More than 5,200 miles of transmission lines cut through Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico and Wyoming. In these four states, more than 35,000 structures provide electricity to the customers in a 250,000-sq-mile service territory.

Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association (Westminster, Colorado), a wholesale electric power supplier, owns and manages these lines with the latest mobile and digital technology to ensure that the delivery of power is both safe and reliable. As part of their reliability process, the line crews and substation technicians perform regular inspections of their transmission infrastructure.

Recent federal regulations have made it critical that these structure and line inspections are carefully recorded and managed. For that reason, Tri-State linemen now use handheld mobile devices to collect valuable information in the field, and record and retrieve data electronically virtually anywhere in their service territory.

Software Solution

In addition to investing in touch-screen 3-inch by 8-inch Archer computers from Juniper Systems for each of the line trucks, Tri-State also purchased an application called Field Express Chameleon from 3-GIS. This field editing tool not only allows for data editing in the field, but also for capturing structure and switch inspections, managing records and tracking the condition of assets.

The data editing task allows Tri-State crews to capture and edit assets in the field, including structures, access roads and gates, and aerial markers. Tri-State is also using the Field Express Related Editor, a tool that allows the editing and viewing of facility-related data such as poles associated to a structure. These data inventorying tasks will help Tri-State in building a more complete GIS for use by the entire organization.

Using the inspection module, users can perform structure and switch inspections as well as record rights-of-way condition locations, such as encroachments or required tree trimming. Field workers can then generate maintenance and line summary reports through a Web interface to assist in regulatory compliance.

Server Storage

In addition to keeping tabs on inspection data, Tri-State also wanted to implement an enterprise GIS to track not only critical infrastructure but also other relevant information, such as access roads to the structures and environmentally sensitive areas. To provide solutions to their maintenance and asset tracking needs, Tri-State turned to ESRI to provide GIS technology based on ESRI's ArcGIS Server.

The embedded ArcGIS Server mobile technology allows for Field Express to transfer data updates to and from either a laptop or a handheld field device running Windows Mobile or XP. Field Express can run in either a connected or disconnected mode. When possible, it will connect with an ArcGIS Server map service to upload or download data.

3-GIS also allowed Tri-State to save its inspection data to a GIS database. 3-GIS created a condition object for every issue reported in the field. For instance, if a structure had a damaged insulator and crossarm, each of these inspection items would result in a condition record being created in the GIS.

Once these are posted to the GIS Database, a Tri-State supervisor may assign these conditions to a work order and then assign the work order to a particular user. When the field user logs in, he or she can download the active work orders and conditions to his or her local Field Express device and then take them to the field to resolve.

Over the last three years, the linemen have used the application to map out the transmission line structures as well as archaeological sites, environmental sites, vegetation areas and sites on the access roads or the rights-of-way to the lines that need maintenance.

Rolling it Out to the Field

After customizing the application to meet its requirements, Tri-State introduced the software application to its field workforce. The company conducted several months of field testing before implementing it companywide.

The line crew tested all of the functionalities of the software like dropdown menus for line maintenance issues such as loose staples, hardware or pole problems, or concerns about steel structures. They also tried to identify and record any problems on the structures such as woodpecker holes, split poles or hardware problems. In addition, the linemen involved in the field trial used the application to map out a vegetation area and identify and record problems such as a tree that is too close to the line or needs to be trimmed.

Tri-State first downloaded the application to six linemen's mobile computers. The linemen could gather or change the data on the handheld devices, and then when they connected to an Intranet network, they could synchronize to an ESRI database directly.

Before working with the new application, the linemen used a form-based application that was designed in-house. After migrating to Field Express, the linemen were very open to the technology, because they quickly realized that it would provide them with time savings.

The linemen conducted field testing on the application during a routine line patrol. They found out that it did not take more than two minutes to map each structure. If Tri-State would have had to hire an outside firm to map its structures, then the company would have had to pay an extreme expense, and it would have taken more time to get the data.

In addition, it saved the linemen time in terms of preparing paperwork. Because everything was electronic, they didn't have to write everything down on paper. Instead, they could run reports and work orders electronically and easily retrieve historical information and update data.

After eight months of field testing, Tri-State staff went out to each field office to personally train the linemen. The training consisted of a one-day session in the office as well as a one-day hands-on session in the field. Support was also offered by GIS staff.

Need for Navigation

The linemen are not only using the software for inspections, but they are also using it to obtain the GPS locations of every structure and view them on the corporate GIS. If there is a problem area, then they can navigate to it using a handheld GPS from DeLorme.

One advantage of the software is that they can edit the GIS data in the field. The linemen can relocate or get a new position for a structure if they find that it is not correct. In addition, they can see where they are located at all times. If they are standing under a structure, and their mobile unit is showing that the structure is a far distance away, then they can move the location and update the GIS corporate database through the synchronization process.

By leveraging the capabilities of Field Express and ArcGIS Server, Tri-State Generation and Transmission has succeeded in deploying a GIS that meets the needs of both its office and its field users.

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Bruce Kreager (bkreager@tristategt.org) is a transmission maintenance specialist with Tri-State Generation and Transmission and has been working for the company for the last 35 years. He works out of Westminster, Colorado.

Companies mentioned in this article:

DeLorme www.delorme.com

ESRI www.esri.com

Juniper Systems www.junipersys.com

3-GIS www.3-gis.com

Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association www.tristategt.org