Energy and Power

Substation Site Work and Physical Security

Langston Construction Company executes the civil, structural, and physical security scope at substation sites for investor-owned utilities, public power utilities, municipalities, rural electric cooperatives, and the engineer-of-record firms that design hardened substations under NERC CIP-014. The firm builds the civil and structural scope, including the foundations, equipment pads, grading, and access roads, as well as the physical security: the perimeter wall, anti-climb fence, gates, and access-control vestibule.

What we build and secure at substation sites

Utilities hire Langston for the sitework, foundations, and the substation security fencing, ballistic walls, and crash gates that harden critical infrastructure to NERC CIP-014.

Substation site construction and grading

Site work and grading

We clear, grade, and prep the site, build the access roads, and handle the drainage and stormwater.

Aerial view of a completed electric substation

Foundations and pads

We pour the transformer foundations, equipment pads, and control-building pads to the engineer’s drawings.

Operations building exterior built by Langston Construction Company

Control buildings and equipment shelters

We pour the slab and erect the control-building shell and equipment shelters. The electrical contractor fits out the inside.

Anti-ram steel security gate at a substation

Substation fencing and security walls

We build the substation perimeter security: anti-climb fencing, crash-rated gates, and ballistic or blast-rated walls.

Crash-rated barrier gate at a controlled substation entrance

Access control and gates

We install the gates, barriers, and access-control points that lock the site down.

Completed precast ballistic perimeter wall and gate at a substation compound

NERC CIP-014 hardening

We build the physical protection that federal rules require for the substations that keep the grid running.

Where we stop: the grounding grid, transformers, switchgear, relays, and energizing are the electrical contractor’s scope. We build the site and secure it. They handle the electrical.

NERC CIP-014, in plain terms

Substations that could take down part of the grid have to be hardened against physical attack under a federal rule called NERC CIP-014. Substation security is the whole job here: we build the walls, the fences, the barriers, and the gates that meet it. This is critical infrastructure protection, built in concrete and steel.

Recent substation work

Aerial view of a fenced electric substation

Substation Physical Security 2023 (4,100 LF Perimeter)

A high-security perimeter fence built to NERC CIP-014 for Idaho Power.

Aerial view of a completed electric substation

Substation Physical Security 2023

A high-security fence program built to full NERC CIP-014 for Burns & McDonnell.

Aerial of substation flood-mitigation wall

Substation Flood Protection

Flood walls built to protect substation sites from major storms.

Common questions

Does Langston do the electrical work?

No. We build the civil, structural, and security scope. The electrical contractor handles the grounding grid, transformers, switchgear, and energizing.

Does Langston install the grounding grid?

No. That is electrical scope. We do the earthwork and hold the pad to grade; the electrical contractor installs the grid.

What does Langston build at a substation?

The site, the foundations and pads, access roads, and the full perimeter security: walls, fences, gates, and barriers.

What is NERC CIP-014?

A federal rule that requires certain substations to be hardened against physical attack. We build that hardening.

Can Langston work in a live substation?

Yes. Our crews follow OSHA and utility clearance rules to work safely near energized equipment while we build the civil and security scope.

Where does Langston work?

From our South Carolina headquarters, for investor-owned utilities and their engineers.

Have a substation project?

Talk to the Langston team about the civil, structural, and security scope.

Scroll to Top