Power Projects

Piedra Blanca Substation

The Piedra Blanca Substation is being built for the Pueblo Viejo Gold Mine expansion project. Portland Bolt has already supplied over 100,000 pounds of galvanized steel anchor bolts for this project. Every phase of this project has been on a fast track.

In June of 2011, Portland Bolt provided 8,200 pounds of anchor bolts immediately for the Piedra Blanca Substation project. We manufactured and galvanized over 500 ASTM F1554 grade 36 headed anchor bolts in just 12 days.  These anchor bolts ranged in diameter from  1” through 1-1/4 and were all 30” in length. This included full assembly of nuts and export packaging. A follow up order two months later included 1-1/2” diameter galvanized F1554 grade 55 bent anchor bolts.

Portland Bolt manufactures bolts from steel bars and our in-house hot-dip galvanizing line allows us to control the manufacturing schedule from start to finish. This allows us to quote shorter lead times, but more importantly it allows us to meet our promised shipping date over 99% of the time. Portland Bolt has earned a reputation as a reliable, fast track anchor bolt supplier for projects all over the world.

Gary Rusynyk

• Phone: (800) 599-7838
• Email: gary@portlandbolt.com

Photo courtesy of Rhonda Beltran, McKinley Children’s Center

McKinley Children’s Center Solar Power Project

In August of 2011, the McKinley Children's Center in San Dimas, California broke ground on a 496 kW solar power generation project. The project consisted of the construction and installation of thirty one 16 kiloWatt CPV solar arrays. Instead of the usual stationary arrays, the project used motorized panels able to tilt and track the sun throughout the day. This required the arrays to sit on extended height columns, which in turn required longer than typical anchor bolts. The contractor performing the installation of the arrays called on Portland Bolt to provide these anchor bolt assemblies.

Portland Bolt manufactured nearly 1,200 custom galvanized F1554 Grade 55 anchor bolt assemblies for the project, shipping the first 500 assemblies to the job in just over a week’s time to help keep the project on schedule. Our in house galvanizing line and our large steel inventory were two of the reasons that we were able to manufacture these special anchor bolts so quickly.

The completed solar arrays are expected to generate up to 75 percent of the power requirements of the McKinley Children’s Center’s 40 acre campus, which provides special-education, mental-health treatment, and adoption services to over 1,000 disadvantaged children each year through its various programs.

Derek Marquez

• Phone: (800) 323-0425
• Email: derek@portlandbolt.com

Nichols Farms CVP Solar Power Plant

In April of 2011, a one megawatt high concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) power plant was completed for Nichols Farms in Hanford, California. This is one of multiple distributed generation projects that a leading developer and manufacturer of solar energy systems based on Concentrator Photovoltaic technology has completed and continues CPV on the path to utility-scale generation. The installation will produce 2.244 million kilowatt hours in the first year, which is roughly 70 percent of the processing facility's electricity demand. The power plant, located on six acres adjacent to the pistachio processing facility, consists of 119 8.8 kilowatt SF-1100S CPV systems. The plant, which utilizes the SF-1100S CPV systems, was designed and built by a well-known engineering and construction firm, and is now connected to the regional electrical grid serviced by SoCal Edison.

According to Chuck Nichols, owner of Nichols Farms, "As an integrated grower, processor, and marketer of pistachios, I appreciate the value of harnessing natural resources in an efficient, sustainable manner". California has a large number of agricultural businesses that can benefit from the implementation of innovative solar technology. The Nichols Farms project is delivering lower operating costs and the impact of future increasing energy costs has been minimized. Two generations of the Nichols family work together to grow, process, package and market pistachios. With this new solar field installed, they can now continue the work they have been doing in a more environmentally friendly way.

When Portland Bolt was contacted about supplying the anchor bolts for the solar unit assemblies, we jumped at the chance. At first, the work was attractive because Portland Bolt thrives in being involved in projects that make a difference for years to come, but it became more evident that Portland bolt was an important part of this project when we saw the anchor bolt requirement. Not only were there high strength galvanized anchor rods, but they needed to be assembled with a top and bottom template. Each template had eight holes, meaning that each assembly consisted of eight anchor bolts. Sixty two total assemblies were required for the project, which shipped from Portland Bolt fully assembled and ready to be installed. Needless to say, a flatbed truck was required for transportation.

