Route Plan and Profile

It is assumed by now that you already have a “route profile” or simply “profile” that depicts the
elevation of the ground level from a reference datum. Details of all crossing such roads, rivers, forest
area, ponds, railway lines and power lines along the route should be included. Objects within the
width of Right of Way (ROW) shall be noted.

Incase of overhead crossing, the height above ground of the earthwire or OPGW should be
measured. Likewise for crossing under existing power lines.

Typical scale in plotting of the route plan and longitudinal profile is 1cm =20m horizontal and 1cm=
2m vertical. The sag template should have the same scale with the route plan.

What is a Sag Template?

A sag template is a tool in spotting manually the position of towers or poles on the route profile.
Today, transmission design engineers are using sophisticated design softwares.

A sag template is specific for the particular line voltage, the conductor used and local weather
conditions. It consist of a set of curves drawn on a transparent celluloid or acrylic clear sheet. The set
of curves in the sag template consist of:

• “Cold or Uplift Curve”:

• showing sag of conductor at minimum temperature and still wind.
• “Hot or Maximum Sag Curve”:
• showing maximum sag of conductor may experience. It may be due to
creep or heavy loading due to ice and wind loads or due to maximum
temperature.
• “Ground Clearance Curve”:
• which is drawn parallel to the “Hot or Maximum Sag Curve” and at a
distance equal to the specified minimum ground clearance for the relevant
voltage.
 • “Tower Footing Curve”:
• which is drawn parallel to the “Ground Clearance Curve” and separated by
a minimum distance equal to the maximum sag at the ruling span.

This method can provide the following:

• Maintenance of proper clearance from conductor to ground and to crossing conductors

• Economic Layout
• Minimum possibility of errors in design and layout
• Proper grading of structures
• Prevention of excessive insulator swing or uplift at structures
• Exact and correct quantity of materials purchased and delivered to the proper site

The primary goal of this post is how to make a sag template. Then the succeeding articles on how to
use this template in locating transmission towers or commonly called “tower spotting”.
How to make a Sag Template?
Step 1: Gather the design data.

The design data will include the following:

• The scale of the route plan or profile used.

• Appropriate ruling span.
• Conductor data for sag and tension calculations.
• Stringing tension limits of the conductor.
• Ground clearance standards for different voltage levels.

Step 2: Determine the weather conditions that may affect your conductor.

These data are necessary for calculating the characteristics of conductor curves.

• Cold Curve : minimum temperature at no ice and still wind.

• Maximum Sag Curve:
• maximum temperature of the conductor due to electrical loading
• maximum ice loading with no wind
• maximum ice loading with concurrent wind

For areas in the US, refer to the NESC loading zone. Otherwise, refer to the local standard in your
area. For example, here in the Philippines we don’t experience ice loading hence maximum sag will
be determined by the maximum temperature due to electrical loading.

Step 3: Calculate the sag and tension of the conductor.

It is recommended to include the plastic elongation factors in the calculation. However, for
simplicity in our examples, we will use the linear elongation model which do not include this factors.
We will use the excel spreadsheet file that I developed for sag and tension calculations.

Calculate the sag and tension at different weather conditions and tabulate them.

Step 4: Plotting of the parabolic/catenary curve.

Plot the four curves into a graphing paper with the same scale with the route profile. Take note of the
offset of the “ground clearance curve” and “tower footing curve” as described above. The usual
practice is using a parabolic curve.
Step 1: Gather design data.
Scale and Ruling Span :

In this example, we will assume that the route plan scale is 1 cm: 2 m vertical and 1 cm: 20 m
horizontal. The ruling span will be 300 meters.

Voltage Level and Conductor Data :

This line will be 300 meters 69kV line-line with 795MCM ACSR Conductor. The details of the
conductor are as follows:

• Codeword: Condor
• Stranding: 54/7 (Aluminum / Steel)
• Rated Tensile Strength (RTS): 12,954.5 kg
• Unit Weight: 1.527 kg/m
• Cross-sectional Area: 0.0004548 m^2
• Outside Diameter: 0.02776 m
• Initial Modulus of Elasticity: 59000000000 Pa
• Final Modulus of Elasticity: 59000000000 Pa (assume no change in Young’s Modulus)
• Coefficient of Thermal Expansion: 0.0000193 / ℃

Conductor Tension Limits :

The purpose of limiting the tension in the conductor is to avoid tensile failure. Another is to avoid
conductor fatigue due to aeolian vibration. According to CIGRE brochure WG B2-12, typical values
internally accepted, as well as IEC 60826, for tension limits is shown below:

• 50 – 75% of RTS under maximum climatic heavy load conditions.

