Special Pole Design for Station Reconstruction

This paper presents the special design and construction methods that were employed for suspension of the Overhead Contact System (OCS) at the Orient Heights Station of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Boston, Massachusetts during rebuilding of the station. Existing catenary wires and supports were attached to the building prior to demolition, but had to be removed for demolition of the building. Tight clearances and cable routing along the building obstructed normal pole installations and span wire removals, but the design team devised a method for span wire/cantilever attachments with construction that provided clearances. This creative engineering approach allowed a temporary, yet permanent, support of the OCS, provided adequate clearance for heavy rail rapid transit trains and did not impact regular passenger service. The paper will also highlight the special pole attachments, the changeover from existing to temporary and then to permanent, and the engineering methods used to insure compliance with the National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) and the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC).