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289
RELIABILITY BASED
DESIGN METHODS
FOR OVERHEAD LINES
ADVANTAGES, APPLICATIONS
AND COMPARISONS
Working Group
B2.06
April 2006
CIGRE SC B2 WG 06 Page 2 of 106 RBD
Reliability Based Design Methods

for Overhead Lines
Advantages, Applications
and Comparisons
Working Group
B2.06
Elias Ghannoum, Jan Rogier, Lars Rolfseng, Chris Thorn
Jan ROGIER, Convenor (Belgium); Pavel FRONEK, Secretary (Czech Republic)
Regular Members: Carlos ALONSO (Spain); Jol ANGELINI (France); Elias GHANNOUM (Canada); Tip
GOODWIN (U.S.A.); Farid KHADRI (Algeria); Friedrich KIESSLING (Germany); Ghyslaine McCLURE
(Canada); Joo Felix NOLASCO (Brazil); Krzysztof PUT (Poland); Oswaldo REGIS (Brazil); Lars ROLFSENG
(Norway); Ljiljana SAMARDZIC and Sava SKROBONJA (Serbia and Montenegro); Chris THORN (United
Kingdom)
Corresponding Members: Svein FIKKE (Norway); Asim HALDAR (Canada); Trevor JACOBS (Australia); Yuji
KUBOTA (Japan); Robert LAKE (New Zealand); Pierre MARAIS and Dzevad MUFTIC (South Africa); Pekka
RIISI (Finland); Sergey TURBIN (Ukraine); Brian WAREING (United Kingdom)
Contributors: Tony PLOEG (The Netherlands); se ROGNES (Norway)
Copyright 2006
Ownership of a CIGRE publication, whether in paper form or on electronic support only infers right of use for personal purposes.
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and transfer to a third party; hence circulation on any intranet or other company network is forbidden.
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CIGRE gives no warranty or assurance about the contents of this publication, nor does it accept any responsibility, as to the
accuracy or exhaustiveness of the information. All implied warranties and conditions are excluded to the maximum extent
permitted by law.
Reliability Based Design Methods for Overhead Lines

Advantages, Applications and Comparisons
Content of the Technical Brochure
Executive Summary
Section I - Advantages
Section II - Applications
Section III - Comparisons
Abstract of the Technical Brochure

This Technical Brochure promotes Reliability Based Design (RBD) methods for Overhead Lines
and provides recommendations to make Standard IEC 60826 Ed.3, October 2003 and other
relevant RBD Codes (ASCE 74, EN 50341) more consistent. Section I summarizes advantages of
probabilistic methods over deterministic methods as well as the key features of IEC 60826, and
its companion document, CIGR TB No. 178. In Section II possible interpretations of IEC 60826
are clarified by application examples. Section III compares the other RBD Codes with IEC 60826
to assess the significance of any major difference.
Rsum de la Brochure Thmatique

Mthodes de Conception Base sur la Fiabilit pour Lignes Ariennes
Avantages, Applications et Comparaisons
Cette Brochure Thmatique valorise les mthodes de Conception Base sur la Fiabilit pour les
Lignes Ariennes et donne des recommandations pour rendre la Norme CEI 60826 Ed.3, octobre
2003 et dautres Codes relevants (ASCE 74, EN 50341) plus cohrents. La Section I rsume les
avantages des mthodes probabilistes par rapport aux mthodes dterministes, ainsi que les
particularits de la CEI 60826, et de son document daccompagnement BT CIGRE No. 178. Dans
la Section II les interprtations possibles de la Norme sont clarifies par des exemples
dapplication. La Section III compare les autres Normes avec la CEI 60826 afin dvaluer la
signification des diffrences majeures.

Content of the Technical Brochure
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................9

AIM OF THE TECHNICAL BROCHURE ..............................................................................10
GENERAL INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................11
THE NEED FOR RELIABILITY BASED DESIGN IN OVERHEAD LINE DESIGN.......11
POSSIBLE INCONSISTENCIES AND UNBALANCE IN STRENGTHS OF COMPONENTS ..........................11
UNKNOWN RELIABILITY LEVEL ...................................................................................................11
DIFFICULTY TO ADJUST THE OVERALL LINE RELIABILITY ............................................................12
DIFFICULTY TO DESIGN HETEROGENEOUS STRUCTURES ..............................................................12
DIFFICULTY TO ADJUST DESIGN TO LOCAL WEATHER CONDITIONS ..............................................12
CASE STUDIES OF INCONSISTENCIES IN DETERMINISTIC DESIGN
APPROACHES ............................................................................................................................12
USE OF CONSTANT WIND SPEED/PRESSURE ON CONDUCTORS ......................................................12
IMPROPER APPLICATION OF TOWER SAFETY FACTORS FOR FOUNDATION DESIGN .........................13
INABILITY TO INTEGRATE QUALITY IN THE DESIGN PROCESS .......................................................13
MISMATCH BETWEEN LINE COMPONENTS ....................................................................................13
HOW RBD METHODS ADDRESS THE DEFICIENCIES OF DETERMINISTIC
DESIGN PROCEDURES ............................................................................................................14
LIMIT LOADS ARE SPECIFIED........................................................................................................14
LOADS AND STRENGTHS ARE RECOGNIZED AS RANDOM VARIABLES ............................................14
DESIGN LOADS ARE SELECTED BASED ON THE REQUIRED RETURN PERIOD...................................14
THE CHARACTERISTIC STRENGTH IS ALSO DEPENDENT ON STRENGTH DISPERSION ......................14
BASIC DESIGN EQUATION ............................................................................................................14
HOW TO APPLY IEC 60826 .....................................................................................................14
DESIGN REQUIREMENTS ..............................................................................................................14
DESIGN STEPS OF IEC 60826.......................................................................................................15
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEORETICAL AND ACTUAL RELIABILITY ................................................16
STRENGTH COORDINATION ..........................................................................................................16
WIND LOADS ...............................................................................................................................16
ICE LOADS ...................................................................................................................................17
COMBINED ICE LOADS WITH WIND ...............................................................................................17
CONTINUITY OF SERVICE.....................................................................................................17
APPLICATION EXAMPLE OF IEC 60826 .............................................................................18