• 20 – 30% of RTS with no ice or no wind at 15 ℃ when the conductor is initially installed
under tension.
• 15 – 25% of RTS with no ices or no wind at 15℃ when the conductor is in final
condition. Final condition means that the conductor have already sufferred heavy
loading or has been in place for many years.

On the other hand, RUS and NESC 2017 has the following guidelines for tension limits:
The following explained the tension conditions in the table above:

Initial Unloaded Tensions refers to the conductor as it is strung initially before any ice or wind is
applied.

Final Unloaded Tension refers to the state of the wire after it has experienced ice and wind loads,
long term creep and permanent inelastic deformation.

Standard Loaded Condition refers to the conductor state when it is loaded with simultaneous ice
and wind per NESC loading districts.

Extreme Wind Tension is the tension when wind is acting on the conductor under no ice condition.

Extreme Ice Tension is the is the tension when the conductor is loaded with specified amount of
radial ice under no wind condition.

Extreme Ice with Concurrent Wind refers to the condition where extreme ice on the wire is
accompanied by a moderate amount of wind.
 For this example, let us follow the tension limits set by the NESC. The initial conductor tension is
35% of RTS.

Ground Clearances:

Based on the table below, the required minimum ground clearance for 69kV line accessible to traffic
is 5.9 meters. For this example, we will use 7.0 meters.

Step 2: Determine the weather conditions that may affect your conductor.

The table below shows the typical load cases that the conductor may be subjected to. For this
calculation, we will consider the following climatic conditions:
• Initial Condition
• Temperature = 15 ℃
• Cold Curve:
• Temperature = -20 ℃
• Maximum Sag Curve:
• Extreme Ice:
• Ice thickness = 25 mm
• Temperature = 0 ℃
• k constant = 0 kg/m
• Extreme ice with concurrent wind:
• Ice thickness = 25 mm
• Temperature = -10 ℃
• k constant = 0 kg/m
• Wind pressure = 190 Pa
• Maximum conductor temperature:
• Temperature = 50 ℃ (assumed value, check with your local
weather conditions)
• Extreme Wind
• Temperature = 15 ℃
• Wind Pressure = 991 Pa
Step 3: Calculate the sag and tension of the conductor.

The following is the result using my sag-tension calculator version 2 (See next posts to download).
The “extreme ice” weather case controls the maximum sag of the conductor. Hence, this value of
sag will be used to graph the “maximum sag or hot curve”.

Extreme Ice Loading controls the maximum vertical sag in the conductor.

Step 4: Plotting of the catenary curve

The next step is to derive the equations of the different curves and plot those in a scaled paper. In
this case, I will use AUTOCAD to easily generate the sag curves.

Recall the equation of the catenary with the lowest point taken as the origin.

The C constant is a function of the Horizontal Tension and the unit of the conductor which were
already calculated. Using the results shown above, the different equations were derived. But for now,
we are interested in the vertical sag and not the total sag. Hence, the cosine of blowout angle should
be multiplied to the result. However in this example, it will not matter since blowout angle = 0
degrees and cosine 0 = 1.
Cold and Maximum Sag Curve Equation

We are now ready to generate points to be plotted. But take note that we have to extend the curve up
to 3x the length of ruling span and use the appropriate scale defined earlier. Using Excel, we arrived
at the scaled coordinates below:

In Autocad, use the SPLINE command to generate a curve base on given points. Here are the steps:

• Copy the coordinates from Excel.

• In Autocad, type SPLINE –> Method –>Fit –> Paste the coordinates.

Ground Clearance Curve is just a copy of the Maximum Sag Curve with offset distance equal to
minimum ground clearance. In this case, we set the ground clearance to 7 meters or 7/2 = 3.5 units
(cm) in Autocad.
 Tower Footing Curve is just a copy of the Maximum Sag Curve with offset distance equal to
maximum sag. In this case, the maximum vertical sag to 7.18 meters or 7.18/2 = 3.59 units (cm) in
Autocad.

