Power Transmission Systems

Chapter 12

Construction of Overhead Lines

(Mechanical Way)

1
 Introduction
• OH construction is only 15%-60% as costly as underground and is therefore more
economical.
• The mechanical factors influencing the design must then be considered ( material
chosen for the conductors must be strong enough to withstand the forces to which
it is subjected.
• The OH line must have a proper strength to withstand the stresses imposed on its
component parts by the line itself. These include stresses set up by the tension in
conductors at dead-end points, compression stresses due to guy tension, transverse
loads due to angles in the line, vertical stresses due to the weight of conductors,
and the vertical component of conductor tension. The tension in the conductors
should be adjusted so that it is well within the permissible load of the material.
This will mean in practice that one must allow for an appreciable amount of sag.
• The OH line must be designed from the mechanical point of view to withstand the
worst probable, but not the worst possible, conditions. For example, the cost of an
OH line that would withstand a severe hurricane would be tremendous, and thus
from the economical point of view, it may be justifiable to run the risk of failure
under such conditions.
2
 FACTORS AFFECTING MECHANICAL DESIGN
OF OVERHEAD LINES
In general, the factors affecting a mechanical design of the OH lines are as follows:

1. Character of line route

2. ROW
3. Mechanical loading
4. Required clearances
5. Type of supporting structures
6. Grade of construction
7. Conductors
8. Type of insulators
9. Joint used by other utilities

3
Character of Line Route:

The routes of OH transmission lines are usually selected across the country on private
ROW in order to obtain the most direct route and proper space for towers as well as to
avoid buildings, roads, highways, and LV lines.

Lower-voltage OH distribution lines are run along streets and highways, as much as
possible, in order to reach customers more easily and to make the lines accessible for
maintenance.

In urban and suburban areas, poles are spaced 100 to about 150 ft apart to provide
convenient points for service attachments or service drops and to keep the service lengths to
a minimum.

Usually, poles are set from half to one foot inside the curb when along streets. Transmission
lines may have spans of several hundred feet.

OH line location depends on the type of conductor and the supporting structures.
The highest tower: 175 m
The heaviest tower: 640 metric tons
The longest span: 2,026 m
4
The line location task requires judgment, experience, and skill not only in minimizing the
costs of ROW and construction but also in providing convenience in maintenance and
eliminating some possible operational bottlenecks that might occur in the future.
In general, the factors affecting the length of a span are as follows:

• Character of route

• Proper clearance between conductors

• Excessive tensions under maximum load

• Structures adequate to carry additional loads

It is usually not recommended, especially in mountainous country or in heavily populated

areas, to choose a direct route or try to locate the line on long tangents.

It is important to have all ROW and easements for a given line secured before final plans,
designs, and specifications for construction.

5
The easement secured must stipulate the following:

•Permission to build all supporting structures.

• Permission for a means of access to each supporting structure.

• Permission to clear all trees and brush over a width of at least 10 ft larger than the spread
of the conductors in order to allow sufficient working space for construction.

• Permission to remove all trees, which might violate the minimum required clearance to the
conductors if they were to fall.

• Permission to remove all trees, which might violate the minimum required clearance to
conductors if the conductor were to swing out under maximum wind.

• Permission to remove all obstacles, for example, buildings, lumber piles, and haystacks,
which might cause a fire.

6
Mechanical loading: Types of Stresses
Tensile stress - Compressive stress - Shearing stress - Bending stress - Twisting stress or torque

7
Mechanical loading: Elasticity and Ultimate Strength
Elasticity is the property of a material that enables it to recover its original shape and size
after being stressed.

Every material has a stress limit, and stress beyond this point causes a certain amount of
permanent deformation. This limit is the elastic limit of the material

The stress that causes failure or rupture is the ultimate stress of the material.

The ratio of working stress to the ultimate strength of the material is the design safety
factor.

The safety factor makes allowance for the difference between elastic limit and ultimate
strength and make allowance for variations from average quality.

