Designing Electrical Overhead Distribution Lines

Access information for the January 25-29, 2021 course has been sent to the email used during registration. Please contact Shalini Bhat at skbhat@wisc.edu or Karen Kulcinski at karen.kulcinski@wisc.edu if you did not receive this email.

Learn how to manage risk, legal duties and liabilities involved with the design of electrical overhead distribution lines. You'll better understand electrical and mechanical characteristics, performance, and economic factors to select and apply overhead distribution conductors.

• Those who work in the areas of design, construction, operation, maintenance 
• Anyone who utilizes safe work practices involving electrical overhead distribution lines in a utility, institutional, or industrial setting 
• Engineers, technicians, designers, contractors, consultants, line workers, inspectors, safety personnel, supervisors, and others involved with electrical overhead distribution lines 

This class requires the NESC 2017 code book. 

It can be purchased in print or PDF format at Techstreet: IEEE C2-2017 National Electrical Safety Code

Earn 2.0 CEUs, 20 PDHs with this course.

Introduction to Overhead Distribution Lines

• Conductors, structures, equipment
• Voltage, current, and power ratings
• Electrical loading (normal and contingency)
• National codes and standards
• Rights-of-way and joint-use

Introduction to the National Electrical Safety Code^® (NESC)

• NESC purposes, compliance, organization, and content 
• NESC general requirements for overhead lines

Conductors

• Physical and electrical characteristics
• Transverse, vertical, and tension loads
• Sag and tension characteristics
• Sag calculations with the ruling span

 NESC Clearances

• Between structures 
• Conductors to ground, other conductors, buildings
• Climbing and working spaces

Structure Loading

• Determination of conductor weight span and wind span
• Forces, moments and loading trees
• NESC grades of construction
• Structural loading and strength factors

Guying

• Guying methods and requirements
• Guy strand types, sizes and selection
• Anchor types, sizes and selection
• Pole attachments and insulation

Structure Types and Design

• Wood, steel, concrete poles 
• Structures and support arms
• Selection of structures and structural components

Insulators and Insulation Coordination

• Lightning characteristics and BIL ratings
• Electrical, mechanical ratings of insulators
• Lightning arresters and application

Grounding

• Purposes of grounding
• NESC requirements
• Grounding standards

"This course has been structured in a perfect manner, addressing every single important topic...very valuable."
—Gayan Herath, Grand River Dam Authority; Tulsa, Oklahoma

"Great instructor with a lot of knowledge. It was a good introduction into what goes into the correct product and material chosen for a project."
—Mark Skull, Menasha Utilities; Menasha, Wisconsin

"Guying calcs and clearance issues are a constant problem I face every day. The problems covered in class regarding these issues will help me make better engineering decisions."
—Brandon Carr, Distribution Engineer, Leidos; Reston, Virginia

R. John Miner

R. John Miner, PE, is president of Collaborative Learning, Inc. of Austin and San Antonio, Texas and has more than 40 years of experience in the electric utility industry. A course instructor for the University of Wisconsin for more than 20 years, Miner has conducted educational programs throughout the country and at several overseas locations. He earned a BS degree in electrical engineering with honors and an MS degree in engineering science from the University of Toledo.

Shalini Bhat

Shalini Bhat, PE, is a program director at the Office of Engineering Professional Development at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She has over 15 years of experience in the power industry. Previously, she has worked at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories and Cooper Power Systems. Most recently, she was a Senior Distribution Protection Engineer for seven years at We Energies in Wisconsin.

Ted Dimberio

Ted Dimberio, P.E. has 40-years’ experience in distribution line design and has worked for rural electric cooperatives and consulting firms, and most recently, is a private business owner. Ted has worked in all capacities of distribution line design that includes field staking, supervision, management, and consulting. Ted has a vision to enhance distribution line design by incorporating engineering software, best practice and engineering ethics.

Ted is currently President and CFO of Utility Line Design and President of Line Design University. He is also Vice-President of the Association for Utility Line Design Professionals. Ted has been an industry leader in developing engineering software for electric distribution utilities that auto-generates profile drawings and required line design calculations to verify and document engineering decisions and provide long-term engineering documentation. Ted keeps abreast with the engineering trends by maintaining close contact with numerous state engineering boards, the National Council of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors and the National Society of Professional Engineers.

Ted teaches a variety of technical education programs including all aspects of overhead line design, engineering design documentation, NESC compliance, safety, and system performance and improvement.

Ted received his civil and structural engineering education from Mesabi State Junior College and the University of Minnesota and is a licensed professional engineer in the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Erich Schoennagel

Erich is a former manager and engineer with CenterPoint Energy. He managed the Transmission Project Engineering group, which served the company’s needs for transmission system design, substation and telecom site improvement, and civil engineering for transmission, substation, distribution, and telecom structures.

He prepares educational materials and teaches a variety of programs including overhead and underground electrical transmission and distribution, NESC compliance, safety, and system performance and improvement.

Erich began his utility career in 1977 as a co-op student with Houston Lighting & Power, where he gained exposure to power generation, fuel procurement, and civil engineering support. Upon graduation in 1980 from Texas A&M University, he joined Houston Lighting & Power in the Civil Engineering group, where he designed structures and foundations for transmission, substation, distribution, and telecom projects. In 1988, Erich joined the Fossil Plant Engineering group where he designed civil engineering projects for the generation assets of the company, while continuing to support the projects of the power delivery system. He transferred to the Transmission Engineering group in 1996, where he designed upgrades and new lines for the overhead and underground transmission system. The group was later included in the consolidation of the regulated assets to become CenterPoint Energy.

Erich served for fifteen years as a member advisor and later, chairman of the Underground Transmission Task Force for the Electric Power Research Institute until his retirement from CenterPoint Energy. There he directed research related to underground transmission and superconductivity. He was a board member of the annual TSDOS symposium, and a former member of the American Concrete Institute 336 committee related to foundation design and construction. Erich received his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the state of Texas.