Requirements
I & H Brown engaged Nairn Construction Ltd to deliver a traditional-built control building and associated infrastructure at the Whitelaw Brae wind farm near Moffat, forming a key part of the wider renewable energy development.
The building needed to house a SPEN (Scottish Power Energy Networks) room, switch room and control room, along with storage and welfare facilities, plus a basement cable entry system serving the SPEN room. It was constructed using a reinforced concrete structural base and basement walls designed to accommodate incoming cable infrastructure.
The project was delivered in a remote, high-level location in Scotland, requiring careful planning and innovative solutions to overcome challenging environmental conditions.
See also Eccles Windfarm Substation.
APPROACH
The original construction programme ran to 27 weeks. However, because of the critical nature of the wider wind farm completion schedule, I & H Brown instructed Nairn Construction to accelerate the works to hit pre-agreed handover dates and avoid delaying turbine cabling, electrical infrastructure completion and final commissioning.
The project started on site in October, meaning much of the build fell across a Scottish winter at a high-level, exposed location — with high winds, heavy rainfall and snowfall all affecting working conditions. To protect the programme, Nairn Construction designed and installed a fully engineered encapsulation system around the building footprint. This included full scaffold encapsulation of the building, designed access through all door openings, perimeter restraint using 2.1-tonne kentledge blocks, an enclosed roof using corrugated sheeting, and tensioned tarpaulin side walls engineered to withstand the wind, rain and snow expected on site.
As a result, Nairn Construction maintained safe working conditions throughout the winter, protected completed works, and kept the accelerated programme on track without delaying turbine cabling activities.
THE KEY WORKS CARRIED OUT BY NAIRN CONSTRUCTION ON THE WHITELAW BRAE CONTROL BUILDING WERE AS FOLLOWS:-
- Construction of a reinforced concrete structural base and basement walls to accommodate incoming cable infrastructure.
- External and internal blockwork walls, in a combination of 100mm and 215mm construction with an insulated cavity wall system.
- Internal partition walls using 140mm paint-grade blockwork, with MF ceiling systems and traditional plaster finishes.
- Traditional timber roof truss construction with a tiled roof covering.
- Design and installation of a fully engineered scaffold encapsulation system to protect the works throughout the winter.
Follow-On Works:
Following the successful, on-time delivery of the control building, I & H Brown awarded Nairn Construction further works associated with completing and enhancing the wider wind farm infrastructure.
This included construction of a 70m x 50m compound area, comprising formation of the compound, installation of stock fencing around its perimeter, a Paladin security fence system around the BESS (Battery Energy Storage System) base, and incoming ducting from the additional transformer base to support future electrical infrastructure.
Nairn Construction was also tasked with improving long-term operational safety and maintenance access across the site, installing cable marker posts along the turbine cable routes, identifying and protecting underground electrical infrastructure, and installing 530 adverse weather road markers to improve visibility and route definition across the wind farm.
RESULTS
Nairn Construction delivered the control building safely and to a high standard, despite the accelerated programme and challenging winter conditions. As a result, turbine cabling activities were not delayed, and the wider wind farm scheme remained on track for completion.
I & H Brown’s confidence in Nairn Construction’s delivery led directly to further work being awarded. Including the wind farm compound, BESS security fencing, and cable identification and road marking across the site. Strengthening a trusted working relationship between the two companies
On Budget
On Time
Carried out Safely
Happy Client
Testimonial
Thank you for all your help. Your site team have been great to work with and produced a high standard of workmanship! Hopefully see you on another.
Thanks again.
— Daniel Gillan, Site Engineer, I & H Brown
