David C. Young, P.E.

Engineering Consultant

Engineering and Construction Standards Development:

Design of aerial and underground electric power distribution engineering and construction standards

Working with client's engineering and construction personnel, Mr. Young can develop safe, economical, reliable and practical distribution engineering and construction standards in full compliance with the National Electrical Safety Code®, state and local standards. Mr. Young has over twenty-three years experience developing and maintaining aerial and underground electric power distribution construction and engineering standards for facilities operating at seven primary voltages up to and including 34.5kV. Mr. Young is a registered professional engineer in eleven states. The development may include some or all of the following components:

  • Review of client's existing construction and engineering standards
  • Review of client's construction material in use
  • Review of client's work and construction practices
  • Review of environmental conditions
  • Review of regional utility practices
  • Review of state and local regulations
  • Conductor selection based upon ampacity, strength and economics
  • Economic consideration of construction types
  • Field testing of construction designs
  • Training of engineering and construction personnel
  • Publishing the construction and engineering standards
  • On-going technical assistance
  • Standards maintenance

Upgrading existing construction and engineering standards to comply with National Electrical Safety Code® changes

Mr. Young can review existing construction and engineering standards to determine compliance with the National Electrical Safety Code® and make recommendations to upgrade existing standards to comply with the NESC® or upcoming changes to the NESC®. Mr. Young can also supply training to construction and engineering personnel relevant to the changes.

Development of aerial and underground electric power distribution and joint-use (electric supply and communications) engineering manuals

Mr. Young has twenty-three years experience developing engineering manuals for the design of electric power distribution facilities and joint-use electric and communications facilities. Mr. Young has great skill in reducing the complex requirements of the National Electrical Safety Code® to simple calculations and easy-to-understand diagrams.

Design of safety signs, labels, and tags to alert utility personnel and the general public of the hazards associated with electric power facilities

Mr. Young has been a member of the committee responsible for the development of the American National Standard for Safety Signs Labels and Tags (ANSI Standard Z-535) since September 1995. He is very familiar with the requirements of ANSI Z-535 and has designed over thirty signs and labels which are presently being used to alert utility personnel and the general public of the hazards associated with electric power facilities.

Development of construction material purchasing specifications

Purchasing specifications are the details utilities use to decide which manufacturers are approved to supply the material. Though there are hundreds of industry standards covering the manufacturing and testing of the materials utilities use to construct electric power distribution facilities, the options available from each manufacturer are sometimes overwhelming. Construction materials must be carefully chosen with the proper electrical and mechanical characteristics to insure the construction of safe and reliable facilities with minimum maintenance. The materials must also be matched to the work practices of the construction personnel and the environment in which it will be installed.

A significant cause of outages to utility customers is material failure due to misapplication or poor quality. Misapplication is often a result of manufacturer's false or misleading advertising. To insure proper material selection and quality, the purchasing specification for the material must detail the performance characteristics of the material and the utility must perform periodic testing to check that performance. Performance characteristics like continuous current rating, fault current withstand rating, fault current interrupting rating, maximum operating temperature, ability to withstand 1500 hours in a salt spray environment without coating system damage, and rated breaking strength are just a few examples of performance characteristics which must be specified in the purchasing specification and tested periodically. Mr. Young has developed purchasing specifications for over 2000 construction materials over the past twenty-three years. The following are some examples of the materials for which Mr. Young has written purchasing specifications:

  • Aerial distribution transformers
  • Pad-mounted distribution transformers
  • Aerial conductors
  • Utility poles
  • Insulators
  • Anchors
  • Low and high voltage cables
  • Cable accessories like splices and terminators
  • Connectors
  • Switchgear
  • Conduit

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