Required Clearances:
In general, the following clearances need to be considered: ground, tracks, buildings, trees,
conductors and structures of another line, other conductors on the same structure, the
structure itself, guy wires and other equipment on the structure, and the edge of the ROW.
8
Horizontal Clearances:
Briefly, the location of poles must be chosen to provide sufficient clearance from
driveways, fire hydrants, street traffic, railroad tracks, buildings, fire escapes…

Conductors of one line should be not less than 4 ft from those of another and conflicting
line. If conductors pass near the pole of another OH line, provided that they are not
attached, they should not interfere with the climbing space.

Horizontal separation of conductors from each other:

It is required that for supply conductors of different circuits, at voltages up to 8.7 kV, the
minimum horizontal clearances between the conductors should be 12 in.; for voltages
between 8.7 and 50 kV, the clearances should be 12 in. plus 0.4 in. per kilovolt over 8.7 kV;
and for voltages between 50 and 814 kV, the clearances should be 28.5 in. plus 0.4 in. per
kilovolt over 50 kV.
1
1 2
𝑀𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑚𝑢𝑚 𝐶𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑐𝑒: 0.3 𝑖𝑛/𝐾𝑉 + 7 𝑆 −8 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑠 < 2𝐴𝑊𝐺.
3
1
𝑖𝑛 1 2
𝑀𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑚𝑢𝑚 𝐶𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑐𝑒: 0.3 𝐾𝑉 +8 𝑆 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑠 ≥ 2𝐴𝑊𝐺.
12

Where S is the apparent sag of the conductor in inches.

9
10
Types of Supporting Structures:
Pole types: There are basically four different pole types:

Wood poles Concrete poles Steel poles Aluminum poles.

Wood poles: are preferred over others for OH distribution lines because of the abundance of
the material, ease of handling, and cost.

Concrete poles: reinforced with steel have been used for street lighting because of their neat
appearances.

Steel poles: have been used to support trolley OHs and street and parkway lighting.

Aluminum poles: are used basically for parkway lighting. 11

 Typical Single-Pole Designs Used in Distribution Systems:

Pole Tope Two Arms Single Arm Line Arms Side Arms

Typical Single-Column Designs:

Wishbone Design Unbraced Upswept Arms Horizontal Line Post Braced Horizontal Arms
12
Typical Two-Column Designs:

Unbraced H-Frame H-Frame with Wood Cross-Arm H-Frame with Curved Cross-Arm

K-Frame Double-Circuit H-Frame Dreyfus Design

13
Mechanical Calculations:

Any given pole is strong for vertical forces but weak for horizontal forces, and any given
cross-arm is weak for the torsional forces.

The minimum radial thicknesses of ice and the wind pressures to be used in calculating
loadings for the specified wind loading under light-, medium-, and heavy-loading conditions
are given by the NESC.

There are two bending moments of wind affecting the pole:

1. The bending moment due to wind on the conductors.

2. The bending moment due to wind on the pole itself.

14
The Bending Moment Due to Wind on the Conductors:
𝑴𝒕𝒄 = 𝒎 𝒏
𝒊=𝟏 𝒋=𝟏 𝒎𝒊 ∗ 𝒏𝒊 ∗ 𝑷 ∗ 𝑳𝒂𝒗𝒈 ∗ 𝒉𝒊𝒋 (𝒍𝒃. 𝒇𝒕).
𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒:
𝑀𝑡𝑐 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑏𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑑𝑢𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑙𝑏. 𝑓𝑡.
𝑚 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑟𝑚𝑠 𝑜𝑛 𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑒.
𝑛 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑠 𝑜𝑛 𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ 𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑟𝑚.
𝑃 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑧𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 𝑒𝑥𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑙𝑏/𝑓𝑡.
𝐿𝑎𝑣𝑔 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑠𝑝𝑎𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑡.
ℎ𝑖𝑗 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟 𝑗 𝑜𝑛 𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑟𝑚 𝑖 𝑖𝑛 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑡.

𝐿1 +𝐿2 𝐿𝑎𝑣𝑔 = 𝐿1 = 𝐿1 = 𝐿; 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝐿1 = 𝐿2 .

