[BC] Electrical Code

[Mike McCarthy]

General repairs to overhead lines is a few hour process as opposed to 
potentially days with underground. Also, the likelihood of damage and 
injury to workers is far greater with underground lines than overheard. And 
it's far more lethal with higher voltages when a digger comes in contact 
with a cable.

Keep in mind the damage to power lines is more related to debris hitting 
them than being blown over.  What we see on TV us usually the worst of the 
damage.

One other thing, it appears to me that most of the damage is to the local 
primary and some small sub-station feeders.  The big lines appear to have 
survived.  Burying high voltage lines is a very dicey prospect as the cable 
needs to be pressurized with a very special mineral oil to many hundreds of 
PSI.  No mechanical insulation will withstand that voltage 
underground.  I've never see anything above 139 KV buried except in 
downtown Chicago.  Even then the cable is not directly buried.  It's in a 
chase which has HUGE passages for the conductor.

Finally, I'm seeing more metal poles being used to replace wood poles. They 
tend to not snap like wood polls.  But are also 3-4 times more expensive to 
install as the metal pole requires a foundation to be used whereas the wood 
doesn't.

MM.  .

At 07:44 AM 10/27/2005 -0500, Dave wrote
> > This nails it, really.  Provider preference; that is, the provider can
> > 'encourage' you to do it their way.
>
>     Speaking of this general topic, I'm hearing up here that it's going to
>be weeks perhaps before power is restored to southern Florida. Crews are
>working to get things going again, but I have to wonder:
>
>1)    Are they working diligently to put the lines back up in the air (to be
>blown down again and again)?
>
>2)    If so, why?
>
>In other words, just how high does the line voltage have to be before it
>cannot be buried? Or, if that isn't the issue, then what is the reason for
>having so many overhead lines vs underground?
>
>And, if power isn't readily available, and fuel isn't (very) available, how
>many stations are on the air down there, and how?
>
>     Dave Dunsmoor
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>This is the BROADCAST mailing list
>To send to the list, email: broadcast at radiolists.net
>For sub changes, archives and info on this other lists: 
>http://www.radiolists.net/