Tunnel Substation Design

SJH is providing structural evaluation services for the PATCO Philadelphia tunnel cable and substation equipment replacement for the Locust Street Substation and other necessary locations. Purchase power equipment will be replaced in the Locust Street Substation and the area surrounding the PATCO tunnel. The concourse levels below Locust Street and Broad Street in Philadelphia will be a logistical challenge in the replacement of purchase power equipment. Creative solutions with help successfully replace the multi-pair copper communication cables with fiber optics. Microprocessor-based vital signaling will be updated by placing signal communications between instrument locations onto existing fiber optics.  

 The Scope of Services includes development of the design for the replacement or elimination of various power, signal, and communications cables running primarily within the Philadelphia tunnel of the PATCO system as well as traction-power equipment within Locust Street Substation located in the area of the PATCO tunnel, below the concourse level and directly under Locust Street, immediately west of Broad Street, in Philadelphia.   

 Multi-pair copper communications cable, the use of which has diminished significantly over the years at PATCO, shall be eliminated, and any communications currently carried over copper cables shall be moved to existing fiber optics.  Multi-conductor signal cable shall be eliminated to the fullest extent feasible by converting relay-based vital signaling to microprocessor-based vital signaling, placing signal communications between instrument locations onto existing fiber optics.  Our team is determining the full extent of any remaining multi-conductor signal cable to be replaced in kind as part of the design effort under this Project. 

Our team will perform preliminary reviews, provide recommendations regarding cable and equipment replacements and construction staging.  SJH is providing structural design services for the various substation elements to support the proposed equipment and the overall modifications that are required for the installation of the new equipment.  SJH will participate in the development of the Contract Documents including design drawings and specifications as per the accepted recommendations during the preliminary evaluations.