Abstract

Transmission Line Engineering using GIS Software and LiDAR Technology
Track: Electric Utilities
Authors: Mark O'Connor

Engineering a Transmission Line is not just an engineering problem to be solved. There are also financial considerations. Before investing in detail engineering of an unapproved alignment, a rough cost estimate should be run against available data. This preliminary engineering will equip the project manager with information to satisfy the accounting and public approval requirements of a project earlier in the process. While publicly available data is not suitable for final engineering, it is suitable for rough estimate engineering.
Work done in the rough estimate should not be discarded unless the project is routed elsewhere. If the route remains essentially in the same alignment, the rough engineering should be transferrable to the more accurate data for this project from ground survey, photogrammetry and LiDAR.
The engineering from the preliminary design can be reviewed and refined in order to create final bills of material and projuct Bid/Contract documents for construction.