Power Plant Regulation System Concrete Foundations

Regulations on nitrogen oxide control are propelling the installation of Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) systems on coal-fired power plants.  JP Cullen formed and poured the concrete foundations for the new SCR at the Client’s existing Power Plant. Each foundation has (6) anchor bolt settings. The foundations sit underneath and around the existing steel structure.

JP Cullen’s scope of work on this project included pouring over 1,500 cubic yards of which 725 cubic yards of concrete were poured under ACI 301 for mass foundations on back-to-back days to form the two mass foundations.  The original dates of pouring had to be pushed out due to high summer temperatures as the concrete could not exceed 158° while curing.  Despite these external influences, JP Cullen’s team stayed focused and developed a new plan to meet the client’s schedule.

JP Cullen’s crew worked with the concrete provider to understand the temperature limits when placing the mix and cooling the aggregate at the plant.  Rescheduling the pours also required extensive coordination with the client, subcontractors, and JP Cullen’s finishers.

To ensure the concrete temperature met specifications, the crew began pouring at 5:00 AM and monitored the concrete temperatures off the truck and throughout the entire curing process for temperature probes. Following the pour, the foundations were covered with reinforced plastic and concrete blankets to keep the surface and core of the foundation within 35° of each other.

The crew had a detailed work plan in place and all members of the team were committed to following it to a successful end as there was no room for error.  Final temperatures during curing peaked at 152°, and temperature between the surface and the core never exceeded the 15° difference, also including a very well vibrated foundation leaving the owner and construction manager very pleased with the results.