TRANSMISSION? & DISTRIBUTIONSSAME A te (tee ARE YQU-USING FL S-GABB? Engineering software for structural analysis and design of overhead power lines has been pera ate ae Yee eS ee ei Cet ecu ere ig en ue he Ch we pioneered the integration of finite element analysis on complete lines which is proven Pe eM MCMC cout Baa as EET IM Ay oe Mord SMe Cee mg Ren Eimer cuca ese Me es eet cd aon gee ae ea) Prem Cete cmc tr Cg ra eA aay ee ee ae cc Pee reece en aera Pees une ss ey confidence based on sound structural eeu Rane eam ed roe eeu ere Uae Menge te BY TTaT Cee ee eeu onset authorities have with grid owners. With PLS St Le aed meeting existing and future requirements for Runetotem tcuekecricuas Oe Case eu emcee at Rogers ceed Pen ae ae Te Ce ee eae ee ‘engineers for overhead line engineers. We can help you insure that NESC, GOgs, ASCE, IEEE, NS MRe Wa soe oa Mer ed er ea Rees eeu eee Te CONTACT DS TODAY TO LEARN HOW PLS WILL HELP YOU MEET THE CHALLENGES DULL aC CT DUP I iA Petsii—ee ik SvSTEMS TNC | Email: info@powline.com Dice east ereet SO Raa Ln _ Madison, Wisconsin 53705. USABeing Civil in an Electrical World By Otto J. Lynch, Power Line Systems Inc. ‘went to college to be a civil/structural en- _gincer so T could design and build bridges, buildings and dams— big, beautiful struc- tures, As a college senior interviewing for ‘what would be my first job at Black & Veatch, I Saraveelag Gea Gelteseh as aces and building power lines instead. “Isn't that a job for electrical engineers?” T remember asking Dave Koehler, who was interviewing me. He explained transmission lines were just gigantic multiple suspension bridges made up of steel, concrete, wood, aluminum and other materials requiring sur- veying, site work, foundations and, of course, project and construction management. Dave went on t0 ex- plain thatwhile I may only design afew bridges ever my entire ‘career, I could design hundreds of power lines in that time, I suddenly wished I had stayed awake more during my electri cal engineering 101 cass. ‘Come to find out, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) is actually quite active in the electrical T&D indus- try, In 1986, shortly before I graduated, Cone M. Wilhoute ‘huired an ASCE conference in Kansas City, Missouri, US., ‘on “Innovations in the Design of Electrical Transmission Structures.” Looking at the names of the people who had been in: volved with this conference is like visiting the industry's hall ‘of fame. Commitice members who put on this conference and produced the proceedings were Dan Jackman, Richard Ken- ‘non, Tony DiGioia, Frank Denbrock and, one of my first men- tors, John Harrison. Papers were presented by Ron Randle, Edwin Gaylord, Dick Kravitz, Jerome Hansen, Bill Howard and many others, Two papers were presented by another man ‘who would one day make a significant impact on my career and life, Alain Peyrot, founder of Power Line Systems Inc, ‘The Structural Engincering Institute (SEI) is one of eight ASCE institutes that provide technical, educational and pro- fessional resourees in specialty areas. Under SETis the Elec- tuical Transmission & Substation Structures (ETS) technical administrative committee, Mike Miller's column in this sup- plement coversall of the relevant documents produced by SEL and ETS. Several of those documents, specifically ASCE-10 Design of Laticed Steel Transmission Structures and ASCE- 48 Design of Steel Transmission Pole Structures, are used and referenced worldwide. ASCE's Committee on America’s Infrastructure issues a “Report Card for America’s Infrastructure" every four years; the last one was issued in 2018, The energy sector received a _grade of Ds, which was no change over the 2009 grade. While improvements had been made on the transmission side of ‘our infrastructure, problems on the distribu ton side kept us from raising that grade, The White House issued a report in 2013 that calls for protecting the electric grid from severe weather, and the Department of Energy is calling for using stronger materials for poles and structures as.a hardening strategy. In the U.S, many point to the National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) as the design code for our electric infrastructure. However, asis often repeated by many, the NESC is just a safety code. In Section 1, Rule 010 clearly states the overall purpose of the NESC, which does not lst ensuring that lines are designed. to handle reasonable weather events or how to. do proper engineering. Rule O10D specifically states, “This code is not intended, as a design specification or as an instruction manual” For structures less than 60 ft (18 m), the only weather conditions required to be followed for safety were last modified in 1941, and the wind loads were modified down from what they were prior to that. It is time we modernize our expected weather loads for our distribution systems, but the NESC focuses on safety and not grid strength issues. ASCE is ready to fill these voids. The various documents mentioned in Miller's column are design specifications and instruction manuals, They do instruct how to determine the expected meteorological loads. They do specify how to de- sign structures properly. And, contrary to sehat the Departe mentof Energy isadvocating, wood poles are just fine for use in our industry —as long as they are designed correctly. ASGE’s 2015 ETS conference, “Grid Modernization: Tech- nical Challenges & Innovative Solutions,’ will be in Branson, “Missouri, There were 168 papers submitted for consideration, and itwas a difficult process to select the final 35 papers to be presented at the conference. Highlights from five of these pa- pers are included in this supplement. In addition to the tech- nial sessions, there will be an exhibit hall with nearly 100 exhibitors, a workshop on the latest developments in codes and standards, and a constructionoriented demonstration day, Please visit www.etsconference.org for program details. Now, 27 years after first realizing civil engineers playa vital role in our electrical grids, Ihave the honor of being the chair ‘of what is now the largest transmission line structures confer~ cence in the world. ASCE, SEI, ETS and [all invite you to come to Branson to learn more from your peers on grid moderniza- tion from a civil and structural engineering standpoint. Otto J. Lynch is vice president of Power Line Systems Inc. He 1s a registered professional engineer. Tannin itn Wa Aut 2018Sanne etn eee red at Ieast 50 ft (15 m) of clearance be maintained to the sur- 9 the water. This included the maximum water elevation and eo ee ee ee eee August 2015 Transmission & Distribution WoldTAU Teepe braced sall-suporting sllsupoarting| ‘Thee-ple goed ‘Toes pole unbaced Finally, OG&E did not possess standard structure design that could accommodate the project requirements or project schedule, so a new tubular steel design was required, OG&E secured the servicer of Electrical Consultants Inc. (ECI) to work directly with Valmont-Newmark (Valmont). The goal ‘was to develop an efficient and innovative structure design that would meet the needs ofthe project and provide reliable service forthe life of the transmission line. Wire in the Air ‘The development of the lake crossing began with the com ductor design. The design team applied the same conduc: ‘or and sagging criteria used for the majority of the projeet, which was based on the clearance requirements and project constrains, For the lake crossing, the required structure height was estimated to be approximately 275 ft (84 m). The design team then looked into developing 2 new conductor de- sign that would allow the structure height to remain below the 200-£ (6L-m) limitation. Several conductor types were considered, inchuding eus- tomary akuninum conductor steebreinforced (ACSR), alae ‘minum conductor steel-supported (ACS8) sizes and newer conductor types invo imately, the ECI design team worked directly wi to develop a specialized ACSRaype conductor with the elec- ‘sical, suength and performance properties that would meet the needs of the project. The shield wires were similarly de~ signed to be compauible with the conductor sag throughout the range of operation and with each design load case. ‘Once the conductor, shield wire types and tensions were catablished for the lake crossing project, structural design and analysis were conducted. The process began by defining ‘The engineering design team analyzed every type of conventional structure configuration available. The tripod structure configuration (ight) proved to be the most cost-effective structure meeting all of toe design criteria require forthe lake crossing transmission structure. the load cases for each structure type. Determining the mag- nitudles of the point loads, developing preliminary structure designs and performing the analysis allowed comparisons to determine the most effective structure design, "The National Electrical Safety Code defines three specific Toad cases that must be considered, with the conditions and load factors included in each case; these served as the pri ‘mary load eases for the structural design of the lake cross- ing structures. OGRE also established several other loading criteria based on weather events common in the area and the level of reliability required for the transmission line. These criteria included critical wind, extreme ice and uplift load ‘eases. Once the load cases were established, specif proper ties of the transmission line crossing design were applied to determine the magnitudes of the loads for each load case. Structure Types With the design loads defined, the engineering team fo- cased on developing the structure configuration tat would provide the most efficient and costeffeetive solution for the Take crossing, while Keeping constructabiliy and maintai ability a priority, Based on design data provided by ECI, Valmont developed preliminary designs for several conven- tional structure configurations. ‘The guyed structure was identified as the lowest-cost solu- tion; however, OGRE preferred to use a selfupporting op- tion. The Aframe and Fframe options were the next most effective designs, fainly similar in cost and performance. How- ‘ver, ECI decided a more ficient solution could be possible with a nontraditional structure configuration, Experience and engineering principals dictate a triangle is avery table geometric shape. Additionally a compression- fugit 2015 [Tanai & ttn Wnt| i MM TRINITY 14 eae eee noes For more than 50 years, Trinity Meyer Utility Structures has been America's premier choice for tubular steel solutions. Fullkscale vertical structural testing, highly experienced rere eee that reduce total installation time and cost are Eee et an rs Ser eee et ener tree) perenne Fr eu eka Pe te eens errs Nees eee aes Sea et Denes coal eer Renee sey during the SEI/ASCE Conference on eels aie edSI In the air when the top of the structure is ready to se tension structural design typically requires smaller pole diam- ters and shallower foundations than bending moment struc: tural designs. This was first observed with the analysis of the A-frame structure option. By incorporating a triangular shape into the design, an efficent and stable structure could be de veloped using a compression-tension load system rather than bending moment system, Based on this approach, the ECI engineering team devel- Spedian tnovaline teipotdtype vactint Sonifaration ai the solution. Preliminary designs indicated the wipod structure was 46% lighter than the next most efficient design. Once the preliminary structural analysis was performed, ECT com- pleted a foundation analysis for each structure type so a total installed cost comparison could be made to select the most efficient and costeffective option. Using the preliminary shaft sizes and ground line reac tions provided by Valmont, drilled concrete pier foundation designs were developed based on the criteria established for the project. The A-frame structure required the smallest foun dation sizes, while the tripod structure required slightly larger foundations, as expected. However, the A‘rame required four foundations, while the tripod structure, with its smaller ‘overall volume of concrete and less installation labor, only re~ quired three foundations. Tripod Innovations Based! on the results of the structural and foundation analyses, the tripod structure provided the most efficient and costeffective solution, which is why it was selected for imple- mentation, The Valmont engineering group then began work: ing to refine the preliminary designs of each tripod structure further by detailing attachments and engineering the specific components of the structure. ‘A major challenge for the Valmont engineering group was designing the central member of the structure where the legs, arms and body members converge to a common structural member. This central point ofthe steuctute serves asthe pri- Using a tripod structure requires paying careful attention to small details. Being a small amount off atthe base could be significant 50 ft mary load path to transfer the loads from the wires into the legs and foundations, Several different types of attachments at varying angles were requited to accommodate the geometry of the structure. After considerable effort, a design was devel- oped that provided the structural strength and performance required, “The ECI and Valmont engineering groups further collabo- rated to finalize structure designs and shop drawings for each tripod structure. The uniqueness of these structures required ‘engineering oversight above dhat typically expended for tr ditional transmission structure types. After the structural ‘components were fabricated, a trial fic of all structures was per- formed prior to delivery to ensure constructability, and to pro- vide installation methods and procedures to the contractor: ECT also provided on-site engineering and inspection ser- vices during construction. Overall, the innovative tripod struc- ture