CONSTRUCTING A TRANSMISSION LINE
ᑲᐅᐡᒋᑲᑌᐠ ᐅᐅᐁᐧ ᐊᐧᑌᓂᑲᓂᔭᑊ ᐃᐡᑯᑌᐃᐧᔭᑊ
There are 8 main steps in constructing a transmission line.
ᐁᑲᐧ ᒪᒪᐤ ᐊᔨᓇᓀᐤ ᑫᑯᓇᐣ ᑐᒋᑲᑌ ᑲᐅᐡᒋᑲᑌᐠ ᐊᐧᑌᓂᑲᓂᔭᑊ ᐃᐡᑯᑌ
STEP 1 | RIGHT OF WAY
ᑕᐦᑯᑭᐃᐧᐣ 1 | ᐅᑭᒋᓂᑭᐠ ᐸᐢᑲᐧᑕᐦᐃᑫᐃᐧᐣ
The first step is to clear a path for the construction of the transmission line. This is known as the Right of Way, or ROW. This stage may consist of logging, mulching, burning, and clearing of debris, as well as building access trails to the site.
ᐁᑲᐧ ᓂᐡᑕᑦ ᑕᐦᑯᑭᐃᐧᐣ ᑕᐱᐡᑯᐨ ᒋᐸᐢᑲᐧᑕᐦᐃᑲᓂᐊᐧᐠ ᐅᐅᒪ ᑲᐃᐧᐃᔑᐱᒪᐱᑫᒧᐠ ᐊᐧᑌᓂᑲᓂᔭᑊ ᐃᐡᑯᑌ. ᐁᑲᐧ ᐃᔑᑭᑫᐣᒋᑲᑌ ᐅᑭᒋᓂᑭᐠ ᐸᐢᑲᐧᑕᐦᐃᑫᐃᐧᐣ, ᓇᐣᑕ ᕑᐅ (ROW). ᐁᑲᐧ ᓇᐣᑕ ᑕᒪᓇᑐᑲᐧᓂᐊᐧᐣ, ᑕᐱᑲᐧᒋᑲᓂᐊᐧᐣ, ᑕᓴᑲᐦᐃᑲᓂᐊᐧᐣ, ᒥᓇ ᑕᐸᐢᑯᓂᑲᓂᐊᐧᐣ, ᒥᓇ ᒋᐅᔑᒋᑲᑌᑭᐣ ᒥᑲᓇᐣ ᑫᐅᒋᔕᓂᐊᐧᐠ ᑲᑕᓄᓇᑭᓇᓂᐊᐧᐠ.
STEP 2 | GEOMATICS & SURVEY
ᑕᐦᑯᑭᐃᐧᐣ 2 | ᑭᑭᓇᐧᒋᒋᑫᐃᐧᐣ & ᓇᓇᑲᒋᒋᑫᐃᐧᐣ
Survey crews stake or flag the locations for the towers using predetermined GPS coordinates. The crew will also determine if the planned tower location is actually viable for installation.
ᐁᑲᐧ ᓇᓇᑲᒋᒋᑫᐃᐧᐣ ᐊᓄᑭᓇᑲᓇᐠ ᑭᑭᓇᐧᒋᒋᑫᐊᐧᐠ ᑲᐃᐧᐃᔑᐸᑕᑭᓯᐊᐧᐨ ᒥᑎᑯᑲᓇᐠ ᐁᑲᐧ ᐱᐊᐧᐱᐠ ᐅᑕᐸᒋᑐᓇᐊᐧ. ᒥᓇ ᐊᓄᑭᓇᑲᓇᐠ ᐅᑐᓀᐣᑕᓇᐊᐧ ᑫᐃᔑᐸᑕᑭᓯᐊᐧᐨ ᒥᑎᑯᑲᓇᐠ ᒥᓇ ᑫᑕᔑᓇᓇᐱᓇᑲᓄᐊᐧᐨ.
STEP 3 | MATERIAL DELIVERY
ᑕᐦᑯᑭᐃᐧᐣ 3 | ᐊᓄᑭᐤ ᐊᐸᒋᒋᑲᓇᐣ ᑯᑕᑯᒋᑲᑌᑭᐣ
Materials are stored and sorted in laydown areas offsite, and will be delivered to site as they are required.
