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Combined Use of PLS-CADD and TOWER

Softwares for Transmission Line Design -
The Experience and Methodology of COPEL
for Tower Analysis
L. S. Hatashita, J.N. Hoffmann and C. D. V. Pedroso
Copel Geração e Transmissão S.A. - Brazil

Abstract-The experience and methodology developed by and ground wire, and also to cable tensions, wind pressure,
COPEL for the integrated use of Pls-Cadd (structure spotting) terrain type, criteria defined by standards and safety factors.
and Tower (structural analysis) softwares are presented. Fig.1 shows a typical Interaction Diagram for a tower. For
Structural evaluations in transmission line design are possible for
any loading condition, allowing considerations of new or updated
each condition of use, a pair of values of wind span x weight
loading trees, wind speeds or design criteria. span is obtained, and Pls-Cadd will determine the most
Index Terms- Line Spotting, Optimization, Pls-Cadd Software, economic pair when spotting structures. For this case, the
Structural Design, Lattice Towers, Transmission Lines, Tower conductor is ACSR Grosbeak, the ground wire is ACSR
Software, Upgrading. Dotterel and wind speeds were considered with a return period
of 150 year. Any changing of these variables the Interaction
Diagram will not represent the condition of use for this
I. INTRODUCTION structure, and it cannot be used.
COPEL has about 15,000 towers in operation in its
transmission system, resulting in some 110 different types of
structure design. Most were designed in the 60's, 70's and 80's,
under different criteria, different standards and wind
mappings. The large number of line upgradings and the use of
old tower designs in new transmission lines (TLs), require a
reevaluation of the towers, considering updated wind
mappings, new standards and new additional specifications for
design. Integrating Pls-Cadd and Tower softwares will provide
the assessment of structural analysis in upgradings and also in
TLs of new design, by using the most appropriate Interaction
Diagram which provides the allowable wind and weight spans
for each design condition.

A. Wind/ Weight span Interaction Diagrams

Structure spotting in TLs has been usually done by means
of "Interaction Diagrams", which are simplified
representations of the structure loading trees. Interaction
Diagrams are obtained for wind mappings and for criteria of a
valid standard at the time of design.
A loading tree characterizes the main possibilities of the
mechanical loads that each structure can be submitted during Fig.1. Interaction Diagram for a typical structure
its lifetime, and also during construction, assembly and
structure maintenance. When structures of old design are Some particular cases are not considered in the Interaction
reused, the Interaction Diagram needs to be updated to the Diagrams, such as:
valid standard and many times this leads to different design
criteria.
Towers in angle, but not at the bisector;
The Interaction Diagram is related to a certain conductor
Derivation or additional cables;

Torsion situations in tower arms, such as shown in Fig 2.

Fig. 2. Example of torsion in tower arm
B. Results obtained with the Tower software
The Tower software (developed by Powerline Systems Inc.)
allows the calculation of lattice towers for transmission lines
and telecommunications. Tower angles are modeled including
screws and connections. The basic purpose is to check loading
trees to certain conditions of design. The possibility of a joint
use with Pls-Cadd (software for structure spotting) represents a
substantial increase in the possibilities of engineering analysis
for the design of TLs.
With Tower software it is possible to obtain Interaction
Diagrams for structures, with updated loading trees. For each
load case and each tower type, data needs to be specified as
those in Table I (case of a double circuit structure with one
ground wire). With such data for all load cases, the Interaction
Diagram will be calculated considering all load cases
simultaneously.
TABLE I
LOAD TABLE ( "LIC" FILE)
Load Point - point where loads are applied; GW – ground
wire; L-UP – upper left side conductor; L-MI – middle left
side conductor; L-LO – lower left side conductor; R –same as
above, for the right side .
Vert. Load - Vertical load per unit length of cable attached to
the load point;
Wind Load - Transverse wind load per unit length of the
attached cable;
Back Span - Tension in back span;
Ahead Span - Tension in ahead span;
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Constant Vert. Load - Vertical load at the load point due to
insulators weight;
Constant Wind Load - Transverse wind load at the load point
due the wind pressure on the insulator chain;
Wind Pressure - Wind pressure (in our case, the 10 minute
average wind speed, 10 m height value according IEC 60826
standard).
These data are stored in a loading tree data file of extension
"LIC". The data of Table I are obtained by means of an
algorithm developed by COPEL, that is run as a pre-
processing step, written in MS Excel. If any modification of
the calculation premises is done (such as a different terrain
type, wind speed, cable temperature, cable tension, types of
cables, etc), the algorithm updates the data of Table I
automatically. After obtaining the “LIC” file for all the load
cases, Tower run the structure under study considering the
option Create Method 2 File for Pls-Cadd. The file to be used
in Pls-Cadd with the necessary Interaction Diagram is then
obtained. This file will make the interface between Pls-Cadd
and Tower softwares, allowing structural checking by Pls-
Cadd if necessary, for each specific spoted structure. This can
be done by the line designer, and it’s not required expertise in
structural analysis for this kind of structural checking.
Other calculations can be performed, such as:

