Built-in place substation buildings: an attractive and affordable alternate to packaged units

Light rail traction power substations (TPS's) do not have to be unsightly and hidden in the most remote recesses of the project. The large painted metal boxes surrounded by cyclone fence that have become the familiar norm for many projects are being replaced by built-in-place buildings in Portland, Oregon, where TriMet and the community are concerned with aesthetics and have made the TPS an important and prominent design element. This paper discusses the general design, construction, costs, contract packaging, advantages/disadvantages and features of the TriMet built-in-place substation buildings and compares them with similar packaged units.