ᐊᓄᑭᐤ ᐊᐸᒋᒋᑲᓇᐣ ᐊᒋᑲᑌᐊᐧᐣ ᒥᓇ ᐅᓂᓂᑲᑌᐊᐧᐣ ᐃᐃᒪ ᑲᐃᔑᑕᑯᒋᑲᑌᑭᐣ. ᐁᑲᐧ ᐊᐱᐣ ᑲᐃᔑᑕᓇᓄᑭᓇᓂᐊᐧᐠ ᐃᔓᒋᑲᑌᐊᐧᓄᐣ ᑲᐃᔑᐸᑯᓭᐣᑕᑲᐧᑭᐣ ᐅᑕ.
STEP 4 | FOUNDATIONS & ANCHORS
ᑕᐦᑯᑭᐃᐧᐣ 4 | ᑫᐃᔑᐸᑕᑭᑌᑭᐣ & ᑫᐃᔑᐸᑕᑭᓯᐊᐧᐨ ᒥᑎᑯᑲᓇᐠ
There are two main types of towers that may be built: self-supporting and guyed. Self-supporting towers require foundations for each leg of the tower, while guyed towers require one foundation for the tower, and multiple anchors for the guy wires. After they are set, foundations and anchors are tested to ensure that they can bear the loads from the tower.
ᐁᑲᐧ ᓂᔕᐧᔦᑭᓇᑲᓯᐊᐧᐠ ᐅᑫᐧᓂᐊᐧᐠ ᒥᑎᑯᑲᓇᐠ ᑲᐅᔑᔭᑲᓄᐊᐧᐨ: ᑲᐃᔑᐊᓴᐧᑭᑌᑭᐣ ᐅᑲᑕᐣ ᒋᐊᔭᑭᐣ ᒥᓇ ᑲᐯᔑᑲᐧᐠ ᑲᐃᔑᐊᓴᐧᑭᑌᐠ ᒋᐊᔭᐠ. ᑲᐃᔑᐊᓴᐧᑭᓯᐊᐧᐨ ᒥᑎᑯᑲᓇᐠ ᐅᑲᑕᐣ ᒋᐊᔭᑭᐣ ᐁᑲᐧ ᑲᔦ ᒋᐯᔑᑲᐧᐠ ᑲᐃᔑᐊᓴᐧᑭᓯᐊᐧᐨ ᒥᑎᑯᑲᓇᐠ ᒋᐊᔭᑭᐣ, ᐁᑲᐧ ᒋᒥᔑᓇᐧᐱᑫᔭᑭᐣ ᐱᐊᐧᐱᑯ ᐊᓴᐧᐱᒋᑲᓇᐣ. ᐁᑲᐧ ᐃᐡᑲᐧ ᐅᓇᓴᑲᓄᐊᐧᐨ, ᑲᑭᐃᔑᐸᑕᑭᓇᑲᓄᐊᐧᐨ ᒥᑎᑯᑲᓇᐠ ᑕᓇᓇᑲᒋᒋᑲᑌ ᑕᐱᓀᑲ ᑕᑯᓯᑲᐧᐣ ᐃᐡᐱᒥᐠ ᒥᑎᑯᑲᓂᐠ.
STEP 5 | TOWER ASSEMBLY
ᑕᐦᑯᑭᐃᐧᐣ 5 | ᒥᑎᑯᑲᐣ ᑲᓇᓇᐱᓇᑲᓄᐨ
The steel towers are assembled on the ground or in a laydown yard near the tower site. Each part of the tower is built separately and then connected together on site.
ᐁᑲᐧ ᐱᐊᐧᐱᐠ ᒥᑎᑯᑲᓇᐠ ᓇᓇᐱᓇᑲᓄᐊᐧᐠ ᐃᐃᒪ ᒧᑕᑲᒥᐠ ᓇᐣᑕ ᐃᐃᒪ ᓇᓂᔭᐦᐃᐠ ᑲᐃᐧᐃᔑᐸᑎᑭᓯᐊᐧᐨ. ᐁᑲᐧ ᐸᐱᑭᐢ ᓇᓇᐱᓇᑲᓄᐊᐧᐠ ᒥᑎᑯᑲᓇᐠ ᐁᑲᐧ ᐊᐱᐣ ᒪᒪᐤ ᓇᐱᓇᑲᓄᐊᐧᐠ ᐃᐃᒪ ᑲᐃᐧᐃᔑᐸᑕᑭᓇᑲᓄᐊᐧᐨ.
