Case Study: Barkley Project Group achieves faster, safer hydroelectric penstock installation with Victaulic mechanical couplings

Barkley Project Group cuts penstock installation time from 6 hours to 20 minutes with Victaulic

The Barkley Project Group faced significant challenges constructing a penstock line for the Canoe Creek hydropower facility on Vancouver Island. The project's remote location in a steep, high-precipitation rainforest made traditional welding methods impractical, threatening severe delays and environmental disruption. To address this, the owner and their contractor selected Victaulic and its AGS couplings for the installation.

Victaulic's grooved coupling solution allowed installation to proceed rapidly in any weather, eliminating the need for welding and its associated large equipment. This resulted in a drastically reduced construction footprint, cutting the required road width from 18 km to just 6 km and minimizing deforestation. The project was completed early, with each pipe joint taking minutes instead of hours. Victaulic's solution also significantly improved safety and reduced environmental impact, slashing CO2 emissions from an estimated 37,422 kg for welding to just 58 kg.

Barkley Project Group