CIVIL ENGINEERING PROJECT PROFILE

Cohocton & Dutch Hill Windfarms
Town of Cohocton, Steuben County, NY

Photos courtesty of First Wind

C.T. Male Associates, P.C. provided wind farm developer, First Wind, with survey and civil engineering services for the Cohocton and Dutch Hill Wind Farms, in the Town of Cohocton, Steuben County, New York.  The project is currently under the final restoration phase.  The Cohocton Wind Farm contains 36 turbines and approximately 9 miles of access roads.  The Dutch Hill Wind Farm contains 15 turbines and approximately 5 miles of access roads.  The wind farms are generally located on active farm land under agreements with landowners. 
 
C.T. Male’s survey group provided survey support for the Cohocton and Dutch Hill wind farms.  Utilizing Global Positioning Systems (GPS) our crews staked the 51 and 14 miles of turbine access roads.  Roads were staked for clearing, alignment and grading for roads that enabled large cranes to access the turbine site for construction.  In some areas, existing highway intersections needed improvements to allow over-length tractor trailer loads to make wide turns.  Surveys were performed for engineering design of intersection improvements which included widening intersections, installing new culverts and construction of retaining walls.  Upon completion of construction, C.T. Male again used GPS to perform a record survey of the access roads and turbines.
 
C.T. Male also provided engineering services, which included design of the turbine roadways, the turbine pad sites, and intersection improvements associated with the turbine installation.  C.T. Male provided plans to accommodate site plan applications to the local regulatory agencies, including the Town of Cohocton, Steuben County and NYSDEC.  C.T. Male prepared a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) for stormwater discharges from the site, and assisted in the project obtaining a waiver to disturb greater than 5 acres at any one time from the NYSDEC Region 8 office.  The road and intersections were designed to accommodate the large cranes needed to erect the 420 foot tall turbines.  After construction, the roads must be reduced to a more narrow width and the disturbed farm land restored to operable conditions, consistent with the NYS Agriculture and Markets requirements.  
 
In addition to the design of the turbine roadways, pad sites and intersection improvements, C.T. Male provided engineering services for the layout and grading of the two project substations and the project management yard.