configurations were suecessfully designed, fabricated and ‘constructed, and are in operation today. TDW Jaron T. Reay isa structural engineering professional working in the power industry. He graduated from the University of Utah with ‘a MSCE degree in 2004. He worked as a design engineer and project manager at Electrical Consultants Inc. for 11 years and is now the manager of transmission engineering in the company’s, Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S., office. He is a member of ASCE and the Structural Engineering Institute's technical activities divi- ‘sion’s committee to create 2 manual of practice on guidelines for wood pole structures for electrical transmission lines. ‘Abe Dilworth is a professional engineer working in the power industry He graduated from the University of Utah with a BSCE degree in 2006 and a MSCE degree in 2008. He has been working for Electrical Consultants In. for nine years as a project ‘engineer and project manager. He spent seven years in the com anys Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S., ofice before transferring to its ‘office in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S., where he Is currently working as, 4 project manager over transmission line projects. DE nc 2 rene oserYOUR PARTNER FOR Look to Valmont Newmark for a complete product line with the expertise to engineer, manufacture, and deliver the Fight pole, tothe right place, atthe right time. Our structures are based on real world test results optimized for the highest value. Using our total capabilities, customer-driven research and development and reputable knowledge in material technology, no challenge is too big fora solution. NEWMARK sity Dison, Valmont Industries, Inc. Two Perictor Park South Suit 475 West« Bimingharn, Alabeme 35243 ‘8005335103 Fae 205:968-7201« wmwivaknont newark com Visit us at SEI-ASCE ETS Conference Booth #200 in Bransontransmission line at a S-mile (8-km)-wide point for the crossing of the Albemarle Sound in North Carolina, US. | 182012, Dominion North Carolina Power rebuilt 1154 ‘The original transmission line was constructed in 1963, Which, atthe time, was the longest water crossing in the his- ‘ory of Virginia Electric Power Co’s (VEPCO's) transmission line program. ‘The unique challenge for this project was the design of the connections between the pile caps and piles to meet the fabrication and installation tolerances called for by the proj- cations. The demanding installation conditions required rotating the 34 (0-m)-long, 80-ton (72-tonne) precast concrete pile caps 180 degrees with a barge-mounted cect’s spec [A barge-mountad crane is used for placement of concrete foundatior systems needed to cross the Albemarle Sound, How to Handle Offshore Foundations Challenges abound when it is time to rebuild an existing line. By Jason R. Truckenbrod, GAl Consultants Inc. ‘crane and setting the pile caps on top of the 5.5-f (1.7-m)- diameter prestressed cylinder piles. ‘The project included approximately 34 miles (65 km) of new transmission line and support structures between a sub- station in Perquimans County, North Carolina, and a substa- tion in Washington County, North Carolina. A Main Challenge ‘One ofthe most challeng the foundation design for the tions of the project was nile section of transinis- sound. This portion of the ne is supported by 24 structurabsteel H-frame hich are supported by a combination of concrete FE cs 2 rene otter neprestressed cylinder piles and pre- cast pile caps. GAT Consultants Inc designed the entire 24-foundation crossing. ‘The water depth at the location of the transmission Tine crossing var- ied from 5 ft (1.5 m) near the shore to approximately 20 ft (6 m) at the deepest point in the sound. The de- sign and installation presented many challenging conditions, including the tight tolerance neceseary for the connections between the pile caps and eylinder piles. All in the Technique ‘Adding to the difficulty were the heavy ifs required to install the pile caps on the cylinder ples, which was accomplished with a bargemounted crane. The prestressed concrete cy Removing the old structures and setting the new foundation system requires a lt of coordina tion and equipment inder piles were embedded in the subsurface soils beneath _« Three-pile system with ple cap for 145+ft (+m) Heframe the riverbed, which intensified the effort required to com- _ Twopile system without pile cap for M5-ft and 115+ bine the components. Two different foundation systems were (85-mn) HLframe with strut. developed, based on the height of the Hframes, water depth The three-pile system used the pile cap to provide stabil- and magnitude of the applied loads. The two foundation ity for the bases of the H-frames. The H-frames on the 1wo- systems are described as follows: pile foundation systems were required to have a horizontal SUMMIT UTILITY STRUCTURES 2027 S. 42th St, Bldg 504 ‘Alentown, Pa 18103, (610-797-2225 ‘SummtUtityStuctures.com} “Superior customer service and quality for the Transmission, Distribution, and ISubstation Industries." Transmission Poles Distribution Poles Industry Certifications: A-Frame Structures Wireless Hybrid Poles AISC Certiod Facility } Light Duty Poles Safety ANSI 49.1 [Substation Structures: AWSD1.1 Structural | Steel Caissons AWS D1:5 Bridge Davit Arms Minority Business J Cross Arms Enterprise Cross Braces "ean te ce, (Once the piles are set, the concrete caps are lowered into place and attached to the piles. strut, which was located 2.5 ft (0.76 m) above the base of _‘Thepile design was based on the combined axial and bend: the frames, for stability. The precast, prestressed concrete ing strength, as well as the lateral deflection and rotation at cylinder piles were 5.5 ft (1.7 m) in diameter with a 6inch the top ofthe pile. Geotechnical design was performed with (15mm) wall LPILE software to estimate the soil bearing pressure, deflec- tion, rotation and member forces within the cylinder piles, The piles were cast in 16- (5-m) seg- ments and then joined together with 32 posttensioning tendons. Each tendon con sisted of two O.5:nch (12.7-mm)-diameter, 2704s low-relaxation strands. The piles ‘were fabricated in lengths exceeding the anticipated final design length in case poor soils were encountered. They were then ‘embedded into the subsurface soil between 40 {Land 60 ft (12 mand 18 m) below the ‘mud line. They were driven into place with the aid of a steel template, which was held in place with steel ples driven into the bot- tom of the sound. ‘Once the required driving resistance was achieved during installation, the tops ‘oF the piles were cut off to the final wop-of- pille elevation, 6 ft (2 m) above mean sea level. The interior surfaces ofthe piles with- ‘After placement, the piles and caps ae checked and Secured in the top 32 ft (10 m) were intentionally Fey eee reer cost neroughened to increase the bond between the cylinder piles and concrete plug used to connect the pile cap tothe piles. ‘The