Client: BC Hydro
Location: Burrard Medical Building - Vancouver, BC
Project: Emergency Power Restoration and Running Circuit Load Break Switch Replacement - Main Electrical Switchroom
Location: Burrard Medical Building - Vancouver, BC
Project: Emergency Power Restoration and Running Circuit Load Break Switch Replacement - Main Electrical Switchroom
- Damage: We were called to site due to a catastrophic failure within the main electrical switchroom. The 12.47KV running circuit class 1 high-voltage cable termination had a phase-to-ground short circuit and exploded, badly damaging the load break switch directly above it and covering the interior of the switchgear in thick black soot and insulating material.
- Restoring power: The first thing we did once we arrived on site was inspect all of the equipment within the main electrical switchroom and the transformer vault on the other side of the wall. Once we determined that the other equipment had only suffered cosmetic damage, we used special fire damage restoration techniques to clean the standby circuit load break switch, cable termination, common bus and the interior of the standby circuit switchgear. Once cleaning was complete, we performed electrical testing of the standby circuit switch, bus and transformers to ensure that the equipment could be energized safely. We were satisfied with our test results, so BC Hydro performed switching at their substation to energize the standby circuit and restore power to the Burrard Medical Building.
- Running circuit and common bus repairs: We were tasked with installing a replacement load break switch. This was a difficult undertaking due to the switch being made in the 1960's, with no compatible new switches on the market. We were able to source a used switch from one of our industry contacts, and adapt it to work in the needed configuration. We replaced several 12.47KV porcelain insulators that had been damaged in the explosion. We also cleaned and repainted the running circuit switchgear cubicle, manufactured and installed a new insulating barrier between the two switchgear cubicles as well as three new copper common bus jumpers between the running circuit and standby circuit switches. The cable termination was replaced by BC Hydro technicians.
- Mitigation of impact: The building had already experienced power outages due to the initial failure, so in order to lessen the impact on the tenants of the building, we supplied power from a portable diesel generator for the duration of the running circuit and common bus repairs.