Viking Wind Farm

Scotland, UK

Project synopsis

WTG foundation design, public road access design and scoping and supervision of site wide SI.

Contractor

SSE Renewables

End client

SSE

This 443MW project covers an area of 130km² with the construction of 103 turbines; the third largest onshore wind farm in the UK. In 2015 Tony Gee began working on the project with a construction review and modelling of the access tracks and hardstanding layout for planning. Several ‘hotspots’ were identified, from which the planning layout was refined to reduce the construction impact of the works.

Following this, we designed a 2.2 km public highway diversion for the B9075 Sandwater Road. We also designed junctions for accesses off the public road network at four locations throughout the site.

A catchment assessment for 1:200 year +20% flood event was undertaken to determine the clear span requirements of Pettawater crossing. The structure, including the re-bar, was modelled in 3-D using REVIT.

The route of the realigned Sandwater Road traverses an area of significant peat deposits. We designed an innovative solution for the embankments to ‘float’ across the peat mass – therefore avoiding substantial peat excavation and significantly reducing the carbon footprint of the works.

Digital data on the project including; site topography, environmental constraints, site GI, access tracks, hardstandings, bridges and drainage were combined on a site wide photo real 3D INFRAWORKS model and hosted on BIM 360 as a Common Data Environment.

In 2019 we were also awarded the commission to design the WTG foundations and provide site wide technical assurance services for the earthworks across the site and the construction of WTG foundations.