pile caps for the three-pile system were 34 ft (10 m) long by 6.5 fe (2 m) wide and 5 ft (1.5 m) high, and the top clevation of the pile caps was located 11.25 ft (8.4 m) above ‘mean highwater level. The pile caps were designed to pro- vide torsional, shear and bending resistance to distribute the fixed based reactions from the two FLframe columns to the tree supporting eylinder piles. ‘The anchor bolts for the E-frames were cast into the pile caps and projected out of the top and bottom. The anchor Inolteprajected 1 (0.9m) ahowe the top. af the pile cape and were located to accommodate the H-frame base p allowed the anchor bolts to extend through the pile cap and project 9.5 ft (2.9 m) below the bottom of the Which Way Is Up? The fabricated pile cape had tobe loaded upside down onto a bange wit tbe 854 anchor bol projections sickig ip Fein te bation of th je ce Wooten sibs wore plied on the barge Ws sdepmamodais Ie -Snd jection athe top of the pile cape Installation ofthe pile expe Teaeired ling the 804om pile cape with a crane, rotating them 180 degrecein mbair and then placing te pile cap on top of the eindr piles, such cage were inverted itn the einer ples bolt pro- at the anchor bolt and rebar ‘Crucial to the project, each clement of the Hiframe and foundation system was constructed, fabricated and installed within the tight tolerances. The anchor bolt and rebar cages that extended out of the bottom of the pile caps fit into the center ofthe eylinder piles; therefore, ifthe cylinder piles were installed out of plumb or outside the k possible the rebar cages would conflict with the inside face of the eylinder pile dequate concrete cover. The replacen mission Tine foundations within the Albematle Sound proceeded smoothly as a re- sult of the project team's focus on details. The successful implementation of the innovative design and specifications prepared for the project further emphasize this attention to specifics. The unique solutions developed for this project included pile cap torsion design, specification of installation tolerane fs, and specialized concrete mix and transportation specifi- ‘ations for the castin-place concrete. The project provided a much-needed upgrade to the existing transmission Tine and ible power to the local community for will help to deliver rel Jason Truckenbrod is senior engineering manager within the power delivery market sector at GAl Consultants Inc., located In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. With a BSCE degree from the University at Buffalo, Teuckenbrod has 23 years of experience in specialized structural and foundation design. He is a mem: ber of ASCE and the former chair of the Structural Engineering Institute, Pittsburgh section RISC & AAIR Your Experts in: Structural Assessment/ Asset Management RELIAPOLE ihre rard Let our team of experts assist you in: Saeed + In-Plant QA/QC ee ery Ge cay Steer Gries Betas eee ried Sa eet Peer) (AAIR o Pew ae PC ga Cac Pee este ee) state-of-the-art drone technology. Se CR CPOE TL VAT “eansmissin & Distribution Worl August 2015Structures ver the past 130 years of electricity in America, the attention given to transmission line aesthetics has been mostly an afterthought of, more recently, a process complication necessary to gain public ac- ceptance and secure the required permits for a project. Use ity aestheties have been relegated to playing a publi relations role. But how should visual impact tie into the engineer's nu- merous responsibilities to public safety, health and welfare? ‘The engineer must balance competing aspects when de- signing a transmission line, Three lasting performance char- acteristics remain once a project is energized: electrical fune- tion, structural integrity and aesthetic imprint, While the first ‘wo are utilitarian in nature, the last ought to bear aweight of its own, Utility structures have the power to transform land- scapes, their impact consumed by the public eye for decades. ‘This provides the impetus for engineers to adopt aesthetics into design. the city of Vaasa, Finland. The Veesa pane, an illusive design by Konehuone, is a 110-KV colurn located in Visually Appealing The paradigm of designing transmission structures to disappear is shifting. By Mike Khavari and Ken Sharpless, ASEC Inc. Visual Impacts Unlike the selfevident function of roads, bridges and buildings, the function of the T&D industey’s infrastructure is abstract and intangible to consumers en masse. To the a erage observer, transmission Hines and the towers that hold them are static objects, opaque in function and arbitrary in form. The flow of electrical current through conducting lines is a qualitative leap away from that of water or waffic. With power delivery structures, there is no easily discernible rela tionship between function and forms this fact dynamically changes the way the individual relates to them. Despite general unfamiliarity with the technical sory of hhow electricity arrives atthe average wall socket, consumers are aware of socitys dependence on reliable energy. The threat of a blackout captures immediate attention because the public knows a blackout halts busines, cuts off communi- cation and endangers lives. This is why power outages make news headlines When critical ystems fai, all attention for cuss on restoration and for good reason: these lifeline infrastructure services are foundational for civil and national stability. Consumer expee- tation for reliable electric service increases as {quichlyas the benefit the service delivers ‘As demand for energy accelerates, power delivery infrastructure continues to expand 10 support load growth, meet reliability require- ments and reach new generation sources. The lines that carry power through cities, towns and the countryside are ubiquitous objects of devel- ‘opment, giving context to their surroundings ‘Transmission structures are the iconic remind- ers of how energy interweaves society. heryone has come to expect so much of these lines, yet the general public openly erii= cizes thir visual impact. Power generation and consumption ace recognizably important and the public i not a critical of their structures, Since transmission lines lie in the grey area fag 2015 [Tanai & Ostrton Wntbetween these two spheres, they are easier targets for criticism, Aesthetic Considerations ‘When consumers cannot readily under- stand the function of complex systems, the general acsthetic of design becomes onc of fonimpact: make it smaller, make it easier, make it integrated, make it go away or put it somenbere else. Today, uilties pursue the typical transmission project with this acs- iets of nominpect sometimes 40° inked ‘extremes — poles camouflaged: foliage spring to mind ‘The aesthetic has not always been resigned to nonimpact. Some approaches sought to ac- centuate the imprint of utility structures on the built environment A century ago, the troduction of generally available electricity, and the transmission system that brought it to the home, was