Built as the main dispatching center of the Bonneville system in 1939, the J.D. Ross Control House and Substation in Vancouver, Wash., has always been an important control facility. (It was originally known as the North Vancouver Substation, renamed the Ampere Substation shortly thereafter and then finally renamed in honor of BPA's first BPA administrator in 1941.)  It brings in power from Bonneville Dam and moves it out to communities in the Portland- Vancouver area.

The Ross Control House renovation project, which began in mid-November, included the seismic hardening of the building, as well as replacing and upgrading facility components that improved energy efficiencies and enhanced the work environment.

Josh McEllrath, Ross Chief Substation Operator III, likens the challenge of upgrading an energized facility to road construction, "You can close a lane, but you can't shut down the entire highway."

Understanding they couldn't just close the facility, both WRK Engineers, who developed the structural designs, and Skanska, the general construction contractor, developed a plan and schedule that minimized operational impacts and disruptions to the six employees who report at the facility.

Efforts to protect the indispensable equipment included putting up pressurized plastic covers around switchboard panels that were equipped with zippers so operators could access the switches, meters and relays they needed to perform their tasks.

Safety was also a major consideration.

"A work-related accident could have huge consequences, so we were focused on protecting personnel and equipment during the entire process," said Jonathan Ayers, BPA's construction manager.

Facilities of this era present other hazards as well since materials such as asbestos, lead and even mercury were routinely used in construction until the late 1970s and early 1980s.  This is why BPA hired an industrial hygienist to oversee the contractors' hazardous material abatement procedures.

"With concerns about hazardous material we didn't want to take any chances," said David Robledo, BPA's contracting officer's technical representative for the project.

Constant air monitoring and oversight by the industrial hygienist ensured a safe environment for both the contractors and BPA personnel.

BPA turned to the Washington State Historic Preservation Office and an independent consultant to ensure the preservation of the control house's historic elements. For instance, to maintain the character of the granite window sills and original window depth and design, the perimeter stud walls, a seismic mitigation component, were held back from the window openings. The schoolhouse type pendant lighting in the lobby was replaced with new, energy efficient units that matched the color and design of the original fixtures. Likewise, the original Plexiglas-type panels in the steel-grid skylight were also removed in favor of new industrial pendent-mounted fixtures and the perimeter recessed lighting (cove lighting) was rebuilt and preserved. The original duo-tone brown linoleum tile with perimeter dado line also remained untouched.

The lighting was a much needed area of improvement. The original fixtures often gave operators eye fatigue and in some areas didn't provide enough light to service the equipment without the aid of flashlights. So the remodel included adding new, brighter lighting fixtures that can be selectively controlled.

The pre-existing ceiling tile had to be removed, years before the start of this project, due to asbestos in the tiles and some tiles falling from the ceiling. (This left an unappealing checkerboard of mastic globs on the control room ceiling.)  So the mastic globs were replaced with a new gypsum board and finished in a historically appropriate texture that matched the walls. The roof and flashing was also replaced and a low profile fall protection system was also installed on the roof to preserve its historical appearance.

The remodel went well beyond the cosmetic. Facilities that are critical to BPA's operation must be able to survive current building code earthquake hazards. And structural assessments showed that the south side of the control house was at risk of failing during a seismic event.

"The 73-year-old historic building was vulnerable to major damage during a major earthquake," said Leon Kempner, BPA structural engineer and seismic mitigation program manager.

Consequently, one of the major seismic upgrades was structural bracing to provide increased lateral support to the walls. This involved modifying the 1939 stucco-clad concrete shell and hollow clay tile interior walls. Plus, the existing flat roof was reinforced with additional steel members and structural braces were added to the ceiling. The interior walls were also reinforced with stainless steel studs, anchored into the existing plaster-coated concrete and hollow clay tile walls.

"Our goal was to make this a safer, sturdier facility while preserving its historical character and I believe the seismic mitigation project team did that," added Kempner.

The $984,000 project was completed in March. McEllrath sums up the difference the improvements have made.

"The fit and finish is amazing. It's in better condition than before and we all feel more confident in the structure if something [earthquake] were to happen."

The Ross control house seismic strengthening project is part of a larger agency seismic mitigation program focused on minimizing the damage a major earthquake would have on the Northwest power grid. One component of the seismic mitigation program is the seismic hardening of critical building facilities. A number of additional building projects have been completed, including a control center, five main grid control houses, a telecommunications building and a critical storage facility. Three additional substation control house seismic upgrade projects are currently in construction and scheduled to be completed in 2012. There are also a number of projects in the design phase, including a central storage warehouse, three additional main grid control houses, a maintenance headquarters and a critical fabrication services facility. The building hardening component of the seismic mitigation program is sponsored by BPA's Facilities Asset Management.

You can view a slideshow of the J.D. Ross Control House makeover on Flickr.

The Ross Substation has played a significant role in the agency's history. One of the first four substations built to distribute hydroelectricity from Bonneville Dam, the Ross Substation fed load centers in the Portland-Vancouver-Portland area, upper Willamette Valley and Puget Sound. The Ross Control House was also the site of the agency's first control center. The Ampere Control Center was the nerve center of the Northwest transmission grid until 1974 when the agency began operating its new $20 million control center. Because it was a main distribution and coordination hub of the system, the agency established other support and maintenance facilities at the location, which is known today as the J.D. Ross Complex. Click here to learn more about BPA and the history of hydropower in the Northwest.