Tower analysis at some special situations, when not
considered in the Interaction Diagram;

Punctual analysis of old towers in upgrading transmission
lines;

Calculation of reactions at the foundations, for each
structure;

Determination of estimated weights for new towers,
considering new loading trees;

Checking of 3D distances between cables and tower
(cable-tower , cable-guys, etc)

3D determination of maximum angles for insulator
swinging
II. TYPES OF STRUCTURE MODELS
The experience with Pls-Cadd and Tower led us to different
types of structure models, each one appropriate for a given
situation:

Model generated in Pls-Cadd: a very simple model that
does not require the use of Tower;

Simplified Model (SM): applicable for the design of
foundations, it does not include the details of angle
connections and can be developed very faster and at
little cost;

Model for Structural Analisys (SA):, required for
punctual structural analysis, and also necessary to
obtain the Interaction Diagrams - this model must be
elaborated by specialists in structural modeling;

Model with Interaction Diagram: necessary for the use
with automatic spotting in Pls-Cadd.

All models are usually made for all tower heights,
according to the original design.
The model generated in Pls-Cadd includes only basic
informations such as structure height, allowable angles of
inflection, angles for insulator swinging, wind and weight
span. The result of evaluation of this simple model in Pls-Cadd
is the percentage of the allowable wind and weight span when
compared to the actual wind and weight spans of each
structure.
The simplified model (SM) has no information of screws
and connections, but it is enough to determine the terrain joint
reactions in Pls-Cadd, which is used for the design of tower
foundations. This model is fast to obtain and at little cost, and
no specific expertise in structural enginering is necessary.
The Model for Structural Analysis (SA) should be complete,
including the correct specification of joints, angles, bolts,
guys, steel alloys used, criteria, limits and safety factors
according to standards, etc. This type of modeling is usually
obtained by contracting a structural specialist that is
responsible by law for the model.
The Model with Interaction Diagram for use in Pls-Cadd is
obtained by running the Tower software on the SA model,
together with the "LIC" files as mentioned in Section I.B.
The following are suggestions for naming of structure files,
depending on the types of modeling:
- Model created in Pls-Cadd: S41R_230_SUSP.223
- Simplified Model: S41R_230_SUSP-22, 3 (SM E5 L4).TOW
- Model for Structural Analysis:
S41R_230_SUSP-22,3 (SA E5 L4).TOW
- Model with Interaction Diagram:
S41R_230_SUSP-22,3 (B30DRA E5 L4).TOW.
The structure represented in these files is of type S41R, 230
kV, suspension type, nominal height of 22,3 m, with a tower
body extension of 5 m and tower legs of 4 m height. The
model with Interaction Diagram considers terrain type B, wind
of 30 m/s (10 m height, 10 minute average wind speed) and
ACSR Drake conductor.
A. Tower modeling in COPEL
In order to integrate Pls-Cadd and Tower, it is necessary to
model the most commonly used towers, and if possible, all the
tower types used in the company. The stage of modeling in
our company (as of December/2008) is indicated below:

Model created in Pls-Cadd: standard model currently
used for all 110 types of towers;

Simplified Model (SM): 900 towers modeled, considering
all combinations of legs and heights, which represents
51 types of towers;

Model for Structural Analysis (SA): 117 towers modeled
(8 types) and another 11 types already contracted;

