Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Station, located on Biscayne Bay in Florida, is owned by Florida Power & Light Company (FPL). The twin reactor nuclear power station utilizes reinforced concrete intake structures as part of its circulating water systems.

Because of its location in a corrosive environment, an ICCP system (impressed current cathodic protection system) had been installed some years ago to protect the concrete from imbedded steel corrosion of rebar in this highly corrosive environment. Due to age of the system and advancement in technology, FPL decided to replace and upgrade the ICCP system to ensure ongoing protection of the critical intake structure.

STRUCTURAL was awarded a contract to install ICCP for intake bays in two of the units. Working as a subcontractor for Zachry Nuclear Construction (ZNC), and collaborating with STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES, the project consisted of two phases performed during planned outages.

Pre-Planning

STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES’ Corrosion Solution Builders developed the engineering design to upgrade the ICCP systems and to optimize the operation, maintenance, and monitoring of the systems. The plan developed included the reduction of the number of zones from 23 zones to 8 zones per bay in order to improve efficiency.

A total of 14 weeks of pre-planning took place, including mockups, class sessions, and meetings with FPL and ZNC. STRUCTURAL crews also took 4 weeks of training, including GPR training, confined space, fall protection, and fire watch. A number of crew members also received metalizing certifications.

Phased Installation of ICCP Systems

The first phase of the project began in January 2012 and included the replacement of the ICCP in four intake bays in Unit 3. The first phase was completed in July 2012, totaling 144 working days. The second phase included four bays in Unit 4 during November 2012 to March 2013 requiring 132 working days.

The installation of the upgraded ICCP systems was performed in phases during planned outages. STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES’ Corrosion Control Solution Builders engineered the ICCP design to optimize the operation, maintenance, and monitoring of the systems. The systems included upgraded STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES Electro Tech CP™ state-of-the-art power supplies, controllers, and monitoring systems.

While STRUCTURAL crews installed, energized, and tested the new systems, STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES provided quality control and assurance in conjunction with FPL staff.

Overcoming Challenges

Because the work for each phase took place during planned outages, the schedule was tight and required STRUCTURAL crews to work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to complete the project. STRUCTURAL crews worked in two shifts to minimize worker fatigue and to ensure the work was done safely. Progress meetings were held every 4 hours because of the level of detail and what was required to keep on schedule to deliver quality work.

STRUCTURAL crews encountered an unforeseen condition that resulted in the need for 600 CF of concrete repairs on the intake walls, thrust beams, and soffit beams. Adding this to the scope made it challenging because of time constraints, but STRUCTURAL increased their crew size to make sure the repairs were made without affecting the schedule.

Quality Work Delivered Safely

Unannounced safety audits were regularly conducted to evaluate work orders, quality, fire protection, and training and certification qualifications of the project team. STRUCTURAL received all satisfactory reviews on the SAT reports throughout the project.

The ability of the STRUCTURAL and STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES team to provide technical and operational expertise—combined with the steadfast commitment to safety and quality—made a significant impact in completing the project on time and without any safety incidents.