𝐿𝑎𝑣𝑔 = ; 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝐿1 ≠ 𝐿2 .
2 15
The Bending Moment Due to
Wind on the Pole Itself:
The bending moment due to the wind on the
pole which is usually a maximum at the
ground level of an un-guyed pole, is:
2
𝑝∗ℎ𝑎𝑔
𝑀𝑔𝑝 = 72
𝑑𝑝𝑔 + 2𝑑𝑝𝑡 𝑙𝑏. 𝑓𝑡.
2
𝑝∗ℎ𝑎𝑔
𝑀𝑔𝑝 = 𝑐𝑝𝑔 + 2𝑐𝑝𝑡 𝑙𝑏. 𝑓𝑡.
72π

𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒:
𝑴𝒈𝒑 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑏𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑑𝑢𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑑
𝑜𝑛 𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑙𝑏. 𝑓𝑡.
𝒉𝒂𝒈 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑡.
𝒅𝒑𝒈 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑎𝑡 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑖𝑛𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠.
𝒅𝒑𝒕 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑎𝑡 𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑝 𝑖𝑛 𝑖𝑛𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠.
𝒑 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑝𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑡.
𝑪𝒑𝒈 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑖𝑟𝑐𝑢𝑚𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑎𝑡
𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑖𝑛𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠.
𝑪𝒑𝒕 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑖𝑟𝑐𝑢𝑚𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑎𝑡
𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑝 𝑖𝑛 𝑖𝑛𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠.
16
The internal resisting moment of the wood pole:

𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑥𝑖𝑚𝑢𝑚 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑡 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒:

𝑴 = 𝟐. 𝟔𝟑𝟖𝟓 ∗ 𝟏𝟎−𝟒 𝑺 ∗ 𝒄𝟑𝒑𝒈 𝒍𝒃. 𝒇𝒕.

𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑥𝑖𝑚𝑢𝑚 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒:

𝑴 = 𝟐. 𝟔𝟑𝟖𝟓 ∗ 𝟏𝟎−𝟒 𝑺 ∗ 𝒄𝟐𝟏 𝒄𝒑𝒈 − 𝒄𝟏 𝒍𝒃. 𝒇𝒕.

𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒:
𝑴 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑎𝑡 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑙𝑏. 𝑓𝑡.
𝒄𝒑𝒈 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑖𝑟𝑐𝑢𝑚𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑎𝑡 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑖𝑛𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠.
𝒄𝟏 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑖𝑟𝑐𝑢𝑚𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑎𝑡 𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑎𝑥𝑖𝑚𝑢𝑚 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑖𝑛𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠.
𝑺 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑥𝑖𝑚𝑢𝑚 𝑓𝑖𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑙𝑏/𝑖𝑛2 .

𝑈𝑙𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝐹𝑖𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑆𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑃𝑜𝑙𝑒

𝑆=
𝑆𝑎𝑓𝑒𝑡𝑦 𝐹𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟
The condition that a given pole will not break is:

𝑴 > 𝑴𝒕𝒄 + 𝑴𝒈𝒑

17
 Example:

Assume a 35 ft pole set 6 ft in ground,

with a 28 in. circumference at the pole
top and a 40 in. circumference at ground
level. Also assume a wind velocity of 40
mi/h and an average span of 120 ft. The
conductor used is 4/0 copper of 0.81 in.
diameter. There are eight conductors on
the line, as shown in Figure aside.

Calculate the following:

1. Total pressure of wind on pole.

2. Total pressure of wind on conductors.

The method of calculating wind pressure on

cylindrical surfaces, was developed by H. W. Buck
and is given by Buck's formula :
p = 0.00256V2 lb/ft2
where V is the actual wind velocity in miles per hour.
18
Solution:
1. p = 0.00256V2 = 0.00256 * 402 = 4.096 lb./ft2
1
The projected area of the pole is:𝑆𝑝𝑛𝑖 = 2 𝑑𝑝𝑔 + 𝑑𝑝𝑡 ∗ ℎ𝑎𝑔
1 28 40 12 𝑖𝑛 3766.24 𝑖𝑛2
𝑆𝑝𝑛𝑖 = + ∗ 35 − 6 ∗ = 3766.24 𝑖𝑛2 = = 26.15 𝑓𝑡 2 .
2 𝜋 𝜋 𝑓𝑡 122

𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒: 𝒅𝒑𝒈 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑎𝑡 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑖𝑛𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠.

