Elevating Gate Station Engineering

Project Overview

• Performed engineering and design for a portfolio of gate station projects, providing construction drawing packages for new and replacement stations required to meet energy demand.  

Project Impact 

•  The operator obtained accurate, informed engineering plans for new and replacement stations despite internal engineering capacity constraints  
• Customized engineering designs for regulator stations resulted in installations that exceeded the operations team’s expectations

A growing natural gas distribution system operator in the Midwest was seeking a solution to transform high-level plans and project specifications into actionable steps forward. The engineering and project management team needed a solution that would overcome internal capacity constraints to efficiently produce accurate, informed engineering plans for several regulator station replacement and addition projects.  

HT Engineering and a utility engineering services partner stepped forward to offer guidance and expertise to transform the high-level station plans into detailed engineered designs. HT Engineering’s experience in the industry as well as their responsiveness to client feedback allowed the projects to be completed on-time and to the client’s high standards.  

To begin each project, the operator provided HT Engineering with a layout sketch as well as high-level requirements and key equipment specifications. HT Engineering transformed the plans into 3D models of piping, pipe supports, and concrete to the unique requirements for each station. After validation, the team used the 3D models to generate detailed 2D construction drawings and bills of materials for each site. Communication between the operator and the design team, including weekly updates, a feedback loop on priorities, and input at the 30%, 60%, and 90% design stages, was crucial to meeting the operator’s needs.  

The operator’s final facility designs adhered to federal, state, and local regulations and industry standards, including PHMSA, MPSC, NFPA, and ASME. Using the drawings and bills of materials that HT Engineering provided, the operator has successfully completed the construction of multiple stations, and several more sites are under construction. Today, despite ongoing resource limitations, the operator is continuing to reduce its project portfolio backlog by leveraging HT Engineering’s expertise and capacity.