The layout and design of electrical substations and switchyards is critical to the entire power delivery system. A well planned facility ensures the electrical equipment is properly supported by steel structures and foundations, resulting in outstanding system reliability and performance.
Substation and switchyard structures are used to support the above grade components and electrical equipment such as cable bus, rigid bus, and strain bus conductors, switches, surge arresters, insulators, and other equipment. These structures must be designed such that applicable steel design codes and standards are incorporated into the final build. Additionally, structures must be designed to withstand various static and dynamic loads such as the dead weight of conductors and electrical components, wind, snow/ice, and seismic loads. Bentley’s STAAD.Pro is well suited to perform structural analysis and design of these types of structures.
Structural detailing is also important when designing new support equipment within a substation or switchyard. Detailing information can be provided to structural steel fabricators to manufacture, assemble, and deliver the parts necessary to support electrical equipment within a facility. Bentley’s ProSteel lets detailers produce structural fabrication or shop drawings as well as placement of all connections with minimal human intervention.
Bentley’s STAAD.Pro and ProSteel are integrated using StrucLink, which allows substation structure models to be imported or exported between the two applications.
Foundation design is also essential when planning electrical substations and switchyards. Designs can include a wide range of foundations such as slab-on-grade, isolated, combined, pile cap, drilled-pier, and MAT. STAAD.foundation is a foundation design management system which can design a wide range of foundations based on support reactions obtained from STAAD.Pro structural analysis models.
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