PURPOSE OF THE APPLICATION EXAMPLE ....................................................................................18
CALCULATIONS ...........................................................................................................................18
RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................................................................................18
COMPARISON WITH OTHER RBD CODES ........................................................................18
PURPOSE OF THE COMPARISON ....................................................................................................18
OVERVIEW OF THE COMPARISON .................................................................................................19
PARTICULAR COMPARISON BETWEEN IEC, ASCE AND SOME NATIONAL NORMATIVE ASPECTS OF
EN 50341-3 ................................................................................................................................20
GENERAL CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................20
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................21
SECTION I - ADVANTAGES .................................................................22

1. INTRODUCTION OF SECTION I........................................................................................23
2. THE NEED FOR RELIABILITY BASED DESIGN IN OVERHEAD LINE DESIGN...24
2.1. POSSIBLE INCONSISTENCIES AND UNBALANCE IN STRENGTHS OF COMPONENTS ...................24
2.2. UNKNOWN RELIABILITY LEVEL ............................................................................................25
2.3. DIFFICULTY TO ADJUST THE OVERALL LINE RELIABILITY .....................................................25
2.4. DIFFICULTY TO DESIGN HETEROGENEOUS STRUCTURES EX. (STEEL AND WOOD) ..................25
2.5. DIFFICULTY TO EVOLVE WITH NEW TECHNOLOGIES..............................................................25
2.6. DIFFICULTY TO ADJUST DESIGN TO LOCAL CONDITIONS........................................................26
3. CASE STUDIES OF INCONSISTENCIES IN DETERMINISTIC DESIGN
APPROACHES ............................................................................................................................26
3.1. USE OF CONSTANT WIND SPEED/PRESSURE ON CONDUCTORS ................................................26
3.2. MISMATCH BETWEEN DESIGN STRENGTH AND CLEARANCES ................................................27
3.3. IMPROPER APPLICATION OF TOWER SAFETY FACTORS FOR FOUNDATION DESIGN ..................28
3.4. INABILITY TO INTEGRATE QUALITY IN THE DESIGN PROCESS ................................................29
3.5. MISMATCH BETWEEN SUSPENSION AND ANGLE TOWER STRENGTHS .....................................30
4. HOW RBD METHODS ADDRESS THE DEFICIENCIES OF DETERMINISTIC
DESIGN PROCEDURES ............................................................................................................30
4.1. LIMIT LOADS ARE SPECIFIED .................................................................................................30
4.2. LOADS AND STRENGTH ARE RECOGNIZED AS RANDOM VARIABLES AND TREATED AS SUCH ..30
4.3. DESIGN LOADS ARE SELECTED BASED ON THE REQUIRED RETURN PERIOD ............................31
4.4. THE CHARACTERISTIC STRENGTH TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH LOAD QT IS ALSO DEPENDENT ON
STRENGTH DISPERSION AND IS EQUAL TO 10% EXCLUSION LIMIT ................................................31
4.5. THE ASSOCIATION OF QT AND (10%)R WILL YIELD AN ALMOST CONSTANT YEARLY
RELIABILITY OF THE ORDER OF 1/(2T). ........................................................................................31
4.6. YEARLY RELIABILITY CAN BE CUSTOMIZED BY VARYING THE RETURN PERIOD T OF DESIGN
LOADS .........................................................................................................................................31
5. HOW TO APPLY IEC 60826 .................................................................................................32

5.1. DESIGN STEPS OF IEC 60826 ................................................................................................32

5.2. SOURCE OF DESIGN REQUIREMENTS......................................................................................32
5.3. RELIABILITY LEVELS ............................................................................................................33
5.4. SECURITY REQUIREMENTS ....................................................................................................33
5.5. SAFETY REQUIREMENTS .......................................................................................................33
5.6. DESIGN EQUATION, GENERAL FORMAT .................................................................................33
5.7. LOADING CASES AND LIMIT STATES ......................................................................................34
5.8. DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THEORETICAL AND ACTUAL RELIABILITIES .....................................34
5.9. USE FACTOR OF COMPONENTS ..............................................................................................34
5.10. THE CHARACTERISTIC STRENGTH RC ..................................................................................35
5.11. STRENGTH COEFFICIENT S RELATED TO SEQUENCE OF FAILURE ........................................35
5.12. WIND LOADS AND LIMITATIONS OF WIND CALCULATIONS ..................................................36
5.13. GROUND ROUGHNESS .........................................................................................................36
5.14. REFERENCE WIND VELOCITY ..............................................................................................36
5.15. WIND SPEED DESIGN CASES ................................................................................................36
5.16. WIND LOAD MODEL ............................................................................................................37
5.17. ICING TYPES........................................................................................................................37
5.18. ICE LOADING CASES ............................................................................................................37
5.19. COMBINED ICE LOADS WITH WIND ......................................................................................38
5.20. CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE LOADS (SAFETY REQUIREMENTS) ..............................38
5.21. SECURITY RELATED LOADS.................................................................................................38
5.22. LIMIT STATES OF CONDUCTORS AND GROUND WIRES ..........................................................39
5.23. LIMIT STATES OF INTERFACE COMPONENTS ........................................................................39
6. CONCLUSION OF SECTION I.............................................................................................39
7. REFERENCES .........................................................................................................................40
SECTION II - APPLICATIONS ...........................................................41

SCOPE OF SECTION II...................................................................................................................42
PART A - EXPLANATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO IEC 60826.......................42
A.1 INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................................42
PART B - APPLICATION EXAMPLE OF IEC 60826 ...........................................................44
B.0 FOREWORD ...........................................................................................................................44
B.1 METHOD ...............................................................................................................................44
B.2 TECHNICAL INFORMATION ....................................................................................................44
B.3 METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION.........................................................................................46
B.3.1 Ice..................................................................................................................................46
B.3.2 Wind ..............................................................................................................................46
B.3.3 Combined wind and ice.................................................................................................47
PART C - A STEP BY STEP CALCULATION OF THE APPLICATION EXAMPLE .....48
C.0 INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................................48
Comments to the 2003 edition of IEC 60826 .........................................................................48
Factors that are equal for several load cases ........................................................................48
C.1 WIND LOAD ..........................................................................................................................49

