Knoxville Utilities Board
DK Transmission Line Quarry Relocation
McGill’s electrical engineering team designed the relocation of an existing 69kV transmission line with distribution underbuild around an existing quarry known as the “DK” line. McGill rebuilt this transmission line a few years prior to this project. During the design of that project, Knoxville Utilities Board (KUB) approached the quarry about relocating the line at an additional cost, but – at that time – the quarry did not want to proceed with the relocation. A few years later, the quarry approached KUB about relocating this line from inside the quarry to the outer edge along Thorngrove Pike and Route 168 (John Sevier Highway). The new route around the quarry is 0.95 miles long. New steel transmission poles were used along the route to accommodate for a 795kcmil bundled transmission line and existing distribution line along the route.
The Challenge
The challenge of this project was adding transmission right-of-way along the existing distribution line right-of-way around the quarry. There was a lot of vegetation growth and boulders around the edge of the quarry where the new transmission line alignment needed to be constructed.
The Solution
Working in conjunction with the quarry and KUB, the new right-of-way was cleared by the quarry to accommodate for the new transmission line alignment. Once the right-of-way was cleared, our surveyors were able to survey the project area to assist us in our design. With the information provided by our surveyors, we were able to account for any obstacles, such as large boulders, in our design.
The Results
The existing quarry is now set up to utilize more of its property and provide the surrounding area with rock and gravel for various construction projects to improve the surrounding community.
The DK quarry project was an exciting project to work on for KUB and the quarry. To be able to assist in opening future capacity for the quarry and see the added value from the relocation, it allowed me to visualize the benefits McGill is providing for the company and the community.
With this transmission line relocation, the quarry is now capable of maximizing the full potential of its property and providing more product for its clients.
Problem-Solving
Teamwork
Quality