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COMMERCIAL (ELECTRICAL CONTRACTS
BETWEEN $500,001 AND 1,500,000)
VA ELECTRIC INC.
CONCHAS DAM ELECTRICAL UPGRADE PROJECT
VA Electric was recognized for its work on the Conchas removing the counterweights from the crane and trucking IEC NATIONAL 2019 AWARDS | EXCELLENCE IN ELECTRICAL CONSTRUCTION
Dam Electrical Upgrade Project. them and the generator across the dam first. Once the
generator and counterweights were trucked across the
This project was an upgrade of the electrical services and dam the stripped down crane was then driven across. The
equipment at the Conchas Dam Administration Building weather was quite variable. VAE worked in conditions that
and other associated buildings. These buildings included were constantly changing. From early spring snowstorms
Administration, Shop, and five “casitas” called Adobe Belle to temperatures in the 90s, for instance, one day the high
Resort. All of these facilities, with the exception of the temperature was 78 degrees and the next day the high
Shop, were completed in 1939 and added to the National was 28. Winds were a constant occurrence. One particular
Register of Historical Places in 2005. Conchas Dam, the day winds were at a top speed of 70 miles per hour. A
Administration Building, and Adobe Belle Resort represent train was derailed that day in nearby Logan, NM, by the
the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE) first wind. Progress was slowed by the underlying sandstone
project in New Mexico. The buildings and dam were an effort in areas VAE had to trench through to install underground
of the US government to provide relief and employment conduits. Experimentation and determination allowed the
during the Great Depression for the citizens of New Mexico. equipment on-site to be used in a manner to dig through
The resort buildings were originally built for the USACE these difficult soil conditions. Lastly, the order to proceed
employees charged with maintaining the dam and facilities. was issued in October of 2018 with an end date of May 7,
The Adobe Belle buildings consist of four duplexes and one 2019. The start date was pushed back to January 7, by the
singular dwelling. Because of the historical registration there owner but the same end date was maintained. With detailed
was an added layer of concern on the project. All building coordination and planning, VAE was able to schedule on-
exteriors had to remain undisturbed. The project entailed site tasks and order long-lead materials in time to meet
demolition and removal of separate overhead 208 volt the decreased timeline. Items like the generator, automatic
and 480 volt electrical services. These were replaced with transfer switches and main distribution panelboards which
separate pad-mounted transformers, one for each voltage. typically take four months to manufacture and deliver
The 208 volt was used for the Administration and Shop were procured and delivered just in time to install, inspect
buildings, each receiving new Main Distribution Panels (MDP). and energize. The complicated installation of two separate
The 480 volt component was for the Adobe Belle buildings. electrical services (480 volt and 208 volt) provided by
utility power and two backup electrical systems (generator
The project had its share of issues. The job site is forty and photovoltaic power) under a compressed timeline
miles from the nearest interstate highway and 190 ninety all while maintaining VAE’s high standards of quality
miles from VAE’s shop in Albuquerque. The crane required workmanship were recognized by the owner and prime
to set the generator, as configured, was too heavy to cross contractor as going above and beyond what was expected.
the dam. A subsequent plan resulted in overcoming this by
www.ieci.org | November/December 2019 | Insights Magazine 23