Given parameters ...................................................................................................................49
Reduced Wind.........................................................................................................................49
Comparison of the CIGR TB 109 calculation with IEC 826 (1991)....................................49
C.2A ICE WITHOUT WIND (BASED ON FULL STATISTICAL INFORMATION)....................................50
C.2B ICE WITHOUT WIND (BASED ON MAXIMUM ICE LOAD)........................................................51
C.3A COMBINED WIND AND ICE LOADING (BASED ON FULL STATISTICAL INFORMATION)..........52
Condition 1 (Low probability ice load with moderate wind) .................................................52
Condition 2 (Low probability wind load with moderate ice) .................................................52
C.3B COMBINED WIND AND ICE LOADING (BASED ON MAXIMUM ICE LOAD)..............................52
PART D - CONCLUSION OF SECTION II .............................................................................53
SECTION III - COMPARISONS .........................................................65

1. SCOPE OF SECTION III ......................................................................................................66
2. STANDARDS ON RBD ..........................................................................................................67
2.1 LIST OF STANDARDS COMPARED .........................................................................................67
2.2 SCOPE OF THE STANDARDS .................................................................................................67
2.3 COMPARISON OF SOME EN-NNA .......................................................................................68
2.4 COMPARISON OF SYMBOLS AND DEFINITIONS .....................................................................69
2.5 COMPARISON OF LINE COMPONENTS AND SUBSYSTEMS ....................................................69
3. BASIS OF DESIGN ................................................................................................................70
4. BASIC DESIGN EQUATION................................................................................................71
5. COMBINATION OF LOADS................................................................................................73
6. LOAD FACTORS FOR PERMANENT AND VARIABLE LOADS ................................74
6.1 LOAD FACTORS FOR DEAD LOADS .......................................................................................74
6.2 LOAD FACTORS FOR WIND LOADS ........................................................................................74
6.3 LOAD FACTORS FOR ICE LOADS ...........................................................................................76
6.4 COMBINATION FACTORS FOR MODERATE LOADS ................................................................77
6.5 OTHER LOAD FACTORS ........................................................................................................77
7. WIND LOADS.........................................................................................................................78
7.1 TERRAIN ROUGHNESS ..........................................................................................................78
7.2 REFERENCE WIND SPEED VR ...............................................................................................80
7.3 VARIATION OF WIND SPEED WITH TERRAIN CATEGORY AND HEIGHT ...................................81
7.5 UNIT ACTION OF WIND SPEED ON ANY COMPONENT OF THE LINE .......................................83
7.6 COMPARISON OF COMBINED WIND FACTORS FOR CONDUCTORS .......................................85
7.7 COMPARISON OF COMBINED WIND FACTORS FOR TOWERS ................................................86
8. DRAG COEFFICIENTS ........................................................................................................88
9. SPAN FACTOR.......................................................................................................................89
10. ICE LOADS ...........................................................................................................................90

11. COMBINED WIND AND ICE LOADS..............................................................................91
12. FAILURE AND CONTAINMENT LOADS (SECURITY LOADS) ...............................91
13. CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE LOADS (SAFETY LOADS)......................91
14. STRENGTH COORDINATION .........................................................................................92
15. OTHER LOADS....................................................................................................................93
16. GENERAL OVERVIEW .....................................................................................................94
17. CONCLUSION OF SECTION III.......................................................................................97
APPENDIX A - COMPARISON OF WIND PRESSURES FOR DIFFERENT CODES .....98
CIGRE Technical Brochure
Reliability Based Design Methods for

Overhead Lines
Advantages, Applications and
Comparisons
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
From Elias Ghannoum, Jan Rogier, Lars Rolfseng, Chris Thorn
Working Group B2.06
April, 2006

AIM OF THE TECHNICAL BROCHURE

The Technical Brochure aims to increase understanding of Reliability Based Design (RBD)
methods as well as their application to Overhead Lines for the calculation of loadings and
strength of line components.
Section I demonstrates why probabilistic methods constitute a major improvement compared to

deterministic methods. It summarizes the main features of International Standard IEC 60826 Ed.
3 (October 2003) and its companion document, CIGR Technical Brochure No. 178 (February
2001).
The scope of Section II is to clarify the interpretations of IEC 60826 and to recommend
amendments by providing an application example based on one given set of input parameters
already used in CIGRE Technical Brochure No. 109 (1996) for calculations based on the
previous Technical Report IEC 826 (1991).
The scope of Section III is to compare other RBD Codes (ASCE, EN) with IEC 60826 and to
assess the level of consistency and the significance of any major difference.
Key-words: Design, Overhead Line, Reliability, Security, Safety, Return Period, Load, Strength,
Wind, Wind Speed, Ice, Support, Tower, Conductor.
BUT DE LA BROCHURE THEMATIQUE

La Brochure Thmatique a comme objectif daugmenter la comprhension des mthodes de
Conception Base sur la Fiabilit (RBD), ainsi que leur application aux Lignes Ariennes pour le
calcul des charges et de la rsistance des composants de ligne.
La Section I dmontre pourquoi les mthodes probabilistes constituent une amlioration majeure
par rapport aux mthodes dterministes. Elle rsume les aspects principaux de la Norme
Internationale CEI 60826 Ed. 3 (octobre 2003) et de son document daccompagnement, la
Brochure Thmatique CIGR No. 178 (fvrier 2001).
Le but de la Section II est de clarifier les interprtations de la CEI 60826 et de recommander des
amendements en fournissant un exemple dapplication, bas sur une srie de donnes dj
utilises dans la Brochure Thmatique CIGRE No. 109 (1996) pour les calculs suivant lancien
Rapport Technique CEI 826 (1991).
Le but de la Section III est de comparer dautres Codes RBD (ASCE, EN) avec CEI 60826 et
dvaluer le niveau de cohrence et le sens de toute diffrence majeure.
Mots-clefs: Conception, Ligne Arienne, Fiabilit, Sret, Scurit, Priode de Retour, Charge,
Rsistance, Vent, Vitesse de Vent, Givre, Support, Pylne, Conducteur.