STEP 6 | TOWER ERECTION
ᑕᐦᑯᑭᐃᐧᐣ 6 | ᒥᑎᑯᑲᐣ ᑲᐸᑕᑭᓇᑲᓄᐨ
Towers are set into place either with cranes or with helicopters, depending on the design of the tower. Some towers are erected as one piece, others are done in multiple pieces. Towers are then secured to the foundation.
ᐁᑲᐧ ᑲᐸᑕᑭᓇᑲᓄᐊᐧᐨ ᒥᑎᑯᑲᓇᐠ ᑲᑭᓇᐧᑯᓂᑫᐨ ᑭᒋᐅᑕᐸᐣ ᐊᐸᑎᓯ ᓇᐣᑕ ᑲᑭᓂᑲᐧᓇᑯᓭᐠ ᐱᒥᓭᐃᐧᓇᐣ ᐊᐸᑕᓄᐣ, ᐊᓂᐣ ᐅᑕ ᒪᔭᑦ ᑲᐃᔑᓇᑯᓯᐨ ᒥᑎᑯᑲᐣ. ᐊᑎᐟ ᒥᑎᑯᑲᓇᐠ ᐯᔑᐠ ᐱᐊᐧᐱᐠ ᐅᔑᔭᑲᓄ, ᓇᐣᑕ ᐸᐱᑭᐢ ᐱᐊᐧᐱᑯᐣ ᐊᐸᑕᓄᐣ. ᐁᑲᐧ ᐊᐱᐣ ᒥᑎᑯᑲᓇᐠ ᐸᑕᑭᓇᑲᓄᐊᐧᐠ ᐃᐃᒪ ᑲᑭᐃᔑᑲᐧᔭᒋᒋᑲᑌᐠ ᐊᐦᑭᑲᐠ.
STEP 7 | STRINGING
ᑕᐦᑯᑭᐃᐧᐣ 7 | ᐊᓴᐧᐱᒋᑫᐃᐧᐣ
Stringing refers to hanging and fastening the conductor wire to the towers. This can be done with cranes or helicopters.
ᐁᑲᐧ ᐊᓴᐧᐱᒋᑫᐃᐧᐣ ᑐᒋᑲᑌ ᒥᓇ ᓯᑕᐦᐃᑲᑌᐊᐧᐣ ᐱᐊᐧᐱᑫᐧᔭᐱᐣ ᐃᐃᒪ ᒥᑎᑯᑲᓇᐠ ᑲᐃᔑᐸᑕᑭᓯᐊᐧᐨ. ᐁᑲᐧ ᑲᑭᓇᐧᑯᓂᑫᐨ ᑭᒋᐅᑕᐸᓇᐠ ᒥᓇ ᑲᑭᓂᑲᐧᓇᑯᓭᑭᐣ ᐱᒥᓭᐃᐧᓇᐣ ᐊᐸᑕᓄᐣ.
STEP 8 | RECLAMATION
ᑕᐦᑯᑭᐃᐧᐣ 8 | ᑲᓇᐱ ᐅᐡᒋᑲᑌᐠ ᐊᐦᑭ
After construction but before the line is energized, the sites will be returned as close as possible to their original ground conditions. This may include, but certainly isn’t limited to, removal of debris, erosion control, and revegetation.
ᐁᑲᐧ ᐃᐡᑲᐧ ᐊᓄᑭᓇᓂᐊᐧᐠ, ᒥᓇ ᐊᒪᐧᔦ ᐊᐸᑕᐠ ᐊᐧᑌᓂᑲᓂᔭᑊ, ᐃᐃᒪ ᑲᑭᐃᔑᐊᓄᑭᓇᓂᐊᐧᐠ ᑲᐧᔭᐠ ᑕᓇᐱ ᐅᐡᒋᑲᑌ ᐊᐦᑭ ᑐᑲᐣ ᑲᑭᐃᔑᓇᑲᐧᑭᐸᐣ. ᐁᑲᐧ ᐅᐅᐁᐧ ᑕᑐᒋᑲᑌ, ᓇᐣᑕ ᑲᔦ, ᒋᐅᑕᐱᓂᑲᑌᑭᐣ ᑲᐱᐃᐧᓯᑭᐣ ᑫᑯᓇᐣ, ᑲᐃᔑᐊᒍᑕᒪᑲᐠ ᐊᐦᑭ, ᒥᓇ ᒋᓇᐱ ᓂᑕᐃᐧᑭᒋᑲᓂᐊᐧᐠ.