Model with Interaction Diagram: studies for the use of
such models have been finalized, and the practical
implementation is started.
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Once a SA model is obtained, the SM of the corresponding
tower can be replaced by the SA model, since it is more
generic.
B. Types of contracting models
The SM (simplified model) of a tower is usually obtained in
a 1 week job for all tower heights. This model is important
because it is fast to obtain, no specific expertise is structural
enginering is necessary, and it matches the needs for designing
tower foundations, for example.
The SA (model for structural analysis) has an average cost
in Brazil of about US$ 5,000 per type of tower, and can be
contracted on a specific bid for modeling, or contracted
together with a bid for the supply of the corresponding towers.
III. REQUIRED STANDARDIZATION
The following standardization is suggested, in order to
obtain a suitable interface of Pls-Cadd & Tower:
A. Naming of structure files
The guidelines previously mentioned in section II are
suggested. The following examples illustrate in addition the
standardization suggested for naming files:
Where:

Simplified Model: ea1 structure type, 230 kV, susp -
suspension, 27,5 - tower height (m), SM - simplified
model, L - height of tower leg (6 m), E – height of the
tower extension (9 m)

Model for Structural Analysis: ea1 structure type, 230
kV, susp - suspension, 27,5 - tower height (m), SA -
model for structural analysis, L - height of tower leg (6
m), E – height of the tower extension (9 m).

Model with Interaction Diagram: ea1 structure type, 230
kV, susp - suspension, 27,5 - tower height (m),
B30DRA - terrain type, 10 minute average, 10 m height
wind speed (IEC 60826) and cable conductor, L -
height of tower leg (6 m), E - height of the tower
extension (9 m).
B. Standardization of sets of cables for Pls-Cadd
One set per cable is suggested for the following reasons:

The need of upgrading TLs with different conductor
tensions;

The use of type I and type V insulator chains in the same
circuit;

Strain towers with rectangular arms shall have different
sets for back and ahead spans, because the point of
attachment at the tower is not the same.

In order to facilitate stringing sections of cables in Pls-
Cadd, it is also suggested to use odd numbers of sets in the
back span and even numbers for the corresponding set in the
ahead span. Figures 3 to 5 show examples for double circuit
towers with two ground wires.
with the integration of Pls-Cadd and Tower :
Fig. 3 - Sets for typical double circuit towers, including main and backup sets
Fig. 4 - Descriptions for a typical suspension tower
Fig. 5 - Descriptions for a typical strain tower (B = back, A = ahead)
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IV. STEPS FOR USING PLS-CADD AND TOWER FOR
STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS
For the integrated use, consider the following:

If it's necessary to do the optimum spotting (automatic
spotting), structures must be modeled with the Model
with Interaction Diagram, and so it is necessary to
specify all the structure loading trees in Tower, as
described in Section I.B.

For specific structural calculations after structure spotting
in Pls-Cadd, it is necessary to specify the loading trees
in the menu Criteria/StructureLoads. Newer versions of
the software allows the specification of the usual
loading tree hypotheses (winds according to IEC 60826
and other codes, broken conductors, etc.).
The following steps are usually required in designing a TL

Load the line design in Pls-Cadd, and load structure files
modeled with Interaction Diagram in Structures/
Available Structure List/Add&Del, and run the project
for line spotting as usual, with Structure/Automatic
Spotting/Optimum Spotting.

Note that all structures will use the set number 1 as the
lowest set as suggested in Fig. 3. So it will be necessary
to adjust the attachment of cables in strain structures to
the corresponding even set for the ahead spans. This is
done with the command Sections/ Modify, picking up
the section and then clicking at Edit Stringing.

Include and string all other cables with the Sections/Copy
& Add commands. After stringing all cables, it will be
possible to obtain the loads necessary to the design of
foundations, as described in Section 5 below.

If necessary, the structural checking can be performed
for any specific structure of the line. However, under
normal conditions this step will not be necessary since
the limits of use of the structure were already provided
in the Interaction Diagram data. This step will only be
necessary to examine additional loading cases, different
from those that generated the Interaction Diagram, such
as structure not at the bisector angle, torsion of arms,
additional cables or any other specific loading case.
Click at F1 and select Use Method 4. On Structures/
Check choose the structure desired for verification.
Tower software will run the selected structure
automatically and returns the results to Pls-Cadd as text
reports and visually, as illustrated in Figure 6.
Fig. 6. Structural Analysis in Pls-Cadd