recognized and celebrated by those hacky enough to be connected to the rid. The transmission structure was a symm bot of progress and possibility — literally, power to the people. Tin some instances, the dialog about the aesthetic impact cn the built environment can overwhelm the technical and economic considerations of project. Take for example the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge project, which a been called a lanclmark beset by problems. In a similar fashion, process in power delivery ean focus more on sting, aes thetic impact and public acceptance than on how the line re- Jates to the power grid reliability or performs electrically. But at the end of the day, there isa lasting imprint on the land- scape with every insalled mile of transmission line and the coniferous Form and Function Power lines inherently take up aerial space and traverse ‘many linear miles o accomplish their purpose in the grid. Along the way, they cross many properties and geographical features while maintaining the required electrical clearances for physical operation and. public safety. These basic func- tional constraints are significant, and they dominate the size and scale of an overall project. From a visual perspective, the public encounters. transmission line in two primary modes, cither as a viewable line segment or as individual structures, Depending on the design execution, the line segment and its repetition can be distracting and busy, or natural and even ‘graceful, A skillful line designer pays attention to height, col fr, span length, structure position, community identity and visual repetition of each line segment. Likewise, the design of individual structures should include aesthetic considerations based on architecture when setting the scale, proportion, form and taper of the different structural components. ‘Traditional transmission structure design must address ‘This one-of-akind structure towers over the interstate Highway 4 intersection at the entrance of Walt Disney World theme park in Orlando, Florida “Mickey” welcomes, Visitors from all ever the werld with is iconic shape dominating the sk. certain realities wo satiiy the laws of physics. Material and ‘manufacturing technologies have grown up with the in- dustry, and there ate now many combinations of structure types from which to alee for each project. Ax voltage levels increase, so do structure sizes, to the point that structural ‘options become mor limited. Historically, there have been two primary types of high- volnge tranmission stractres: tubular poles and latce towers. In terms of form, traditional poles resold, stra vertical elements with multiple horizontakarm elevations in- tcrscting column, Traditional towers arc airy tapered bod ics with lacing elements throughout and a series of pointed arm elevations attached along the superstrucire ‘While remaining in the realm of traditional design, in- provements can be realized by applying basie architectural Concepts to prevent poor aesthetic designs that result in ds- Proportionate, uncomfortable and unnecessarily awkward structures, Secondevel aesthetic enhancements ako can be ‘made vo traditional structure, with features such as special coatings or appendages influencing the appearance without substantially altering the core clement of standard structural design procedures Landmark Structures ‘There ate also out-otthe-box approaches, frely applying architectural concepts that push the limits of engineering and construction as well as operational reliability and cost effectiveness. These solutions often change the equation with regard (0 orientation or total number of elements, or they ‘convey meaning with the overall shape ofthe structure. Form, space, order, color and lighting also may be used unconven- tionally to produce a signature structure deployed strategi- Tannin &DibtonWa Aut 2018“The Viherindia tower was introduced in 2001, when Studio Nurmesniem! designed a TLO-KV structure made of laminated timber and laticed bridge. The aesthetically designed ladders follow the eentour ofthe laminated column calvin the public view. The ute of innortve Som of rananinon structure as Been wh he Industry for many year The Micey Mouse siructare exemplify this approach, This 1540 (Ben), 2020 sebeupporing aroctre was comminoned ia 1995 tote ino at ex 3 tranumiaion Boe for anew sutaon to weve Wak Disney Word Resor in us. Cenhininy soe tadonal 1d, tenes pat hase, tie oi plate neck and otindncion beat seciangulaefubig bear into a singe abe Sy landmark srctte required careful consideration of aesthetic, tructral, manu rater factoring, coating rangporation and conarocion factors The renuing shape is the unitakabe age ofthe woes mont four mae Another example isthe scaled Viberlandia Tower located at large arening nae ctf at, Finland, wich het orn 400,00 visors analy. "The Vian pelo in Fld, ha altace slat of aenin, Thi column tasathreaded barcoveredinshminunranodied panel The entre pole heal shaped and ilminated at night wth LED lights, This Mle tndeae pole wat treed in 007 hgh 0m (164) and stunk made of gland sel Successful Execution As illustrated by these examples, successful aesthetic execution occurs when thoughtful attention is given tothe visual impact of individual structures, structural ‘elements or specife line segments relative o the environmental context in which they are being added, Pure structural and line design considerations are usilitarian in nature. Considering aesthetic factors draws from architectural concepts, adding the influence of visual impact to the design process. To the degree that designers apply appropriate aesthetic treatment, transmision structure projects can exhibit responsibilty and earn their place in the built environment. 1D Mike Khavari received a BSCE degree from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1979, and has more than 30 years of experience in the design and analysis of new ‘and existing latice- and tubular-steel structures. Ken Sharpless receved a BS degree in architectural engineering from the University (of Texas at Austin in 1986. His career has spanned multiple facets of the utility, struc- tural and manufacturing engineering fields, ‘August 2015 | Tansmisson& Distribution WolaSediver m2 tae Pio Zé Visit us at ETS Conference - Booth #401 Branson, Missouri - September 27 to October 1to a utility near you. ness you have been living undera rock for the last few years, you have no doubt figured out that we are in the midst of a “drone revolution.” It seems these days, everywhere you turn, the technology for unmanned aerial vehicles or systems (UAV or UAS) is pushing its way into the mainstream of our society. ‘Amazon, Google and Facebook are brands recognized around the globe, and they are all becoming heavily invest- ced in drones. Nov that the Federal As (FAA) has ereated a pathway to legali ‘even more drones are taking to the skies. The number of in- dustzies capitalizing on this new technology is growing, and the list of