SNH and FCS
SEPA Good Practice Guides and PPG 1, PPG5 and PPG6
SNH Floating Roads On Peat
Control measures
Temporary drainage plans
Silt mitigation plans
Water quality monitoring
23. Onshore Windfarm
Construction and Operation
Construction Operations : Concrete production
Site batching plant and equipment
Batching plant
Mixer trucks
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Establishment
Layout
Water supply
Material deliveries
Quality control
Mix design
Testing
Quality control
24. Onshore Windfarm
Construction and Operation
Construction Operations : WTG bases
Design type
Assume 3.5MW with 78m hub height
Submerged gravity base
Cast in bolt set Renewables Conference
Construction activities
Earthworks and testing
Blinding concrete
Rebar circa 56T
Ducts, earthing and bolts
Base pour 300m3 40N concrete
Plinth pour 50m3 50N concrete
Backfill and earthing mat
25. Onshore Windfarm
Construction and Operation
Construction Operations : Electrical works
Electrical design
P28 studies
Grid code compliance
Resistivity testing
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Cable layout
Electrical long lead items
Transformers
Cables
Sub-station building
Grid transformer delivery
Cabling
SCADA /communications system
Energisation
26. Onshore Windfarm
Construction and Operation
Construction Operations : WTG installation
Turbine delivery
Traffic coordination
Lay down areas and storage
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Road condition monitoring and maintenance
Turbine erection
Lifting Plan
Erection programme
Turbine bolt grouting
Electrical interface
Energisation
Commissioning
27. Onshore Windfarm
Construction and Operation
Construction Operations : PC Role
PC Role duties
Overarching health and safety responsibility
Daily contractor coordination
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Contractor RAMS approval
Access and security
Establishment and welfare
Track and hardstanding maintenance