University Of Sydney – Holme Building & Substation 54 – MSB Upgrades

This project involved the replacement and upgrade of two existing Main Switch Boards at separate locations at the University of Sydney Camperdown campus. The works also included extensive refurbishment of heritage buildings and Fire Services.

Both construction sites provided challenges with the isolation of supplies feeding sensitive buildings and equipment. As such, detailed site surveys of an aged electrical system were conducted to create a staged migration plan outlining numerous out-of-hour outages and cutovers. The electrical surveys also provided power readings to calculate temporary power requirements for the end supply to each of the campus’s buildings. The migration plans, cutover strategies and temporary power requirements were presented to the Universities many stakeholders over numerous presentations to ensure clear communication and understanding of the philosophy, timing and impact of our works.

It was a credit to the construction team that all cutovers were successfully completed to the original program with zero down time to the Universities many buildings and zero incidents which delighted the anxious Academics.

University of Sydney

Heritage listed buildings

Outdoor mobile generator change over switchboard

Outdoor power – heritage listed fence and protected trees

Smart power metering

Power points for student laptops

The show must go on

Heritage listed switchrooms

Refurbished internal heritage listed building

A job well done

PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

HOLME BUILDING MSB REPLACEMENT

• The amalgamation of two existing 600A & 400A supply feeds from separate substations into one 1000A new MSB to replace the obsolete Holme Main Switchboard. Installation and cutover of three distribution boards over a one week out-of-hour cutover.
• Installation of an outdoor Mobile Generator Change Over Cubicle.
• Excavation of a busy footpath for the installation of new 12 x 1c x 300mm² Fire Rated Consumer Mains.
• Four mobile generators supplying temporary power to campus buildings over a two week cutover period. Buildings included the Universities PABX, lecture theater’s and Biological buildings with numerous ongoing experiments and life support systems operating for various animals.
• The Holme Main Switchroom underwent building works to demolish the internal dividing wall creating room for the New MSB and electrical service.
• Installation of 197 GPO’s within the Footbridge Theatre supplying power for student laptops.

SUBSTATION  54 REPLACEMENTS

• This project replaced an obsolete Main Switchboard a new 1600A MSB.
• The works included providing six mobile generators to locally power campus buildings for the one week duration of the staged MSB cutover and coordinating re-fueling of the generators. Buildings included the Universities PABX, lecture theatres and Biological buildings with numerous ongoing experiments and life support systems operating for various animals.
• Installation of new 12 x 1c x 240mm² consumer mains from new Pad Mount Sub Station.
• Multiple staged cutovers which included jointing and redirecting existing SWA submains.
• The Old Sub building and Old Switch Room underwent extensive repair and restoration works in line with heritage listed buildings.
• New Fire Protection installation works to Switch Rooms.

Value $995k