𝒅𝒑 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑎𝑡 𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑝 𝑖𝑛 𝑖𝑛𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠.
𝒉𝒂𝒈 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑡.
𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑖𝑠:
𝑃 = 𝑆𝑝𝑛𝑖 ∗ 𝑝 = 4.096 ∗ 26.15 = 107.11 𝑙𝑏.

2. 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟, 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟 120 𝑓𝑡 𝑠𝑝𝑎𝑛, 𝑖𝑠:

1166.4
𝑆𝑝𝑛𝑖 = 0.81 𝑖𝑛 ∗ 120 𝑓𝑡 ∗ 12(𝑖𝑛/𝑓𝑡) = 1166.4𝑖𝑛2 = 122 = 8.1𝑓𝑡 2 .

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑠 𝑖𝑠:

𝑃 = 𝑆𝑝𝑛𝑖 ∗ 𝑝 = 8 ∗ 8.1 ∗ 4.096 = 265.4 𝑙𝑏.

19
Example:
A section of an OH line needs to be built on 45 ft. wood poles set 6.5 ft. deep in the
ground. Each pole will carry two cross-arms, and each cross-arm has four conductors, as
shown in figure of previous example. The top cross-arm will be 1 ft. below the pole top,
and the lower cross-arm will be 3 ft. below the pole top. The conductors located on the
top cross-arm and on the lower cross-arm have transverse wind loads of 0.6861 and
0.4769 lb./ft. of conductor, respectively. The rated ultimate strength of the wood pole is
8000 lb./in2 and a safety factor of 2. Assume that the transverse wind load on the wood
poles will not exceed 9 lb./ft2. Calculate the minimum required pole circumference at
the ground line if the average span is 250 ft.

Solution:
𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑝 𝑎𝑟𝑚: ℎ𝑖𝑗 = 45 − 6.5 − 1 = 37.5𝑓𝑡.
𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑟𝑚: ℎ𝑖𝑗 = 45 − 6.5 − 3 = 35.5𝑓𝑡.
𝑀𝑡𝑐 = 𝑚 𝑛
𝑖=1 𝑗=1 𝑚𝑖 ∗ 𝑛𝑖 ∗ 𝑃 ∗ 𝐿𝑎𝑣𝑔 ∗ ℎ𝑖𝑗 𝑙𝑏. 𝑓𝑡.
𝑀𝑡𝑐 = 1 ∗ 4 ∗ 0.6861 ∗ 250 ∗ 37.5 + 1 ∗ 4 ∗ 0.4769 ∗ 250 ∗ 35.5 = 42659 𝑙𝑏/𝑓𝑡.
𝑴 = 𝟐. 𝟔𝟑𝟖𝟓 ∗ 𝟏𝟎−𝟒 𝑺 ∗ 𝒄𝟑𝒑𝒈 𝒍𝒃. 𝒇𝒕. = 42659 = 𝒍𝒃. 𝒇𝒕.
8000
𝑆= = 4000 𝑝𝑠𝑖.
2
3 = 𝑀 3, 𝑐 3
𝑐𝑝𝑔 −4 = 40420 𝑖𝑛 𝑝𝑔 = 40420 = 34.3 𝑖𝑛.
2.6385∗10 ∗4000
20
Assume that, from the proper tables, the minimum pole-top circumference for the kind of
pole corresponding to an ultimate fiber stress of 8000 psi is found to be 22 in. Therefore:

2
𝑝 ∗ ℎ𝑎𝑔 9 ∗ 38.52
𝑀𝑔𝑝 = 𝑐𝑝𝑔 + 2𝑐𝑝𝑡 = 34.3 + 2 ∗ 22 = 4618 𝑙𝑏. 𝑓𝑡
72𝜋 72𝜋

𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑏𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑑𝑢𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑖𝑠: 𝑀𝑇 = 𝑀𝑡𝑐 + 𝑀𝑔𝑝 = 47277 𝑙𝑏. 𝑓𝑡

3 = 𝑀 3, 𝑐 3
𝑐𝑝𝑔 𝑇
−4 = 44795 𝑖𝑛 𝑝𝑔 = 44795 = 35.5 𝑖𝑛.
2.6385∗10 ∗4000

Therefore, the nearest standard size pole, which has a ground line circumference larger
than 35.5 in., has to be used. From table we select 36 in., which is a standard size.

