PROJECT

BC Hydro 

Saranovich Capacitor Station Civil Site Preparation 

Project Details

CLIENT

BC Hydro

PRIME CONTRACTOR

Halfway River Frost LP

LOCATION

Vanderhoof, British Columbia 

CONTRACT

PGTC Site Preparation for Saranovich Capacitor Station

DURATION

2024 

Project Overview

Frost Group delivered civil site preparation for BC Hydro’s Saranovich Capacitor Station, approximately four kilometres southeast of Vanderhoof, British Columbia. Acting as Prime Contractor, Frost Group’s scope combined station-pad earthworks, granular fill, drainage, construction access, and restoration within the Prince George to Terrace Capacitors program. 

The civil work included grubbing and soil stripping, subsoil excavation and relocation, Granular A supply and compaction, imported riprap, and nonwoven geotextile. The project also incorporated additional native-soil placement, drainage control, and west-ditch work as construction requirements developed. 

The scope brought together station-site earthworks, material placement, drainage, and the construction controls required to prepare the site for subsequent works. 

Site Preparation & Earthworks 

  • Survey, work-boundary layout, and construction grade control 
  • Grubbing, topsoil stripping, hauling, and spreading 
  • Excavation and relocation of unsuitable subsoil 
  • Supply, placement, compaction, and testing of Granular A (6-inch minus) 
  • Station-pad formation and access-road extension and grade adjustment at the station 

Drainage, Protection & Restoration 

  • Temporary construction works, including culvert access to spoil-pile locations 
  • Open-ditch and culvert construction 
  • Imported riprap and nonwoven geotextile installation 
  • Water management and environmental monitoring 
  • Additional native-soil placement, drainage control, and west-ditch installation 
  • Restoration, hydroseeding, final survey, and as-constructed documentation 

The earthworks program included grubbing and stripping, removal of unsuitable subsoil, and preparation of the station platform. The progress-payment record reports 3,000 m³ of grubbing and disposal, 10,100 m³ of topsoil stripping and spreading, and 2,708.58 m³ of subsoil excavation and relocation. 

The execution plan provided for topsoil and organics to be collected in windrows or piles, loaded into articulated trucks, and hauled to designated placement areas. A temporary culvert was included to support transport across the wetted area during soil handling.

Granular A supply, installation, compaction, and testing formed a major part of the civil works. The reported installation and compaction quantity is 36,068.58 m³, with material placement used to establish the station’s rough-grade platform. 

The planned placement sequence used grade-controlled dozers, moisture conditioning, and vibratory compaction. Survey checks, measured aggregate haulage, and third-party materials testing were included in the execution approach. 

The drainage scope included open ditches, culverts, imported riprap, and nonwoven geotextile. The progress-payment schedule records 737.87 m³ of riprap supply and installation and 2,512 m² of nonwoven geotextile. 

Construction planning addressed removal of surface water and discharge to approved locations under environmental direction. Temporary spoil-pile access and station-side access-road grade adjustments were coordinated with the pad and drainage scope. 

Additional work was added to Frost Group’s scope of work including, monitoring-well decommissioning, relocation and placement of native soils, drainage control and clean-up, tower-apron aggregate, and west-ditch installation. These items show how the civil scope developed beyond the original station-site preparation quantities. 

Environmental planning included bird and amphibian surveys, containment measures, and adjustments to work sequencing around site constraints. Environmental monitoring accompanied the civil scope, with restoration and hydroseeding included for disturbed areas outside the station platform. 

Survey and machine grade control were central to the planned construction sequence, from initial topography and footprint layout to material-volume checks and final as-constructed information. The execution plan identified Topcon-equipped dozers and independent compaction testing. 

The project-specific Quality Management Plan set out subgrade inspections, material gradation and density testing, proof rolling, inspection and test plans, and construction records. These requirements supported field verification and construction documentation.

As Prime Contractor, Frost Group was responsible for coordinating the civil construction scope, site safety, environmental requirements, subcontractors, and construction documentation. The delivery approach brought field supervision, equipment, survey, and specialist environmental and testing resources together under one civil contract. 

The Saranovich project demonstrates Frost Group’s civil site-development capabilities through the delivery of station-pad earthworks, granular fill, drainage, erosion protection, and restoration. Its combination of material placement, environmental coordination, and additional drainage work highlights the team’s ability to manage an evolving civil scope.

Key Project Highlights

10,100 M³

Topsoil Stripping & Spreading

2,708.6 M³

Subsoil Excavation & Relocation

36,068.6 M³

Granular A Installed & Compacted

737.9 M³

Riprap Supplied & Installed

2,512 M²

Nonwoven Geotextile