Executive Summary
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
This Technical Brochure aims to increase understanding of International Standard IEC 60826
Design Criteria of Overhead Transmission Lines. It demonstrates why Reliability Based
Design (RBD) methods constitute a major improvement compared to deterministic methods. The
main features of IEC 60826 are summarized.
Possible interpretations of IEC 60826 are clarified by application examples. Some

recommendations are given to improve the International Standard.
Finally, some other RBD Codes (EN 50341, ASCE 74, NESC) are compared with IEC 60826 to
assess the level of consistency and the significance of any major difference.
THE NEED FOR RELIABILITY BASED DESIGN IN OVERHEAD LINE

DESIGN
Many current standards and design practices in the world are deterministic in nature. Some of
them are even imported from other countries, despite major differences in climatic and terrain
conditions.
Some of the potential deficiencies of deterministic methods are given hereafter and practical
examples are provided in Section I of the Technical Brochure.
Possible inconsistencies and unbalance in strengths of components

The objective of deterministic methods is to comply, as a minimum, with the safety or overload
factors required for each loading case specified. There are usually no requirements for a preferred
sequence of failure.
Unknown reliability level

Except by a general inference from very long experience, it is very difficult to attribute a
reliability level to any design based on deterministic principles. They do not even recognize that
load can exceed strength. Both values are deemed to be constant. Moreover, many components
are over-designed, while the line reliability is determined by the weakest component. Such
heterogeneous design leads to uneconomical solutions.
Difficulty to adjust the overall line reliability

A designer who wants to increase the reliability of a given line because of its importance in the
network has very few means to assess the significance of increase in the safety factors, say of
10% or 30%.
Difficulty to design heterogeneous structures

If the same safety factors are applied to loads on materials with different strength dispersion such
as compressive strength for wood poles and steel cross-arms, they will lead to unequal reliability
level between these structural parts of the same structure.
Difficulty to adjust design to local weather conditions

Deterministic methods cannot efficiently cope with the variations in weather loading that occur in
the service area.
CASE STUDIES OF INCONSISTENCIES IN DETERMINISTIC DESIGN

APPROACHES
Use of constant wind speed/pressure on conductors
In many deterministic standards, wind speed is specified as a constant value to be applied to all
conductors and earth wire. Many of these standards do not provide for adjustment due to height
above ground level or terrain category (ground roughness). Furthermore such wind pressure may
not even vary within a very large geographical area.
This Technical Brochure provides a typical calculation example where the impact of the above
deterministic assumption on the reliability has been assessed. A Low Voltage (LV) has been
compared with an Extra High Voltage (EHV) line with conductors respectively at 10 m and 30 m
height. It is obvious that the line reliability is not the same as a constant wind pressure on
conductors has been considered. If both lines were built for the same reliability level (same
reference wind speed at 10 m height), the adjusted wind speed ratio becomes 0.88 for LV to EHV
lines. In the deterministic design approach the wind speed on the higher EHV is underestimated
with a factor 0.88. If the LV line has been designed for a return period T = 50 years, then the
equivalent return period of the EHV line would be in the range of only 10 years (see Figure 1).
Similarly, if the EHV line were designed for a reliability level of 50 years, the corresponding
reliability level of the LV line would be about 250 years.
2.2
2.1
2.0
1.9
wind speed/reference speed

1.8
1.7
1.6
1.5 ref. T=5
1.4 ref. T=50
1.3 ref. T=500
1.2
1.1
1.0
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
1 10 100 1000 10000 100000
Return Period T (years)
Figure 1 - Variation of wind speed with the return period
Improper application of tower safety factors for foundation design

When safety factors are applied to all forces for which towers are designed, the calculated
foundation reactions can be erroneous. In presence of wind loads, increasing the dead weight of
the tower and the conductors, which is practically invariable, leads to underestimating the critical
uplift loads on foundations while over estimating less critical compressive loads.
Inability to integrate quality in the design process

In deterministic design, load and strength are expressed using one value, either specified by the
applicable codes or standards or derived from experience. This value is usually named nominal,
characteristic, or guaranteed load or strength.
This Technical Brochure provides an example where the most reliable product to be used in a
transmission line has the least strength dispersion, despite the fact that its average strength is
lower than the others. Reduction of scatter in strength is obviously a sign of quality.
Mismatch between line components

Irrespective of the design approach, it is commonly accepted that tension towers should be
designed more reliable than suspension towers. In deterministic design approaches, this translates
in using larger safety factors for tension towers. However, this treatment may not be sufficient to
guarantee this objective, particularly when suspension towers are used at a fraction of their
maximum spans.
HOW RBD METHODS ADDRESS THE DEFICIENCIES OF

DETERMINISTIC DESIGN PROCEDURES
The following basic principles are used by RBD methods in order to address the deficiencies
stated above in deterministic methods.
Limit loads are specified

Contrary to deterministic methods that incorporate safety and/or overload factors, RBD specifies
the limit loads that each line component has to withstand without damage.
Loads and strengths are recognized as random variables

When the randomness of loads and strengths are taken into account, there is an immediate
recognition that absolute reliability cannot be achieved. Therefore, RBD design standards will
have to specify an acceptable maximum probability of failure.
Design loads are selected based on the required return period

It is widely accepted that yearly maximum climatic loads such as ice and/or wind, follow extreme
distribution functions. With such statistical functions, designers can associate a value of loads for
any selected return period.
The characteristic strength is also dependent on strength dispersion

Similarly, the strength is also a random variable, typically described by normal or log-normal
distribution functions. The design strength is chosen with an exclusion limit of 2 to 10%.
Basic design equation

The line reliability threshold corresponds to the condition where the climatic load effect is equal
to the design strength. If load does not exceed strength, then the transmission line is reliable.
HOW TO APPLY IEC 60826

Design requirements
The design according to IEC 60826 [1] originates from the following requirements:
Reliability: These requirements consist of climatic loads (wind, ice, temperature and their
combinations) and aim to provide lines with satisfactory service performance. Statistical
tools are used to quantify these loads. The basic design equation is discussed in the
Technical Brochure.
Security: These requirements relate to behavior of lines once failure is initiated. They aim
to prevent uncontrolled propagation of failures or cascading.
Safety: These requirements aim to prevent human injury. They consist of construction and
maintenance loads.
Three reliability levels (I, II, III) are provided in IEC 60826. These levels correspond to return
periods of climatic design loads of 50, 150 and 500 years. It is aimed that the risk of failure under
security and safety loads should be very low. They are deterministic concepts, while reliability is
probabilistic.
Design steps of IEC 60826