21
Guying: Whenever a pole is not strong enough to endure the bending stresses imposed on it
by unbalanced forces, it should be guyed.

Components of Anchor Guy Installation

Anchor Guy Stub Guy

Pole-to-Stub-to-Anchor Guy

Pole-to-Pole Guy 22
Calculation of Guy Tension.
Consider the dead-end pole supported by a guy wire, as shown below. Assume that the
line conductors are carried by the pole at two different heights. The resultant side pull
is counterbalanced by the tension in the guy wire.

𝑇ℎ ∗ ℎ𝑔 = 𝑇1 ∗ ℎ1 + 𝑇2 ∗ ℎ2
1
𝑇ℎ = ℎ 𝑇1 ∗ ℎ1 + 𝑇2 + ℎ2 .
𝑔
𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆:
𝑻𝒉 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑧𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑛𝑡
𝑜𝑓 𝑔𝑢𝑦 𝑤𝑖𝑟𝑒 𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑝𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑠
𝑻𝟏 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑧𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑 𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 ℎ1 𝑖𝑛 𝑝𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑠.
𝑻𝟐 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑧𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑 𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 ℎ2 𝑖𝑛 𝑝𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑠.
𝒉𝒈 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡
𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑔𝑢𝑦 𝑖𝑛 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑡.
𝒉𝟏 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑧𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙
𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑 𝑇1 𝑖𝑛 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑡.
𝒉𝟐 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑧𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑 𝑇2 𝑖𝑛 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑡.
ℎ𝑔 −1
ℎ𝑔
𝑡𝑎𝑛 𝛽 = ; 𝛽 = 𝑡𝑎𝑛 ;
𝐿 𝐿
𝑇ℎ ℎ𝑔 2
𝑇𝑔 = ; 𝑇𝑔 = 𝑇ℎ 1 + .
𝑐𝑜𝑠𝛽 𝐿
23
Calculation of guy tension:
As the angle β decreases, the tension Tg in the guy wire and its vertical component Tv also
decreases, despite the fact that the horizontal component of the guy wire tension Th stays
the same. Therefore, in practice, the tangent of the angle β should be held minimum.
𝑻𝒉 ∗𝒉𝒈
𝑾𝒗 = + 𝑾𝒆 + 𝑾𝒑 (𝒍𝒃).
𝑳
𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆:
𝑾𝒗 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑝𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑠.
𝑾𝒑 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑝𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑠.
𝑾𝒆 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑝𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡, ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑒, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑠 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑝𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑠 .
If the attachment point of a given guy is too far from the center of the horizontal loads T1
and T2, the stress in the pole at that point may become important. Thus, the bending
moment of the pole at the point of attachment becomes:
𝑴 = 𝑻𝟏 𝒉𝟏 − 𝒉𝟐 + 𝑻𝟐 𝒉𝟐 − 𝒉𝒈 𝒍𝒃. 𝒇𝒕

24
Example:
A dead-end pole is supported by a guy wire, as shown in the figure illustrated below. The
bending moments are created by 3000 and 2500 lb. at heights of 37.5 and 35.5 ft.,
respectively. The guy is attached to a pole at the height of 36.5 ft. The lead of the guy is
15 ft. Calculate the following:
1. Horizontal component of tension in guy wire.
2. Angle ß.
3. Vertical component of tension in guy wire.
4. Tension in guy wire.

