Dominion Energy, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, operates in 13 states and offers safe and affordable energy to more than 4.57 million customers. Dominion Energy’s natural gas utility in North Carolina, Dominion Energy North Carolina (DENC), provides natural gas to more than 650,000 homes and businesses in North Carolina, including the cities of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill; the suburbs of Charlotte; and Western North Carolina. DENC’s natural gas pipelines are essential to delivering reliable energy to help fuel the daily lives of its customers and support economic development in the growing state.
DENC began work in 2022 on a pipeline expansion project named the Kannapolis to Concord System Expansion Project, which would deliver natural gas to underserved areas in Rowan and Cabarrus counties. DENC partnered with HDR, Inc. for design and construction support. HDR is a professional services firm focusing on engineering, architecture, and construction.
The design part of the project includes the installation of a 12, 8, and 6-inch diameter high-pressure steel distribution pipeline. HDR assembled a multidisciplinary team consisting of experts dedicated to various parts of the design process, and with a team spread across the country, they needed a solution where everyone could easily access and share data in one place.
HDR deployed ArcGIS for AutoCAD, a no-cost plug-in application for Autodesk AutoCAD and Autodesk Civil 3D, to create a central hub for critical project information. The use of the plug-in has streamlined the data publishing process, improved data accuracy, and supported more seamless collaboration, helping HDR deliver the exceptional design support its client needs.