Time and Money, Always Time and Money

No matter the project or client, time and money drive them both. When it comes to designing and constructing infrastructure, how long it takes and what it costs to get it done are two primary concerns for an owner. Therefore, designers and builders who can save an owner time and money rise to the top of the list for consideration.

One of Allgeier Martin’s consulting services involves the design and construction administration of electrical substations. There are various types of substations, but no matter the type, they usually contain several kinds of steel structures to support the required equipment.

Efficiency

One part of the design process is for the designer/engineer to calculate the material weight of steel weldments and assemblies to estimate the cost of building the steel structures. For decades, these calculations had to be performed manually and quality checked for accuracy through several design phases.

Allgeier Martin designers created a Microsoft Excel “add-in” which contains several user-defined functions (UDF) to assist in the steel weight calculations. The first step is to place a blank worksheet containing an empty table. Once the table has been placed, the user enters the part and assembly data and utilizes the correct user-defined function (UDF) to calculate the part weight. The formula is then copied down to the remaining rows and another UDF is utilized to sum the weights. If the size changes on a part, the UDF will calculate the updated weight and the totals will reflect the updates. If a row is added to one of the steel assemblies, then the UDF for the total weight can be quickly adjusted to account for the new row.

By automating this portion of the design process engineers save time, therefore saving the client money and time on design schedules. This process also minimizes the chance for errors.

Collaborating

Working collaboratively with owners of electric substations, we always strive to create efficiencies that save time and money. These assets are integral to the consistent and reliable delivery of electricity. Whatever we can do to make designing and constructing these assets more efficient creates a domino effect of economic growth and sustainability!