Educational

O’Connell subcontracted from Barr & Barr Contractors, completing $9 million of major electrical construction work. Electrifying the building included installation of all switchgear, conduit and wire, interior and site lighting, lecture room dimmer systems, and building lighting control system with integration to the campus-wide building management system. We provided power distribution throughout the building via two unit substations with 4.8KV primary 480V/277V secondary with main-tie-main busways. Two natural gas generators were installed on the top floor with control switchgear and automatic transfer switches for emergency power backup. O’Connell installed the lightning protection and grounding systems which required grounding wells in excess of 300 feet. We outfitted the complex with complete fire protection systems, voice and data raceways, and security conduit systems.

O’Connell was also awarded a $2.7 million contract to upgrade the university’s north campus high voltage substation upgrade portion of the project.

O’Connell subcontracted from Wellivere McGuire, Inc. to provide $1.7 million of electrical construction and communications work for the state-of-the-art CAST building.  Included were 15 kV service, primary and secondary power, a structured cabling system with fiber optic backbone for all building communications (voice, data, and video), TEGG certified reliability testing of all systems, and roof mounted photo voltaic solar modules for educational purposes.  All work was successfully performed under a tight schedule to meet faculty and student occupancy requirements.

O’Connell’s extensive college and university experience positioned us as a top candidate for the Case Library project. Our competitive bidding sealed the deal.  We were awarded a $4.4 million contract by the Gilbane Company for full electrical construction. Scope of work required upgrading the renovated library’s outdated electrical service and new electrical work for the Geyer Center as well as new multi-media production suite, high-tech work stations, meeting spaces, lounges, and cafe.

Over a one and a half year construction schedule, O’Connell installed new primary underground electrical structures, 2,500 amp main electric service, and automatic transfer 300 KW natural gas indoor standby generator systems to the building complex. We also furnished all architectural lighting, lighting control and life safety systems, building access control and management systems, all grounding systems and lightning protection, and site lighting.

O’Connell was awarded the $2.7 million contract to upgrade the north campus substation. This work involved installation of two new 10MVA transformers, construction of a new 35/15KV switchgear building, and new duct bank system. Modifications and upgrades were made to the existing unit substations. Several medium voltage cables and breakers that had failed over recent years were also replaced. In total, 5000 linear feet of new power and control duct banks were installed that included over 15,000 feet of conduit, 35,000 feet of 15KV cable, and 5000 feet of multi-conductor control cables. Project challenges were compounded by the steep wooded parcel where substation construction took place as well as the high student, faculty, and vehicle traffic volume that accompanied the duct bank construction.  All surfaces were restored within a twelve week time frame.

O’Connell also completed a $9 million contract for major electrical construction of the 6 story, 235,000 square foot Syracuse University Life Sciences Building, the largest project undertaken in the university’s history.

As part of this overall project, O’Connell Electric is serving as the General Contractor for the expansion and rehabilitation of the existing Cornell University substation. The Cornell University, Maple Avenue Substation Renewal Project is being constructed to accommodate new distributed generation via the Cornell Combined Heat and Power Project and to increase the Substation’s capacity for future load growth. This project is converting the existing substation to a three transformer station with a three-bus 13.2KV Ring Configuration utilizing medium voltage vacuum switchgear.  Each transformer will be rated 20/26.6/33.3MVA 115KV/13KV.

Under a $2.5 million contract, O’Connell installed and tested the voice and data telecommunications systems at 38 out of 45 Syracuse City schools, providing all project management, labor and materials. A pivotal piece of the project relied on O’Connell’s ability to staff and tool for the extensive structured cabling and raceway requirements, complete with wire mold and cable tray systems. Our fiber optic fusion splicing capabilities afforded another component of the project’s success. All told, the Syracuse City Schools project showcased O’Connell’s proficiency in tooling, equipping and resourcing a multiple site communications project on schedule and within budget.

Under an $860,000 contract from the University at Buffalo, in conjunction with the New York Power Authority, O’Connell was hired as prime contractor to upgrade the lighting systems at UB Stadium. Project scope involved the construction of eight new stadium light structures, demolition of the four existing structures, trenching for new conduit, cable, and wire, and energizing the new lights by tying into the stadium’s existing power supply.

O’Connell subcontracted the eight new concrete foundations, each over twenty-feet deep, as well as the crane work for both setting and demolishing the light towers. The new light structures were installed, aligned, and powered-up in pairs prior to their single-tower counterparts being decommissioned and dismantled. The four existing light structures were cut apart and lowered to the ground where O’Connell technicians systematically disassembled each of the 108 light fixtures for proper recycling and disposal of their electronics, ballasts, lamps, and glass. The eight new light towers carried only 35 light fixtures each (totaling 152 fewer overall than the four original towers) while providing greater illumination at much higher energy efficiency ratings.

O’Connell executed its project work around active field and stadium events, coordinating the clearing of office personnel and athletes from the UB Stadium buildings and field during scheduled pole lifts. O’Connell and its subcontractors met all project obligations with zero reported safety incidents, beating our deadline to have the new lights up and operational for the first televised NCAA college football game of the season.