Anthony Porreco

• Phone: (800) 599-6926
• Email: anthony@portlandbolt.com

RCPW Facility Wind Farm

In October 2010, as part of the "Resourceful Kansas" program, Riley County, Kansas, in partnership with Kansas State University, initiated a sustainable energy expansion to add renewable energy features to the recently completed Riley County Public Works (RCPW) facility, which is an award-winning model for sustainable design. Among the additions at the site were four solar-powered street lights, a used-oil heater, a thin-film PV system, a solar under-floor heating system, and multiple wind turbines from 2.5kW to 100kW in size. When the contractor performing the installation of these wind turbines needed anchor bolts for them, he came to Portland Bolt.

In just over two weeks time Portland Bolt was able to manufacture and ship over 100 galvanized F1554 Grade 105 custom anchor bolts along with several hundred galvanized custom size F436 hardened washers. Our in-house galvanizing line gave us the flexibility and control to manufacture the non-standard fasteners the project required in the time frame the contractor needed.

The energy produced by the wind farm will create enough energy to power the public works facilities for up to 20 years.

Derek Marquez

• Phone: (800) 323-0425
• Email: derek@portlandbolt.com

Photo courtesy of Daily Journal of Commerce

Tri-Met Energy Pilot Program

Portland Bolt has supplied custom bolts for projects throughout the United States as well as internationally, but we always enjoy working on a project right here in our backyard that we can drive by on any given day.

In December of 2009, Portland Bolt supplied several 1-1/4" diameter galvanized tie rod assemblies with clevises for a project in downtown Portland. Several of the tie rods were in excess of 20 feet in length. They were being used for a steel structure that will support wind turbines and solar panels to be installed in the future. The turbines and panels will help power electrical systems for TriMet, and are part of an energy pilot program that will provide educational opportunities for Portland State University students.

Mike Monlux

• Phone: (800) 599-0544
• Email: mikem@portlandbolt.com

Photo courtesy of CWLP Springfield

Dallman Unit #4

In the summer of 2009, the city of Springfield, Illinois opened the Dallman Unit 4 coal-fired power plant. The plant was designed from the start to meet the strictest emission limits in the nation. The Dallman plant was awarded the Plant of the Year award from Power Magazine in their August 2009 issue.

Portland Bolt supplied a total of 43,100 pounds of galvanized grade 55 anchor rods and hardware in 73 separate shipments for the project between March and May of 2007. Many of the anchor bolt assemblies included fabricated plates welded in place to the rods. Shipments to the site averaged a two-week turnaround from the time each order was placed in order to meet the critical delivery requirements of the customer.

John Wunderlich

• Phone: (800) 599-2943
• Email: johnw@portlandbolt.com

Photo courtesy of HCI

Wygen III

Black Hills Corporation has started construction of the Wygen III power plant located outside Gillette, Wyoming. Once complete, the entire project will cover 65 acres. The expected operational date is 2010 and will generate 90-megawatts of power for the region.

Portland Bolt has provided the civil contractor responsible for a majority of the project's components, anchor bolt assemblies for the foundations.

John Wunderlich

• Phone: (800) 599-2943
• Email: johnw@portlandbolt.com

Longview Power

Construction has started on the 695 megawatt Longview Power plant in Maidsville, West Virginia. The initial phase of construction includes supply and design of a $200 million supercritical once-through pulverized-coal steam generator. This $1.8 billion coal fired plant is scheduled to be complete in 2011. It will play a significant role in meeting the region's energy needs.

With over 48,000 pounds of anchor bolts supplied to secure the generators, Portland Bolt worked six days a week to ship these large anchor bolts within the required time frame. Some of the embeds were 4 and 4-1/2 inches in diameter and over 9 feet long. The assemblies required nuts and steel plates to be welded prior to shipping. Each manufacturing process was completed in-house, allowing for better control.

John Wunderlich

• Phone: (800) 599-2943
• Email: johnw@portlandbolt.com

Santan Expansion Project

Between April and December of 2003, Portland Bolt supplied over 140,000 pounds of anchor bolts for the expansion of the Santan Generating Station located in Gilbert, Arizona.

The 825-megawatt, natural gas combined-cycle generating facility will provide electricity for up to 200,000 homes.

John Wunderlich

• Phone: (800) 599-2943
• Email: johnw@portlandbolt.com