Vegetation Management

Network Mapping’s LiDAR system provides a very high resolution survey dataset for your transmission lines, which will capture the worst spatial and vertical extent of any vegetation.

Shortly after flying your lines, we rapidly report vegetation infringing within a pre-defined radius of the as-surveyed conductor position.

We are then able to fully model the conductors and perform checks at maximum rated temperature, or a combination of any loading and weather scenarios to pinpoint vegetation that requires attention. This includes checks for both fall-in and grow-in violations.

Advantages of our approach

• Accurate identification of infringements

• Ability to model conductors under all load and weather conditions

• User friendly output for immediate field staff use

• Backbone of a continuing TVMP

• Mitigation of fines for vegetation-related outages

As-flown infringement checks

It is possible to identify any vegetation encroachments within a pre-defined radius from the conductor in its as-survey position shortly after aerial acquisition. The utility defines the radius, based on NERC Clearance 1 considerations (e.g. 25 ft).

The distance to vegetation from the as-surveyed wire positions will be checked, and any infringement on this pre-defined distance will be highlighted and reported.

Maximum sag and sway

The data is processed to provide pinpoint vegetation checks that locate both falling tree and grow-in vegetation violations at maximum conductor sag condition. The checks will be conducted with a pre-defined radius.

This phase of the project requires processing in PLS-CADD™ by our dedicated engineers and technicians who will:

• Import classified aerial LiDAR data into PLS-CADD™

• Graphically sag the conductors

• Display the conductors at maximum sag

• Run danger tree analysis to client requirements

• Export data into formats stipulated

Google Earth

We can show infringements within Google Earth allowing a simple 'point and click' interface. This data is hosted locally on a secure network and is only available to employees of a utility.