Step 5: Transfer the plotted curve to a transparent paper or celluloid.

On the next post, we will described on how to use the sag template in transmission line design.

Characteristic of a well-designed and economical plan

• Spans should be approximately uniform in length, equal to or slightly less than the
ruling span.
• Maximum usage of structure of equal height and type.
• Smooth shape of the conductor profile. If the shape is smooth-flowing curve, the
loadings are equalized on successive structures.
Step by Step Tower Spotting Procedure

The process of spotting begins at a known or established conductor attachment point such as a
substation take-off structure. The process usually progresses from left to right on the profile. The sag
template is applied to the profile by moving the same horizontally while always ensuring that the
vertical axis is held vertical.

1. Identify the position of Terminal Tower or Structure.

2. Start from the Terminal Tower.
3. Match the tower footing curve with the position of Terminal Tower.
4. Adjust the position of the Sag Template. Always ensure that its vertical axis is held
vertical.
5. Ensure Ground Clearance. This is done by ensuring the ground clearance curve is
tangent or barely touching the ground profile.
6. Identify the position of the next Tower. This is the point where the tower footing curve
intersects the ground line. The height of the tower or pole can be determined using a
proper structure height template, usually etched on the sag template.
7. Move the sag template to the next Tower.
8. Repeat the procedure.
However, the above procedure can be followed only on lines that are approximately straight and
which cross relatively flat terrain with the basic ground clearances. When line angles, broken terrain,
and crossings are encountered, it may be necessary to try several different arrangements of structure
locations and heights at increased clearances to determine the arrangement that is most satisfactory.

This is done by shifting the sag template until the ground profile touches or is below the clearance
curve with the previously established conductor attachment point is positioned on the conductor
curve. The maximum sag curve would then indicate the required conductor height at any selected
span. Structure height may be determined by scaling or by use of the proper structure height
template. Design limitations due to clearance or structure strength should be observed.
Other Design Considerations
Crossings

Although the process of spotting structures usually progresses from left to right, it is best to examine
the profile for several spans ahead because there may be conditions which will require special
consideration and affect the location of the structure. Examples:

• Line angle points

• Highway or railroad crossings
• Powerline or communication crossings
• River Crossings

Such conditions often fix the location of a transmission line structure, and it is usually a matter of
determining the most desirable arrangement of the structures between these fixed locations. These
conditions may require additional clearance aside from the basic clearance. Sometimes it is desirable
to move ahead to one of the fixed structure locations and work backward.

Weight Span

The weight span of a structure is a measure of the vertical force a structure must be able to
withstand. The weight span is equal to the horizontal distance between the conductor lowest points
in the back and ahead span, on two adjacent spans.
Wind Span

The wind span of any structure is equal to the distance measured between the center points of two
adjacent spans supported by that structure. On other words, wind span is simply half of ahead span
plus half of back span length. The wind span is used to determine the transverse force a structure
must withstand under high wind conditions.

Wind span is not dependent on conductor sag or tension, only on horizontal span length. When the
elevation of adjacent structures is the same, the wind and weight spans are equal.

Cold Uplift

On steeply inclined span when the cold sag curves show the low point to be above the lower support
structure, the conductors in the uphill span exert upward forces on the lower structure.

Uplift has to be avoided for suspension, pin-type, and post insulators construction. For structures
with suspension insulators, the check for allowable insulator swing is usually the controlling criteria
on vertical span.

Cold Uplift could be avoided by:

1. Adjusting structure locations on the plan-profile drawing

2. By using a higher structure at the point of uplift
3. Attaching weights to the conductor
4. Dead End Structure, if all other method fails.
 Sag Template can quickly check for the uplift of the structure in question. For example, we will
determine if Str# 8 will undergo uplift.

1. Place the cold curve on the alternate structures which is Str# 7 and Str# 9.
2. Note that Str# 8 is just within the cold curve.
3. Suppose, however, that Str# 8 is replaced by a 50-footer structure. Then this structure
will be below the cold curve causing an upward pull on the structure.

Conclusion

The process of Tower Spotting is iterative. The initial first-pass design is revised repeatedly until it
complies with all regulations and stakeholder requirements and is optimal in terms of cost, reliability
and practically for construction, maintenance and operations.