V. STEPS FOR USING PLS-CADD AND TOWER TO
FOUNDATIONS DESIGN
The integration of the softwares is also useful for obtaining
the forces and moments needed for the design of structures
foundations. For this purpose, the Pls-Cadd project must
include structures modeled in Tower, for example, with the
model with Interaction Diagram, or the model for structural
analysis or even the simplified model, as described in section
II.
It is necessary that the structure loading trees are specified
in Criteria/Structure Loads. Since Tower perform a second
order analysis of the structure, the calculation of forces and
moments are more accurate.
The values of forces and moments on the joints of tower
legs and/or guys, necessary for the design of foundations, are
in the table Summary of Joint Support for All Load Cases
Reactions, obtained after clicking at F1, choosing Use Method
4 and after Structures/Check, select the structure desired and
choose Report (Short).
Until all structures are modeled with Interaction Diagrams,
certainly there will be TL designs with mixed models, some
towers with the simple model obtained on Pls-Cadd, others
with the Simplified Model and/or with the model for
Structural Analysis and/or the model with Interaction Diagram.
In these cases, small utilities may be useful, allowing the
replacement of blocks of texts in a group of ASCII files (such
as the shareware Batch Text Replacer - Transmission Energy Tower, from the Catholic
http://www.brinesoft.com). Basically it will be necessary to
replace the path and name of structures on the DON and STR
files, although Power Line Systems does not recommend doing
it. After replacing the block of new paths for all structures, Pls-
Cadd automatically loads the corresponding models on the
specified paths.
VI. CONCLUSIONS
The experience of COPEL with the integrated use of a
software for the design of TLs (Pls-Cadd) and a software for
structural analysis (Tower) was shown, allowing the evaluation
of the mechanical strength and the design of TL towers
foundations.
The new possibilities of analysis for typical engineering
problems were presented, and the procedures suggested for the
practical implementation of this technique were detailed.
The integrated use of the two softwares offers an important
upgrade in the possibilities of engineering analysis for the
design of TLs. It allows a quick check and optimizes the
calculation of forces and moments for the design of tower
foundations.
All the calculations were done under the requirements of
existing standards, also taking into account updated wind
mappings and reviewed design criteria.
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This methodology allows an increase in the job scope
required from experts in structural modeling, since it is
necessary that a tower model for structural analysis be
elaborated by specialized consultants.
With the integrated use of Pls-Cadd and Tower, it will be
possible to evaluate old structures in upgrating TLs and to
design new TLs by using the most suitable Interaction
Diagram for each situation.
VII. REFERENCES
[1] Powerline Systems Inc., "Pls-Cadd Software Manual"
[2] Powerline Systems Inc., "Tower Software Manual"
[3] IEC 60826, "Design Criteria Of Overhead Transmission Lines", 2003
[4] G.T. Watson, “Transmission Tower Modelling", available at
http://www.powline.com/contrib/EfficientTower.pdf
VIII. BIOGRAPHIES
Luiz S. Hatashita was born in São Paulo - Brazil.
He graduated from the Federal Technologic
University of Paraná in Electrical Engineering in
1985 and Mechanical Engineering in 2004 in the
same University. In 2007, he got the MS. degree in
Mechanical Engineering in Reliability Analysis of
University of Paraná. He has been continuing his
studies in this area in his PhD course in this
university. He has been working at COPEL
(Companhia Paranaense de Energia) since 1985 until nowadays, working at
Department of Studies in Electrical Energy Market, Department Electrical
Energy Measurement and Department of Transmission Line Engineering.
João Nelson Hoffmann received the B.S. degree
in Electrical Engineering from Universidade
Federal do Paraná (UFPR) in 1981, and the M.S.
degree in Applied And Computational Mathematics
from Universidade Estadual de Campinas
(UNICAMP) in 1993. In 1982 and 1983 he worked
with design of transmission lines and substations.
From 1984 to 1987 he worked with technical
specifications for high voltage equipments. Since
1988 he is with Companhia Paranaense de Energia
(COPEL), Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil, working with transmission line
researches, specially for overhead urban and compact lines, corona and
earthing problems, and structural reevaluation of transmission line towers.
Carlos Diego do Valle Pedroso was born in
Londrina, State of Paraná, Brazil, on October, 15,
1983. He received the B.S. degree in Civil
Engineering from Universidade Estadual de Maringá
(UEM) in 2005, and worked with the design of
concrete structures. In 2008, he received a
postgraduate degree working with "Building of
Public Constructions" from Universidade Federal do
Paraná (UFPR). Since 2007 he works in the
Department of Transmission Lines Engineering of
COPEL, working with design and research of foundations for transmission
line structures.