potential applications for UAS appears to be limite less. Whether you are a small startup or a multibllion-dollar enterprise, you cannot afford to ignore the drone movement, ‘The idea of having a prckage delivered to your doorstep via UAS seems like science fiction, but itis actualy closer to reality than you may think. on Administration Wind farms provde an idesl environment for 2 maneuverable drone to perform inspections and take high-resolution photographs. The Drone Generation Unmanned drones are coming By Grant T. Leaverton, Advanced Aerial Inspection Resources Tn 2013, Amazon announced that testing was underway at a secret facility in Canada for its UAS delivery service, Prime Air. The firm was recently granted permission by the FAA to begin testing in the United States. Delivery via drone could be just around the corner: ‘The film industry is also making use of this technology for evermore-captivating aerial footage for their blockbuster ‘movies. Even farmers can save big on labor and material costs by deploying UAS out in their Felds. Imagine not needing to spray entire fields with pesticides or fertilizers. Now they ‘can monitor individual plants among millions ina field and precisely target which ones need attention using the aerial imagery provided by UAS. The reduction of wasted materi- als will be enormous, and the effect on their bottom line is undeniable, Agriculture, security, mining, real estate, and search and rescue represent just a few of the many industries primed to take advantage of the value of these unmanned systems. Fey nee rene otterUtility Drones But forall of us electrical tility geeks, there's an obvions question: Does this teeh- nology have a place in the realm of utility ‘operation and maintenance (O&M)? The answer is unequivocally yes! UAS technology is still very much in its infancy, but iis already being applied in various forms for utility companies. In- spections on overhead lines, substations and generation facilities are well within the equip coerret ont tiesitc analysis on coal piles, mapping and survey ing of rights-ofway, and security are also being considered as viable applications. If you thinkabout the currentstate ofthe ut ity infrastructure in the US., the need for more affordable inspection methods has never been more apparent. The US. elec tical grid i critical for the functioning of a civil society. Is reliability emainsa top concern for govern: ment agencies as wells for asset neners and operators. Unfortunately, many transmission structures have either reached or passed their expected design life. Atthis advanced age, the risk of catastrophic failure increases significantly, ing the structure. and replacing all assets, once they hit chis threshold, is sim- ply not an option. Unexpected failures and outages can have Drones can be brought quickly to the structure in question with ‘minimum planning and preparation. Drones can provide faster and safer close-up photography than manned fight o climb a tremendous impact on the community, both financially and from the standpoint of safety. Conditional assessment of these assets is always the first step in upgrading the system and that is where UAS are ready to hit the stage. Smarter Drones ‘One of the many attractive features of UASis the flexibility and versatility they possess in terms of the various payloads they can carry. Anything from high-resolution digital and thermal cameras, to Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and geographic information system (CIS) sensorsare now ca able of being equipped onto a UAS platform. The extreme clarity of close-up photography of a tower could showan engi- reer how badly a weld is cracked or how much corrosion has built up on hardware attachments or insulators. Drones equipped with forwarddooking infrared (FLIR) orultraviolet sensors can detect hot spots or corona discharge fon conductors and insulators, signaling a potential defect or weakness in the component, LiDAR ean be integrated with drones to survey a proposed rightofway or monitor en- croachment by vegetation. And this is just the tip of the iee- berg in terms of potential uses for utilities, ‘The next phase of UAS technology will employ “smarter” machines that can fly autonomously. They will sense and avoid other objects in their path, recognize features or com= ponents through complex software algorithms situational awareness, This advanced technology will be able to faster calculated decision making, such as initiating a fo- cused inspection, issuing a work order for repairs, or pethaps someday executing a repair on its own, ‘These notions may sound absurd, but just a decade ago, the concept of selfdriving cars seemed only possible in the movies. Now Google is testing a fully autonomous car that it plans to make available to the public consumer within the next five years. Flying robots built for utility O&M can't be too far behind Taisen & itn Wa Aut 2018be 4, Drones can get int tight spaces safely without outages and clearances ‘Of course, much of the allure created by UAS today re- volves around its “wow factor” asthe newest trend in amateur aviation. However, the truth is that once the enamored en= thusiast grows tired of this shiny new toy and moves on to the next big breakthrough in high-tech gadgetry, the funda- ‘mental value proposition of unmanned systems offered up to industry will Safety and comt are two of the most significant drivers in any business, and that is especially true for utility O&M. Many industrial work areas are hazardous in nature, While we ean {ry to mitigate the risks as best we can, the truth is that accie dlnts will always happen. Working on energized high-voltage ‘transmission lines, sometimes hundreds of feet up in the air, ‘can make the consequences of a mistake turn deadly. Ac- cording to the Bureat of Labor Statistics, 15 linemen were "No spot is unaccessible for drone inspections and phatograpy. fatally injured in 2018 as a result of “exposure to harmful substances ot environments” Un- _manned systems have the potential to greatly reduce the amount of risk exposure placed upon the operational workforce. The value of even one human life saved as a result of this new technology is priceless. Lifesaving Drones While the enhancements to safety are un- eniable, the cost-effective mature of UAS becoming more apparent, as well. Like any technology, as it matures, the associated costs decline. More players are jumping into the market with new innovations, making the cost of application for utilities more af- fordable. Couple this fact with the efficiency gains achieved through the use of UAS and the overal cst tive nature of unmanned systems becomes clear Controlling labor expense, eliminating the need for cost- prohibitive cranes or fullsize aircraft, and reducing asc downtime and outages are all by-products of this technology ‘that go straight to a line owner's bottom line. It is hard to ar~ ‘gue againsta movement where the tag lie is “Saving lives and ‘cutting