Transmission Overhead Line Assessment and Maintenance

Many of the transmission lines built prior to the mid 1900s are still in service and those built during the expansion years of the 1960s and 70s are beginning to show their age, requiring added maintenance and assessment. During the life of a transmission line, asset management decisions are made on an ongoing basis with an emphasis on extending the life of the assets, maintaining or improving reliability and performance, cost optimization and ensuring the safe operation of the transmission lines system. The objective of the Transmission Overhead Line Assessment and Maintenance (TOLAM) program is to bring together interested parties to exchange informationon asset management practices and techniques and to facilitate research that will optimize the management of overhead transmission line assets. Key focus areas of the group include life extension of the assets to defer the need for major capital expenditures, the refinement and development of prudent and effective asset management practices, and maintenance techniques to reduce life cycle cost and maintain performance of the transmission lines system.

Topics and Issues:

• Asset Investment Decisions
• Maintenance & Business Practices
• Optimizing Maintenance 
• Health/ Condition Assessment & End-of-Life Prediction
• Corrosion Control and Mitigation
• Reliability Issues, Evaluations and Solutions
• Technical Standards and Supplements
• Assessment of Promising New Technologies