ICC-ES hosts for Southern California Edison
The ICC Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) hosted the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Seismic Study Group (SSG) on Oct. 14, 2019, and the Inter-Utility Working Group (IUWG) on Oct. 15, 2019 on behalf of Southern California Edison, at the International Code Council’s Western Regional Office in Brea, Calif., to offer ICC-ES services beyond building products and build a network of new type of clients with the power utility companies.
The EPRI SSG is a research institute sponsored by utility companies to do research projects related to the seismic design of electric utility structures and equipment. ICC-ES Regional Engineering Director Vincent Chui, P.E., S.E., presented on the basics of what ICC-ES is and what it does to attendees. The group reviewed the development and objectives of evaluating damping devices, the evaluation of statistical acceptance criteria adopted by IEEE 693, the preliminary results of tests, the status of research projects and suggestions for new research projects, and review the results of transformer tests.
The IUWG meeting included utility companies such as Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas and Electric, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the Bonneville Power Administration, and Seattle City Light. Victor Salcedo, president of GERB Vibration Control Systems and John Eidinger, president of G&E Engineering Systems Inc., were also present. Topics discussed included seismic and climate adaptation; power performance after the July 2019 Ridgecrest Earthquake; transmission line structure drone inspection; flexible conductor project; powerhouse seismic evaluation; 3D base control using helical steel springs and 3D viscous dashpot dampers; power performance after the November 2018 Anchorage Earthquake; and climate adaptation and severe weather initiatives, strategies and challenges.
