ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION AT OHIO UNIVERSITY

Ohio University awarded Kramer Engineers with an electrical distribution project at Bennett Hall. The project involves the assessment, POR development and design to upgrade the electrical system which dates back to the 1970’s.  Engineer Ralph Kramer will be spearheading the changes to the power distribution for both Bennett & Stevenson Halls; 2 of the 4 main buildings at the Chillicothe Regional Campus of OU.

Easement to Run the Electrical Distribution at Ohio University

Since the Bennett Hall building is the electrical supply hub for multiple buildings, we will need an easement to run the new high voltage power. To get that done, Kramer will need to coordinate with AEP, the local power company, OU and OU’s legal team.

Upgrading the Equipment in the Meantime

The easement will have to be finalized before the underground electrical work can start. But that will take time, so the plan is to get the above ground prep work done during the easement approval process.  That means getting the conduits stubbed out so they will be ready to connect to the future underground work.  At that point, we will need a generator to keep power going at both buildings while the connections are made.  So if all goes as planned, we will be able to stay on schedule.

You Also Need to Upgrade the Switchgear

Upgrading the electrical infrastructure is an involved process. It is not limited to just running underground power. You have to make sure the systems that regulate the power are also up to date. We don’t want the new high power lines blowing out the existing circuits. So the overall design will upgrade the switchgear and replace the rooftop transformer to handle the new load.