Solution:
1
1. 𝑇ℎ = ℎ 𝑇1 ∗ ℎ1 + 𝑇2 ∗ ℎ2 .
𝑔

3000 ∗ 37.5 + 2500 ∗ 35.5

𝑇ℎ = = 5513.7 𝑙𝑏
36.5
−1
ℎ𝑔 36.5
2. 𝛽 = 𝑡𝑎𝑛 = 𝑡𝑎𝑛−1 = 67.6°
𝐿 15

3. 𝑇𝑣 = 𝑇ℎ 𝑡𝑎𝑛 𝛽 = 5513.7 tan 67.6° = 13416.67 𝑙𝑏.

𝑇ℎ 5513.7
4. 𝑇𝑔 = = = 14505 𝑙𝑏.
𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝛽 𝑐𝑜𝑠 67.6° 25
Grade of Construction:

The criterion used for the strength of requirements of a line is called the grade of
construction.

The NESC designates the grades for supply and communication lines by the letters B, C,
D, E, and N. Grade B is the highest and requires the greatest strength. Grade D is specified
only for communication lines, and it is higher than grade N.

For example, a power line of any voltage crossing over a main track of a railroad requires
grade B construction, but under certain other conditions may be as low as grade N.

In addition to the NESC requirements, there are also local rules and regulations for the
grades of construction.

26
Line conductors :
Copper and aluminum are the metals most frequently used as conductors in
distribution systems. The selection criteria include conductivity, cost, mechanical strength, and
weight. According to these selection criteria, copper conductor is the best and aluminum
conductor is the second best conductor in terms of conductivity and availability.
Aluminum has the advantage of about 70% less weight for a given size, but its
conductivity is only about 61% that of annealed copper. Its breaking strength is about 43% that
of hard-drawn copper. In general, aluminum conductor is rated as equivalent to a copper
conductor two AWG sizes smaller, which has almost identical resistance.
In order to obtain proper ground clearance without excessively increasing the height
of poles, for rural OH distribution lines with lower load densities and longer spans, conductors
of high tensile strength are usually preferable.
However, for urban underground distribution, serving high-load density areas,
current-carrying capacity and voltage drop are more important in selecting the conductor type.
However, because of its comparatively low ratio of strength to weight, copper
conductors necessarily require greater sag for a given span length when compared with copper-
weld or ASCR conductors. Because of this greater sag, higher poles or shorter spans have been
used to provide adequate ground clearance at maximum temperature conditions.
In general, the size of conductors used for an OH line is determined by the electric
power to be transmitted and permissible voltage drop. The requirements for mechanical
strength, however, place a minimum on the conductor size that is practical to use. The NESC
specifies the minimum conductor sizes that are permissible to use.

27
Insulator types:

Pin-Type Insulators Suspension Insulators Strain Insulators.

Pin-type insulators are used for LV and medium-voltage distribution lines.

Suspension insulators are used for all voltage lines.

Strain insulators are used in guys and for dead ending LV lines.

Pin insulators mounted on metal cross-arms should be provided with metal pins that
have sufficient length above the cross-arm to ensure that flashover will take place on the
pin rather than the cross-arm.

28
Problem:
A 46 ft. pole with 24 in. circumference at the pole top and 50 in. circumference at the
ground line. Use a wind velocity of 60 mph and an average span of 250 ft. The pole
carries two cross-arms, and each cross-arm carries three conductors. The top cross-arm is
1 ft. below the pole top, and the lower cross-arm is 2 ft. below the top cross-arm. Use
hard-drawn copper conductors of 250 kcmil with 12 strands and 4/0 with 7 strands for the
top(1.2 in. diameter) and lower (0.81 in. diameter) conductors, respectively. Assume that
6.5 ft. of the pole is below the ground and find the following:
1. Total pressure due to wind on pole
2. Total pressure due to wind on conductors
3. Total pressure due to wind on pole and conductors

Problem:
A western cedar pole carries two cross-arms, one of which is subjected to a normal
transverse force of 450 lb. at a height of 34 ft. and the other 225 lb. at 32 ft. Assume that
the pole tapers 3 in. in circumference for each 8 ft. of length and has an ultimate fiber
stress rating of 5600 psi. Calculate the following:
1. Minimum required pole diameter at ground line
2. Relevant pole-top diameter of pole
3. Permissible bending moment during storms

29