The design methodology as per IEC 60826 can be summarized in Figure 2. It is noted that
activities (a) and (h) listed in this figure are not within the scope of IEC 60826.
a- Preliminary design : route selection, conductors, insulation design, supports, foundations,

climate data, etc.
b1- Select reliability b2- Select security b3- List safety requirements
level requirements (compulsory)
c- Calculate climatic
variables
d1- Calculate climatic d2- Calculate loads related d3- Calculate construction &
limit loads to security maintenance loads
e- Determine strength
coordination
f- Select load and strength

factors
g- Calculate required
characteristic strength of
components
Check compliance with safety

requirements of national and
regional regulations
h- Detailed design of line

components
Figure 2 - Transmission line design methodology according to IEC 60826

Difference between theoretical and actual reliability

IEC 60826 recognizes that the actual reliability may differ from the theoretical reliability when
load and/or strength factors such the ones listed below are not properly accounted for:
The actual use factor of components is quite different from the assumed value of 1.0
(particularly for suspension towers where it is virtually equal to the ratio of actual to
maximum design wind/weight span);
Direction of wind speed in relation to that of the line;
Exclusion limit of strength different from the assumed 10%;
Number of components subjected to maximum load intensity;
Quality control during fabrication and construction.
Methods to take into account the above factors are covered in the subject standard.
Strength coordination
In IEC 60826, line components can be designed to fail in a preferred mode (with a 90%
probability) called preferred sequence of failure. The best (or least damaging) failure mode is
the one where the consequences of the first failure on the line are minimized. Strength factors
allowing to target a preferred sequence of failure are provided in the standard.
Wind loads
Methods to calculate wind forces, starting with a reference wind speed, are provided in the
standard. For the purpose of calculating wind pressure and forces, four categories of ground
roughness, also called terrain categories, are provided:
A- Flat coastal areas and deserts;

B- Open country, cultivated fields;
C- Numerous low height obstacles;
D- Suburban areas.
The reference wind velocity VRB considered in IEC 60826 consists of a 10 min average, at 10 m
height, in a terrain type B. The standard provides for conversion from other wind data, having
different averages or located in a different terrain category, to the above reference value.
The conversion from wind speed to forces on line components takes account of:
Terrain category;
Height factor;
Span factor;
Gust response factor;
Shape factor.
Ice loads
Ice accretion on conductors and structures is the source of important loads, and often controls the
design in many northern countries. The standard covers three types of ice accretion: precipitation
glaze icing, wet snow and in-cloud rime icing. Methods to calculate design ice loads are provided
and cover a range of cases with various availabilities of statistical data.
Combined ice loads with wind

The presence of wind during or after icing episodes requires special loading cases. The
calculation of combined forces due to wind on ice covered conductors is provided in the standard
and takes into account: the ice thickness or ice weight per unit length of conductor, ice density,
wind speed during icing, and drag coefficient of ice covered conductor.
CONTINUITY OF SERVICE
It should be noted that increasing reliability (upgrading) is not the only way to improve
continuity of service of overhead lines. Overall costs are not so much determined by the
probability of failure, but rather by the possible consequences of failure, including the
uncontrollable propagation of failures, that may extend well beyond an initial failure. Those
consequences can be reduced significantly by the following cost-effective measures:
Proactive solutions, such as:

o Strength coordination;
o Application of torsional and longitudinal tower strength due to broken conductors;
o Load control devices;
o Anti-cascading towers;
o De-icing methods;
o Construction of other overhead lines and underground cables, etc.;
Reactive solutions, such as:

o Emergency restoration structures;
o Training of linemen, etc.
The reference return period of 50 years or the annual probability of line failure of 2.10-2 is
acceptable in respect of safety of the public, because the combined probability with human
accident is very low (2.10-7 per man year according to the French experience). This probability is
comparable with risks for transportation by airplane or by train (from 10-7 to 10-6 per man year).
Moreover, as components are usually designed by families and not individually, because they are
designed prior to specific knowledge of the real line parameters, the use factor finally increases
the actual line reliability.
The reference reliability level is generally regarded as providing an acceptable reliability level in
respect of continuity of service and safety of the public.
APPLICATION EXAMPLE OF IEC 60826

Purpose of the application example
The scope of Section II of the TB is to clarify the interpretations of IEC 60826 (2003) [1] and to
review the application example of CIGRE Technical Brochure 109 (1996) [2], issued by CIGRE
on behalf of WG B2.06.
Calculations
The calculations were carried out in different steps:
Assessment of the technical and meteorological data;

Conversion of reference wind data in terrain category B to terrain category C of the line;
Calculation of loads on conductors and earth wires of a line section of 15 towers, already
used in the above mentioned application example of TB 109;
Calculation of loads on some selected towers by means of a line calculation program: a
tangent tower and an angle tower, both with a suspension insulator set and an angle tower
with strain insulator sets;
Comparison of the new longitudinal, vertical and transversal forces (according to IEC
60826) with the forces in TB 109 (according to IEC Technical Report 826), in relative
and absolute values.
For the case of ice loading, two calculations were performed based on:
The full statistical information over 12 years;

The knowledge of only the highest (overall) load in 12 years.
The calculations of wind loads according to IEC 60826 (2003) and IEC TR 826 (1991) are
consistent with insignificant load differences on conductors and towers. The largest differences
occur for ice loads mainly due to the fact that ice accretions increase with the height for
precipitation ice. The calculations reveal that the improved description of ice loads in IEC 60826
is important and that proper quality ice measurements combined with development of ice models
are important in regions exposed to atmospheric icing.
Recommendations
Specific recommendations are provided in Section II of the Technical Brochure in order to
propose clarifications and changes to some clauses of IEC 60826. Section II will officially be
forwarded to IEC/TC11 for follow-up actions of the Standard.
COMPARISON WITH OTHER RBD CODES

