Completion of Penstock Rehabilitation for Major Northeast Power Generation Firm
GORHAM, MAINE, USA -- February 24, 2015 - Knowles Industrial Services Corporation (KISC), a New England-based industry leader in concrete repair and masonry restoration, is proud to announce the completion of an in-house designed rehabilitation project involving two 5,500 sq. ft. penstocks. KISC served as the contractor for the project’s Owner, a wholesale power generator and marketer based in the Northeast United States.
KISC was contracted to provide structural shotcrete liners inside 2 penstocks that had recently been removed from service due to their compromised structural integrity. The Owner was left unable to generate power until this issue was resolved. KISC management team quickly went to work to design the reinforcing steel, shotcrete, and coating specifications needed to complete this time-sensitive project.
Knowles
The unique specifications of the project presented many challenges including difficult workspace access, confined spaces, and cold weather, but KISC was prepared for the challenge. Upon completion of the reinforcing steel, a dry-mix shotcrete liner was placed throughout the entire inside of the penstocks, effectively encapsulating all of the newly-placed reinforcing steel. Smoothness of the finished shotcrete construction was of great importance on this project. The KISC crew spent considerable time troweling and finishing the entire 5,500 sq. ft. interiors of each penstock. This process, although laborious and time consuming, was a necessary step in providing the customer a quality product that met their power generating needs.
The project was successfully completed in a 13 week, fast-track schedule. The Owner was pleased with the result, and KISC successfully met the tight budget constraints. Once again, KISC delivered a quality product in a safe and cost-effective manner with no lost time injuries on the project. The Owner can now generate power, and the new shotcrete liners provide the support necessary to withstand all of the structural loading that condemned the previous penstocks. This Hydro-Electric site is just one of the many projects constructed by KISC in an effort to bring continued economic benefits to New England.
This structural rehabilitation method is one that KISC has completed on many other penstocks in the past, both steel and wood stave. These rehabilitation and replacement methods are designed in-house and have proven to save owners substantial time and cost when compared to other methods of penstock rehabilitation. Additional information is available on the Projects page at the webpage link below.
ABOUT KISC Since 1924, Knowles Industrial Services Corporation (KISC) has been providing specialty concrete repair and masonry restoration services to the pharmaceutical/research, food/beverage, hydro-electric/utility, water and wastewater treatment, general industry, property managers/buildings, and pulp and paper industries all over New England. KISC delivers services, products, systems and technologies that repair, protect, and strengthen concrete, steel and masonry structures. For more information, please visit our website or call 207-854-1900.