Friday, October 7, 2016
Natural Gas Meter & Regulator Station
Midwestern Contractors was awarded a project in north central Michigan to install a meter and regulation station for natural gas distribution. The project site sloped to the east, was covered with trees and brush and required over 10' of fill. This material was compacted in lifts in order to build a stable, earthen platform to build the meter station. A narrow county road served the site and our first priority was the safety of the local traffic along this road. Our construction site was conspicuously signed, spotters wer available to guide dump trucks in and out of the site and to stop traffic along the county road when haul operations were underway.
The civil work took considerable time since of 1,640 cubic yards of material had to be hauled in, and compacted. The top soil was separated and all trees were removed and cut up for firewood.
The civil work changed the grade considerably and was an important aspect of the project as it formed the foundation for the meter skid and associated piping.
A short access road was built, graded, filled with road base and CA6 top stone, which was compacted and smoothed. Then the piping and electrical work was completed. Most of the piping was fabricated and then brought to the site and tied in. After tie-in the thrust blocks were pured and pipe supports mounted on their piers.
Midwestern Contractors assisted with commissioning and completed the project with fencing, and complete vegetative restoration. The following photographs tell the story. More of these small meter stations are on the horizon as natural gas takes over from areas that are no served by
Fill and compaction to achieve specified grade
Sono tube layout
Poured sono-tube with anchor bolts
Rebar changes
Meter skid
42" transmission main
Tie-in point