Purpose of the comparison
Since the publication of IEC TR 826 in 1991, some Overhead Line design Codes based on RBD
principles have been published. These documents have generally adopted many of the concepts
given in IEC TR 826, but there are also some substantial differences.
The purpose of Section III is to compare the methods adopted for the calculation of mechanical
loadings for overhead power lines according to these design Codes with IEC 60826. The main
objective is to assess the level of consistency and the significance of any major differences
between the different Codes.
IEC 60826 [1] is compared with CIGRE TB 178 [3], the European CENELEC Standard EN
50341-1 [4], the latest April 2005 draft of the North American Standard ASCE 74 [5] and the
Safety Standard NESC 2002 [6].
Overview of the comparison

All the Codes considered share many common features. All adopt a RBD method for calculation
of climatic loads, essentially similar to IEC 60826. However, the European Standard EN 50341-1
also provides a deterministic Empirical Approach adopted by some countries.
Climatic loadings tend to be the most important in the probabilistic design of overhead lines.
They are always based on weather events of a reference return period, usually 50 years. All
Codes contain guidance on security and safety loadings.
The range of loading cases considered differs between the various Codes, with IEC offering the
most extensive range.
IEC takes a reference wind speed based on a 10 minutes average, whereas ASCE/NESC adopt a 3
second gust wind speed. EN considers both options.
The wind model also differs between the Codes. For the purpose of the comparison the variation
of wind speed with terrain category and height above ground, the original equations have been
converted and split into two parts. All Codes apply a power law for the height variation, except
the European Standard EN that applies a logarithmic law.
There are minor differences in the formulation of the basic design equations. However IEC is the
only standard where the impact of height above ground on wind speed is combined with the gust
response factor in a combined wind factor.
Formulas are also compared for effective wind pressure on conductors and lattice towers,
including the effects of terrain category, drag coefficient and gust factors. There are fairly small
differences for the span reduction factor between IEC/CIGRE and EN, but ASCE varies
significantly from the other documents.
IEC provides statistical methods to achieve strength co-ordination between the least reliable
components and ASCE provides appropriate strength levels for relative reliability. There is only
general guidance given in EN and no explicit mention of this subject in NESC.
This Technical Brochure provides many synthetic tables in order to compare symbols, terms,
definitions and values for the different Codes.
Particular comparison between IEC, ASCE and some National Normative Aspects of EN
50341-3
The Appendix to Section III of the TB gives a comparison between conductor wind pressures,
including gust, height and span related effects for wind spans varying from 200-600 m and mean
heights of 10 m, 30 m, and 50 m above ground in Terrain type B to IEC. This information is
given in graphical form in Figure 3 for conductor height 30 m. It is shown that IEC/CIGRE and
the Main Body of EN agree fairly closely, but ASCE gives significantly lower values than either
of the other documents. The main reason for this is believed to be the use of the simplified
Davenport gust response model. It may be noted that the use of the full Davenport model is
allowed as an option in ASCE, and this gives results much closer to IEC.
Effective Wind Pressures at 30m Height (N/sq.m) Terrain

Category B to IEC
IEC/Cigre
ASCE/NESC
1000 CLC
800
Eff.Wind
Pressure 600
(N/sq.m) a
400
200
0
CLC
200
300 ASCE/NESC
400
IEC/Cigre
500
Span (m)
600
Fig 3. - Comparison of Effective Wind Pressure for IEC/CIGRE, ASCE/NESC and EN

(CLC) for various spans and height 30 m above ground for IEC Terrain Category B
The conductor wind loadings calculated in accordance with the CENELEC National Normative
Aspects (NNA) for various European countries are compared with IEC/CIGRE, the Main Body
of EN and ASCE.
GENERAL CONCLUSION
Section I of the Technical Brochure summarizes advantages of Reliability Based Design (RBD)
methods over common deterministic based methods as well as the key features of Standard IEC
60826 and its companion document, CIGR Technical Brochure No. 178.
Section II clarifies interpretations of IEC 60826 by application examples.

Section III compares some other RBD Codes (ASCE 74, NESC, EN 50341) with IEC 60826 to
assess the significance of any major difference.
This Technical Brochure promotes RBD methods for Overhead Lines and provides
recommendations to make IEC 60826 and other relevant RBD Codes more consistent.
REFERENCES
[1] IEC 60826 - Ed. 3.0 (October 2003): Design Criteria of Overhead Transmission Lines
[2] CIGR WG 22.06, (Dec. 1996), "Review of IEC 826 Loading and Strength of Overhead
Lines", Technical Brochure 109
[3] CIGR WG 22.06, (Feb. 2001), "Probabilistic Design of Overhead Transmission Lines",
Technical Brochure 178
[4] EN 50341-1:2001 - Overhead electrical lines exceeding AC 45 kV Part 1:

General requirements - Common specifications
[5] ASCE 74 - Guidelines for transmission lines structural loading: Draft as of April 2005
[6] NESC 2002 - National Electrical Safety Code 2002


Overhead Lines
Comparisons
SECTION I - ADVANTAGES
Prepared by Elias Ghannoum

Former WG B2.06 Convenor
Working Group B2.06
April, 2006
Working Group B2.06 Principles of Overhead Line Design

TECHNICAL MEETING OF CIGRE B2 COMMITTEE - PARIS, FRANCE
Section I - TUTORIAL
September 2004
Reliability Based Design of Overhead Transmission Lines According to IEC

