Exchange of 13 masts for 50Hertz Transmission GmbH
With the project “Mast exchange on the 380-kV line Preilack-Streumen 559/560” of customer 50Hertz Transmission GmbH, the profit center Germany North/East within the business unit Overhead Lines Construction was able to win a new commission. Based on operating the transmission network in the North and East of Germany, our customer secures the power supply for 18 million people. To be able to continue meeting this demand, EQOS Energie will start in April with the construction of new foundations and mast exchanges of the line between Preilack and Streumen north of Dresden. Since this project also affects three railway crossings, for which the corresponding safety precautions must be made, preparations are already fully underway.
Increasing the structural stability at various traffic junction
The project was incepted as part of the requirements for the reliability of existing overhead lines:Especially at traffic junctions, the masts’ structural stability must be ensured in the long term. As a result, the existing masts must be reinforced and some of them must be replaced in order to stand up to changing requirements. In this project, the foundations for the newly constructed masts will be built around the existing old masts. For this purpose, the old ones will be diagonally anchored to enable the excavation and foundation work to be conducted by EQOS Energie’s own civil engineering experts. Next, the set-up and installation of the new mast parts as well as the disassembly of the old mast parts will be primarily done with the use of a lorry-mounted crane. A so-called “mast exchange crew” will be employed for the entire mast exchange process: This crew consists of a site manager, a senior fitter, a lorry driver and 10 fitters working from mast to mast. Each of the employed crews can exchange two masts per week in this manner. Therefore, the project work will likely be concluded in November 2020.
Railway line to be specially secured
Special consideration must be given to the existing railway line alongside the masts: The swivel range and outreach of the lorry-mounted cranes must be chosen in such a manner that the set-up of the new masts cannot jeopardise the railway line. In addition, the railway crossing will be protected by a two-sided steel framework to ensure that the railway line and the running railway traffic can continue to function without issues during the reinstallation of ground wires and conductors.