cost!” It really is a no-brainer for the industry. This is why the FAA, under pressure from Congress, has finally started to loosen its death grip on commercial operations. ‘Since 2007, the FAA effectively banned the use ofall con mercial UAS operation. The decision confounded many ince amateurs and enthusiast could go out and fly the exact same aircraft for fun without any regulation at all. The agency de- cided to take an all-encompassing approach to regulating this neve technology. The only problem with this approach ‘was that rules governing a Global Hawk or MQ9 Reaper don't exactly mesh well with a Selb (234g) remote-controlled he- licopter armed with a GoPro camera. Thankfully, the FAA recognized this dilemma and began carving out special regu- Iations for smaller UAS weighing less than 55 Ib (25 kg) Ii the last year, the FAA has approved more than 700 com- ‘mercial entities to begin UAS operations under strict opera ing guidelines, which means that U.S. airspace is finally open for business. And that is good news for everyone, especially utilities, Tow Grant Leaverton joined Advanced Aerial Inspection Resources in August 2013 to help lead an initiative centered around the development and integration of unmanned systems into the realm of infrastructure asset inspection, With a background in utility structures manufacturing, he was drawn to the opportu nity to work within a new and burgeoning technology renais sence related to unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and their particular relevance to utility transmission and distribution ‘operational challenges. Leaverton continues to work towards @ ‘broad integration of UAS within 2 variety of key infrastructure- and energy-related fields, Fe ee 2s rere ost neFALCON STEEL Cie eet) Cee UCR ured Cems cette Eee} BIGGER. BETTER. STRONGER. YOUR ONE STOP SHO! Falcon Steel Company is a leading provider for power delivery structures. We design and manufacture a full ine of substation steel structures, transmission steel pole structures and lattice steel transmission towers. 817.581.9500 | falconsteel.com | ysales@falconsteel.comBy Don Cannon, Burns & McDonnell 18 2008, the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) ‘established a program to enhance the transmission sys- tem and to encourage the continued development of wind energy resources in West Texas. The Competitive than USS5.9 billion in transmis ‘The PUCT selected Gross Texas Tr ‘With 235 miles (378 km) of new transmission lines to rou design and construct — not to mention a SA5:RV switch station and a 345-RV series ¢ had a tremendous opportunity and several extraordinary challenges on its plate. CTT selected Burns & McDonnell to perform routing and engineering design forthe transmission They season esa sna of esy access However, when the rai come, water ils the erbed ang changes he clearances between River Crossing Spanning a river while dodging FAA restrictions is a towering achievement. lines as well as EPC construction of the switching and series ‘compensation stations, ‘The project team started from a blank slate as it developed practices and designs, including conductors, hardware, load- ia, structures and foundations. Any major ing eri taking is bound to face hurdles, and the C Tines were no exception. Among those challenges we very long spans to clear pivot irrigation systems, canyons and stream crossings. But by far, the biggest of these challenges ‘was the 0.5-mile (0.8-km) crossing of the Prairie Dog Town Fork ofthe Red River Defining the Challenge ‘This crossing would be roughly parallel to an older wood Heframe transmission line that included two H-frames con Fey nc rene ttn nestructed in the riverbed, so placing new structures in the river bed was considered. However, there were wo main challenges. The first was the potential for poor soil condi= tions and the subsequent challenge of constructing foun- dations and structures at this location, That would not be easy, but undoubtedly it could be accomplished. The sec- fond challenge was getting needed permits to place these structures in the riverbed. After some discussion with the regulatory authorities that controlled the river, CTT decid fed to take that option off the table. Basically, the authori- ties didn't want structures in the riverbed, and getting the iacoctierypparaalls soul eafiresenta refer ieilcoge seal potentially cause schedule delays. Since it was thus necessary to span the river, the team selected the best locations for structures on each side ofthe river and began designing the section. The resulting clear span between crossing towers was approximately 2,400 ft (732 m). The team quickly discovered that spanning the river with the aluminum conductor steel-supported (ACS) Falcon conductors chosen for the majority of the project, would require increasing the height of both crossing tow- ers to well over 200 ft (61 m), which would lead to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) permitting and lighting re jrements. While this was certainly doable, the Burns & ‘MeDonnell team began to look at options that would spare CTT from the additional time and expense of that process and those requirements, ‘The other obvious solution was to reduce the conductor sag in this crossing span sufficiently to maintain structure height requirements of less than 200 ft. ‘The team inves- tigated three high-temperature, low-sag conductors that ‘might accomplish this: ACSS/HS285, aluminum conduc tor composite core (ACCC) and alu minum conductor composite-rein- forced (ACCR). ‘The Burns & McDonnell team contacted the conductor manufae- turers associated with each of these ‘options to make sure it selected the most appropriate conductor for its electrical requirements and to obtain the correct wire files for PLS-CADD modeling. Then the engineers completed crossing: span designs for each conductor to deter- mine the structure height require- ments to achieve the desired clear ance. Ultimately, this would guide the selection of the conductor for the river crossing. Comparing the Candidates ‘To provide a point of reference, consider the ACSS Falcon conduc- tor used for the majority of the transmission line. To achieve the ageable its. The towers were installed in sections, allowing the efficient use of crews, equipment and man- Spanning 2,400 ft require structures designed for the task and con- ‘ductors that could reduce the sag to an acceptable level Tnnisin itn Wa Aut 2038Minor changes and minimal adjustments were needed tothe hard sezombioe fo install the ACCR Pecos conductor desired clearance, towers with aboveground heights up to 235 ft (72 m) were needed. This clearly would not be suffi- cient to avoid FAA involvement, ‘The ACSS/HS285 conductor is a traditional ACSS con- ductor but with a higherstrength steel core to allow for high- er tensions. To to achieve the desired clearance, towers with aboveground heights up to 205 ft (62 m) would be needed, nearly sufficient to achieve the goal of remaining below