60826 and CIGR TB 178-Why you need it, and how to use it
1
Prepared by Elias Ghannoum, on behalf of CIGR Working Group B2-06
1. INTRODUCTION OF SECTION I
During the last decades, the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) Committee TC11
and CIGRE Study Committee SC 22 (now SC B2) pioneered improvement of overhead
transmission lines design criteria as well as the introduction of reliability/probability based design
concepts, refer to CIGR 1990 [2], CIGR 2001 [3], Ghannoum-Orawski, 1986 [4], etc.
The technical work on reliability based transmission line design started in CIGR more than 40
years ago under the hospices of Study Committee 22. Many experts, to name a few, such as
Commellini, Manuzio, Cojan, Paris, Schjetne, Wood, Orawski, Kieling, Henrioul, Rogier,
Ghannoum, etc., contributed to this work either in the SC 22 or in CIGR papers and
publications.
Further technical development was pioneered by a joint effort between CIGR and IEC through
both technical working groups SC22-WG06 from CIGR, initially chaired by Georges Orawski
from the UK, and IEC/TC11/WG08 chaired by Elias Ghannoum from Canada.
2
As a result of the above technical work, a milestone occurred in 1991 when the IEC 826 entitled
"Loading and Strength of Overhead Lines was published by IEC in 1991 as a Technical Report
type 2, i.e., a pre-standard document to be reviewed in a few years for the purpose of converting it
to an IEC standard. This publication introduced reliability and probabilistic concepts for
calculation of loading and strength requirements for overhead lines components.
1 Current Members of SC B2-WG-06: Jol ANGELINI, Pavel FRONEK (secretary), Elias GHANNOUM (Former Convenor), Tip
GOODWIN, Angel GALLEGO, Friedrich KIESSLING, Ghyslaine McCLURE, Joo Felix NOLASCO, Krzysztof PUT, Oswaldo
REGIS Jr., Jan ROGIER (Convenor), Lars ROLFSENG, Sava Skrobonja, Chris THORN, D CHOUDHRY, Svein FIKKE, Asim
HALDAR, Sven HOFFMANN, Trevor E JACOBS, Yuji KUBOTA, Robert LAKE, Pierre MARAIS, Dzevad MUFTIC, Pekka
RIISIO, Helmut STRUB, Sergey TURBIN, Brian WAREING, Patrick ZHAO. The contribution of these previous members of WG06
is also recognized: Kare SCHJETNE, Friedrich KIESSLING, Georges HENRIOUL, Jacques PEZARD, Tony PLOEG, Paul DE
WECK, Joe POHLMAN.
2 The new number of this publication in the IEC catalogue is 60826
Subsequent work by CIGR SC22-WG06 helped modifying the IEC report and, in October 2003,
Standard IEC 60826 [1] was published by the IEC after a unanimous positive vote by National
Committees.
This paper aims to increase understanding of IEC 60826 as well as its application to Overhead
Lines. It demonstrates why Reliability Based Design (RBD) methods constitute a major
improvement compared to deterministic methods and summarizes the main features of IEC
60826.
2. THE NEED FOR RELIABILITY BASED DESIGN IN OVERHEAD LINE

DESIGN
Many current standards and design practices in the world are deterministic in nature. Some of
them are even imported from other countries, despite major differences in climatic and terrain
conditions.
However, it is fair to recognize that deterministic methods have evolved, and many utilities or
countries tried to address some deficiencies they have identified in their deterministic design
practices by specifying additional loading cases and strength requirements, often much more
critical than their basic standards.
Experience and technical studies have shown that deterministic methods have inherent
deficiencies that cannot be addressed by minor changes in the design requirements, and can only
be resolved by migrating to RBD. Some of the potential deficiencies of deterministic methods are
given hereafter and practical examples are provided.
2.1. Possible inconsistencies and unbalance in strengths of components

The objective of deterministic methods is to comply, as a minimum, with the safety (or overload)
factors required for each loading case specified. There are usually no requirements for a preferred
sequence of failure in these standards and any sequence can be expected as a result of
deterministic design.
In a number of reviews of standards and line failure analyses performed by the Author, it was
found that the withstand of some angle and dead-end towers were in fact less than that of tangent
towers. This is particularly true in lines located in icing areas where tangent towers are designed
with wind and weight spans significantly exceeding average spans, and angle towers used at their
maximum angles3.
Cases where tangent tower can withstand as much as 40-50 mm of radial ice, while angle towers
can fail due to 35 mm of ice are not uncommon in locations with important ice loads.
3 This is usually the case in many lines, because line routes and P.I. angles often aim to use expensive angle towers at their
maximum angles.
2.2. Unknown reliability level

Except by a general inference from very long experience, it is very difficult to attribute a
reliability value to any design based on deterministic principles. In fact these principles do not
even recognize that load can exceed strength (both values are deemed to be constant) and often
imply that whoever follows such principles should obtain a safe and reliable line.
The past experience is not always a good descriptor of reliability, especially if the experience
with these design criteria is not long enough and the transmission line system covers only a small
fraction of the total service area. For example, if the real probability of failure of existing lines
designed according to deterministic loads is low, say 3% every year, there is about 50% chance
that no failure will occur during a 20-25 year life span. Thus, the fact that no failures occurred
during this period is not always a good measure of the actual line reliability.
2.3. Difficulty to adjust the overall line reliability

If a designer wants to increase the reliability of a given line because of its importance in the
network, he has few means to assess the quantum of increase in the safety (or overload) factors
he currently uses to improve the reliability. He simply does not have sufficient information to
decide if an increase, say of 10% or 30% in the safety factors, would be significant enough or not.
2.4. Difficulty to design heterogeneous structures ex. (steel and wood)

When designing a structure using different materials, such wood poles and steel crossarms, if the
same overload factors are applied to loads, they will lead to unequal reliability between these
structural parts of the same structure.
For example, the compressive stresses of wood pole stresses in North America were given as
average values. In recognition of this fact and the large strength dispersion of wood strength, a
safety factor of 4 was specified for compression loads. If a wood crossarm is substituted by a
steel section, the deterministic design methods do not have the appropriate tools to provide for a
substitute and equivalent safety factor for steel crossarms.
2.5. Difficulty to evolve with new technologies

The above example of a structure involving different material can be extended to a more general
issue of the equivalence between safety factors/overload factors to be applied to different
structural components. For example, steel and concrete pole manufacturers recently challenged
the large safety factors imposed on them by standards in North America arguing that steel pole
properties are quite predictable contrary to wood poles.
The same could be extended to new types of materials such as poles made of fiber reinforced
concrete or fiberglass, etc. Deterministic methods cannot provide designers with reliable
guidelines to establish equivalent requirements between new material technologies and
established ones.
2.6. Difficulty to adjust design to local conditions

