CASE STUDY

Guyed Mast Tower Restoration in Protected Wetland

Restorations were needed on 69 different foundations supporting 230 kV guyed mast towers running through a protected wetland.

The Situation

Restorations were needed on 69 different foundations supporting 230 kV guyed mast towers running through a protected wetland. Osmose was able to assist, leveraging designs from our in-house structural engineering team, by executing a highly complex restoration solution with our experienced operations personnel.

A routine aerial inspection revealed corrosion on the tower foundations. The aerial inspection was followed by a detailed marine survey, which revealed the severity of corrosion and quickly became the utility’s top priority. The structures were only accessible by boat in the protected wetland, so the Osmose structural engineering team designed steel H-pile foundation reinforcements and a construction methodology that would limit the construction footprint, reduce environmental impact, and safely restore the towers to code-mandated strength.

The wetland where the line was constructed is home to a waterfowl sanctuary within flood protection levees, which presented a unique challenge for Osmoses’ restoration crews. Low water levels and heavy vegetation made the use of large airboats impossible, so equipment and personnel mobilized on marsh buggies and smaller airboats—further reducing the risk of damage to the surrounding plants and animals.

Fill out the form to download and read the solution.