scope:

PURPOSE

Substation and switchyard structures are used to support above-grade components and electrical equipment such as cable bus, rigid bus, and strain bus conductors; switches; surge arresters; insulators; and others. Substation and switchyard structures can be fabricated from angles that form chords, trusses, and braced frames. Wide flanges, tubes (round, square, and rectangular), pipes, and polygonal tubes (straight or tapered) are also used in substation structures. The common materials that are utilized are concrete, steel, aluminum, and wood.

This chapter provides an overview of electrical equipment, identifies the various components and structure types, and describes structure configurations. Photographs of selected substation structures and equipment are also included in this section. The photographs are shown for reference and pictorial purposes only, and inclusion of any equipment is not meant to be an endorsement of any manufacturer. The structures shown are not necessarily representative of all engineering applications and support types to be utilized.