Kiewit Power Constructors Co. Wins 2012 Photo Contest

October 5 2012

The winning photo was taken by KPC Project Engineer Michael Scholz and depicts the company’s work at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s John Sevier combined cycle power plant in Rogersville, Tennessee. As the general contractor for the construction portion of the project, KPC was responsible for installing and bringing online 880 megawatts of new gas-fired capacity at the plant to replace part of TVA’s four existing coal-fired units. The massive project began in April 2010 and was finished in April 2012, a full month ahead of schedule.

“We built everything that supports the equipment,” Scholz noted. “We built the foundations, installed the piping and electrical systems, placed the equipment on the foundations and then we started and tested each piece of equipment.”

KPC installed three General Electric 7FA.04 duel fuel combustion turbines, the very first of this new generation of turbines to be shipped by the manufacturer. “Each of the three units is also equipped with a Nooter Eriksen heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) with selective catalytic reduction system and duct burners and coupled with a Toshiba 400 megawatt steam turbine,” KPC explained. “With the inclusion of this state-of-the-art technology, the plant has the ability to operate as a simple or combined cycle facility in response to the changing power demands of the Tennessee Valley region. John Sevier’s gas-fired capabilities curtail the average startup time to 10 to 30 minutes.”

Shortly after being awarded the project, KPC teamed up with Barnhart Crane & Rigging and Nooter Eriksen. Their task: develop a method to lift and set the 36 HRSG tube bundles required for the project. “In the past, Nooter Eriksen bundles required three cranes to successfully flip, tail and set this equipment,” Kiewit noted. “Specifically for this project, Barnhart developed a tilting frame. The tilting frame enabled KPC to use only two cranes, allowing construction to flip the bundles more efficiently. This unique approach reduced safety hazards by preventing craftsmen from being placed underneath the suspended load and allowing more distance between the two cranes. Additionally, this approach increased the crew’s productivity to set up to five bundles in a single day, versus prior methods, which peaked at three bundles per day.”

Safety was the top priority on the jobsite, and the team’s motto was “Nobody Gets Hurt.” KPC required that job hazard analyses and S.L.A.M. cards (Stop, Look, Assess, Manage) be used for every operation. Management instituted an open-door policy so that any team member could voice safety concerns.

• Boilermakers #453
• Carpenters #50
• Cement Masons #78
• Electrical Workers #270
• Insulators #46
• Ironworkers #384
• Laborers #818
• Millwrights #1554
• Operating Engineers #917
• Pipefitters #538
• Painters #437
• Sheet Metal Workers #5
• Sprinkler Fitters #669
• Teamsters #519

Together, these craft workers installed and placed:

• 4,500 tons of structural steel
• 168,000 linear feet of above-ground and underground pipe
• 68,000 electrical terminations
• 262,000 linear feet of above-ground and underground conduit
• 2.1 million linear feet of electrical cable
• 46,000 cubic yards of concrete
• 31,000 diameter inches of pipe welding

Despite an aggressive schedule, the building trades and KPC achieved a remarkable quality control rate. Of 1,616 welds tested (out of a total of 2,960), only two were rejected – a 0.12% reject rate. In addition, the entire team was involved in pre-activity meetings prior to the start of specific operations to make sure all concerns and specifications were addressed.

In the end, KPC is perhaps most proud that they have earned a satisfied client, said Project Manager Glenn Miltenberger. “Our team was able to meet all the challenges, work together as one unified team while bringing together more than 13 Kiewit entities and beat an aggressive schedule,” he said. “A happy client means it was a success.”

TAUC congratulates KPC and all of the participating building trades employees who worked on the winning project. We would also like to thank everyone else who submitted photos this year – we hope you’ll try again next year! On the following page you’ll find a selection of other impressive entries.