Untapped Opportunity in the Joint use Challenge
The key factors in implementing this streamlined decision-making process were:
- AEP empowered LineSoft’s staff to take a more active role in the research, development and decision-making.
- Most importantly, the AEP Joint Use staff was empowered by their management to make decisions.
Even in those inevitable cases where decisions yielded insufficient or unsatisfactory results, a course correction could be made quickly through this process.
Turnkey Services
Hiring and training of technicians and engineers began in late November of 1998, and first production of attachment requests began on January 11, 1999, using an Excel spreadsheet to calculate the pole loading. Clearances were evaluated using sag charts derived from AEP standards and the Alcoa Sag10 program. Initially, the workforce compromised a project manager, project engineer, and five technicians. This workforce would triple by the time full production was to be achieved.
Joint Use Analysis Software Development
During the first year, the LineSoft/AEP software development team was busy specifying, coding and testing the software. Some major issues surfaced in the specification phase regarding data acquisition methods. The basic engineering approach to performing the pole, guy and anchor calculations was to attempt to model all of the loads that are applied to the structure. This meant that information had to be obtained regarding the pole load points (attachment locations), size/type of equipment and wires, wire tensions and sags, and the pole physical attributes. From these informational requirements, the loads could be applied and the structure calculations performed using discrete-element analysis software.
By November of 1999, the alpha version of the software was being completed. The software was a map-based product that uses an Access database with Visual Basic Code for calculating and manipulating the data. The alpha version did not support GIS interface capabilities, however, the applicable maps and data from AEP’s GIS were translated and converted for use within the software.
Data Classification, Measurement and Collection Protocols for Heights and Bearings Initially, the identification, sizing and classification of existing telecommunications cables and/or cable bundles proved a difficult problem to solve. The major challenge in determining the cable bundle size is that there is little or no archival information upon which to base a determination. Over the years, many of these telecom facilities have changed hands through mergers and acquisitions, and the records of cable size and type have been lost. Equally as important, it was found that even where records existed, many companies could only provide information on their active plant, and not on the abandoned plant that was still encompassed in the bundle configuration. To address this problem, the AEP/LineSoft team developed a standard cable sizing and classification system using the Bellcore standards manual and Fiber Optic product design catalogs. Technicians were trained to assess the existing bundle sizes according to messenger size and bundle diameter, and to use the classification system for modeling the telecom sags and loading.