the height that would tigger FAA requirements but not quite ‘good enough. ‘The ACCC conductor is similar to ACSS in that it has an- nealed aluminum strands, but with a carbon/glass ‘composite core. For this con- ‘ductor, an “ACCC Lapwing” was used because a Falcon equivalent ACCC conduc- tor was not available at the time, To achieve the de- sired clearance, towers with aboveground heights up to 210% (64m), which was even taller than what would be re- ‘quired for the ACSS/HS285 conductor, were needed 10 withstand heavy ice loads. Finally, the ACCR con- ductor also uses composite technology, but with an ale minum composite core and aluminum zirconium outer strands, The ACGR Pecos ‘conductor achieved the de- sired clearance with towers measuring 185 ft (66 m) of aboveground height, which was well below the threshold chat would tigger addi- tional FAA requirements. And the Results Were Based on these comparisons, CTT made the deci- sion to use the ACCR Pecos conductor forthe crossing span and one back span toa deadend tower on each side of the river: Revised load trees for the crossing towers ‘were developed, allowing the tower manufacturer to de- sign special river crossing structures for the additional loads. These river crossing tangent structures essen- tially ended up being the original lattice tangent tower designs with some selected member changes. The dead- ends were strengthened versions of the standard dead- cnds to support the inereased tensions. Minor changes to hardware assemblies were also made for this section to support the ACCR conductors. ‘These towers, assemblies and conductor were in- stalled successfully, with minimal adjustments to the construction methods used to install the rest of the line. With the river crossed and without needing to involve the FAA, the team could turn its attention to other challenges on ‘what proved to be a successful projet that was completed on schedule and under budget. TW ‘Don Cannom isthe transmission department manager for Burns ‘& McDonnell in Houston, Texas, U.S. A member of ASCE and IEEE, he will be presenting more extensively on this project at the Electrical Transmission & Substation Structures Conference in September. He has a BSCE degree and a MSCE degree from the University of Tennessee. Fee nc 2 rene stnbest transmis in the industry. Cr rr PA AY ALE id enol a Kelly Ln. Houston, TX 77066ASCE Codes and Standards By Michael Miller, ASCE-Electrical Transmission Structures waren cons ihe ae C= oy the bok, They amie ie ate ear eer een Recess pened eesti coeur ees He a ee eae fee es persian Aree eyo neces cee! Indu mama of pace (oP wa Eel eae eee eal! aleeasaiat ieee cameo Rescate iererre erses tepid a ad sta, ea yao ue pee ate i asa te Sap eee Dt nal earl por oleae cone clos 2) aga ohich cn and elo ies Gaus haber oe sestoaterioc ie ween! Bete eee Se aa engineer's everyday working life. Thr America Sct of igi (ASCE Mo and sandr fe tom oer cles the inary. Tay te feeiges ie na ees ee thd ASCE mente eoced by ASCE whe commits eet ses cies Eada 2s eer Ee praises eee re aie EL apap pate O aaben cone ete ary asses adalng caanuetieg Ga aoniece tat laa mame eera Oe espa ne Calirs The flowing ASCE MOP and sandal re nu Peerless eas ASCE Culdines fr Bletcal Trasisin Line Suc Loading Tas MoP pres quan ont pepacseie einen: meaambioee Ga Sere ee peered eee ieee eae fom the Naa tn of Saad and Technology ot feplncelb ASCE aekocion wed AS sos harohd yal atts temp fap ese see TESCETS Suton Srcture Design Guide. This fal pees ae eal gdp dc a ites ea Resa lame dom Tisdocundeies loons pec stony fear eens asco ene iment chad obs pushin 218. of a co0 Bi ‘august 2015 | TWansmisson & Distribution Worl ‘* ASCE-104 Recommended Practice for Fi- >ber-Reinforced Polymer Products of Overhead Utility Line Structures. Non-steel, non-wood structure technologies will continue to evolve and improve, resulting in lightweight, high- strength fiber-reinforced polymer materials for the industry, Scheduled to be published in 2016, this revised pre-standard discusses design considerations, criteria and suggested puidelines for performance-based designs. '*ASCE-To Be Determined (TBD) Prac- tice for Wood Pole Structures for Electrical ion Lines. This brand-new docu- ‘ment, currently being developed, provides design information specific to wood poles. The wind blows and ice accumulates on a transmission line the same as on a distribution line, producing the same load; therefore, this design guide can be used for any wood pole line. This MoP is scheduled to be published in 2017, ‘SASCE-TBD Aesthetic Design of Transmission Line Structures, Currently being developed, this new ASCE com- ‘mittee report will atempt to address the aesthetics of trans- mission structures by providing options that can be used in all structure types. While aesthetics are subjective, certain features can be used to enhance the aesthetics of structures yet mect all applicable loading and functionality. This docu- ‘ment is scheduled to be published in 2016, ‘* ASCE-10 Design of Latticed Steel Transmission Struc tures, Lattice-steel transmission structures have been used for the past 100 years and are stll going strong. The newest version includes guidance on the evaluation of existing tow- crs for upgrades or re-rating, and provides information on redundant member design. ASCE-10-15 is now available. * ASCE-48 Design of Steel Transmission Pole Structures ‘Tubular-stect poles have been used for line support structures since the 1960s and are now commonly used throughout North America. This revision incorporates 48 change pro- potals affecting 68 different sections of the document and is scheduled to be published in 2016. ‘These efforts reflect the increased interest and activity in the industry and are a sign of a healthy, vibrant transmission Tine engineering community for years come, TDA ‘Trans ‘Michaet D. Miller is vice president of engineering at SAE Towers Jn Houston, Texas, U.S. He is chair of the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Electrical Transmission Structures committee. He is a registered professional engineer. Ezitor's note: Vist worw.asce.org/templates/publications-book- detail. aspx?i¢=7094 to learn about the standards and MoP.rt an a la Sabre-FWT) Two Great Companies. One Powerful Combination. Building on the success of Sabre and FWT, the new Sabre-FWT delivers exceptional value. Our combined capabilities will lower your supply chain tisk wilh increased capacity in engineering, customer service and manufacturing. Contact us today to see how together we can enhance your customer experience. NMA Ueno Rm] fat enTransmission « Distribution + Foundation « Storm Response PLH Group entities deliver integrated construction and Pp L H maintenance solutions withthe expertise, resources and experience soup to perform construction services for major utilities, regional GROUP cooperatives, municipalities and renewable energy developers. plhgroupinc.com 214.272.0500 PLH Group -Electric Power Subsidiaries