Deterministic methods cannot efficiently cope with the variations in weather loading that occur in
a service area. For example, not so long ago, North America was divided in only a handful of
loading zones, each one as large as many European countries combined together. Another major
problem arises because the specified climatic loadings are not related to any specified return
period. For example, the combined ice and wind load of 12.7 mm of radial ice and 385 Pa of
wind pressure4 specified in CSA C22.3 for Canada was estimated, using RBD, to correspond to
return periods of 3 to 500 years, depending on the actual location.
3. CASE STUDIES OF INCONSISTENCIES IN DETERMINISTIC DESIGN

APPROACHES
3.1. Use of constant wind speed/pressure on conductors
In many deterministic standards, wind speed is specified as a constant value to be applied to all
cables (conductors and GW). Many of these standards do not provide for adjustment due to
height or terrain type (roughness). Furthermore, such wind pressure may not even vary within a
very large geographical area.
Let us try to assess the impact of the above deterministic assumption on reliability: Assume a
hypothetical deterministic standard that specifies a constant wind pressure on conductors of 500
Pa and a safety factor of 2. The corresponding limit wind pressure, assuming a linear behavior of
the tower, is thus 1000 Pa. If this wind pressure is used to design a low voltage line with
conductors at 10 m height, and another Extra High Voltage (EHV) line with conductors at 30 m
height, it is obvious that the reliability of the two lines will not be the same. More disturbing is
the fact that the resulting reliability of the low voltage line will end up much higher than the
reliability of the EHV line.
In order to quantify the reliability of each line, we need to look at the variation of wind speed
with height. If these lines are located in a terrain type B, the wind speed increases according to
equation: V30m = V10m (30/10)1/7, which leads to V30m / V10m = 1.17. Since wind pressure is
proportional to the square of wind speeds, the design wind pressure on the conductors for both
lines should correspond to a ratio of 1.37 if they were designed for the same reference wind speed
(or the same reliability). Since the low voltage line is usually built with small spans, say of 100-
200 m compared to about 400 m for the EHV line, the latter will see reduced wind pressure of
0.94 due to the span effect5. The adjusted wind speed ratio becomes 1.37 x 0.94= 1.29 and the
ratio of wind speeds become (1.29)1/2 = 1.14.
The assessment of the ratios of reliabilities, expressed in terms of the return period (T) of design
loads can be done if it is assumed that both lines are designed according the same characteristic
strength of R10%.
4 This pressure corresponds to a 10 min wind speed of about 65 to 70 km/h for conductors at 10 m of height in a terrain type B.
5 Figure 4 of IEC 60826 standard
For example if the wind pressure of 1000 Pa at 10 m of height (case of the low voltage line)
corresponds to 50 year return period, then the equivalent return period of a wind pressure of 775
Pa (1000/1.29) for the EHV line would be in the range of 10 years (see Figure 1). Similarly, if the
EHV line were designed for a reliability level of 50 years, the corresponding reliability level of
the low voltage line would be about 250 years.
2.2
2.1
2.0
1.9
wind speed/reference speed
1.8
1.7
1.6
1.5 ref. T=5
1.4 ref. T=50
1.3 ref. T=500
1.2
1.1
1.0
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
1 10 100 1000 10000 100000
Return Period T (years)
Figure 1 - Variation of wind speed with the return period
3.2. Mismatch between design strength and clearances

In many deterministic approaches, the structures are designed for a specified load multiplied by a
load factor or, in some cases, the specified loads are compared to stresses divided by a safety
factor. In both cases, clearances above ground and obstacles are usually checked under the
maximum temperature, and occasionally, under the weather load case that will yield the largest
sag.
Assume a line in an ice loading area where the specified ice load is 20 mm of ice (density 0.9) in
a deterministic design standard that imposes a load factor of 2.5. Using a Condor conductor data
(diameter = 27.8 mm and unit weight = 15.9 N/m), the unit weight of the ice covered conductor
becomes 41.4 N/m. With the overload factor of 2.5, the conductor unit weight becomes 103.5
N/m, a value that corresponds to a limit radial ice thickness of 4.43 cm.
Table 1 - Variation of conductor sag (m) with weather conditions of a 400 m span
Weather condition Stringing parameter6 at 20 C, final condition
1500 m 2000 m
60 C 14.8 11.7
80 C 15.6 12.6
2 cm radial ice 15.0 12.5
4.43 cm radial ice 20.8 19.2
In Table 1 we have compared the conductor sags at elevated temperatures of 60 and 80 oC with
sags due to a deterministic ice load of 2 cm and its equivalent limit load of 4.43 cm. As noted
from this table, the sags at 4.43 cm of ice are substantially larger than the elevated temperature
sags. Thus it can be concluded, using the above example, that the deterministic design procedure
will provide towers with strength capable to withstand 4.43 cm of radial ice, but the line will
seriously infringe ground clearances by as much as 5.2 to 6.6 meters if such ice load were to
occur.
3.3. Improper application of tower safety factors for foundation design

When safety factors are applied to stresses, or when overload factors are applied to all forces for
which towers are designed, the calculated foundation reactions can be erroneous.
For example, assume that a design standard calls for a safety factor of two to be applied to steel
stresses. This approach is roughly equivalent to multiplying all tower loads by 2, including the
dead weight of the tower and of the conductors, both of which are practically invariable. In
presence of wind loads, increasing the dead weight leads to underestimating the critical uplift
loads on foundations while over estimating less critical compressive loads7.
For example, assuming that the dead load from the tower and the conductor is 50 kN per leg and
the overturning wind moment applies 150 kN per uplift or compression leg. The total
compressive load is thus 200 kN per leg and 100 kN for the uplift leg. A safety factor of 2 will
imply the design of the compressive legs for 400 kN and the uplift legs for 200 kN.
Bearing in mind that the dead loads are relatively constant compared to wind loads, let us now
calculate the uplift and compression loads assuming that the safety factor of 2 is applied only on
wind loads.
The compression leg will now need to be designed for 2 (SF) x 150 kN (wind) + 50 (dead load) =
350 kN, while the uplift leg will be designed for 2 (SF) x 150 kN (wind) 50 (dead load) = 250
kN. These results contrast with the previous ones where the foundation reactions were 400 kN
and 300 kN respectively.
6 The catenary parameter is equal to the horizontal tension divided by the unit weight of the conductor
7 The opposite situation occurs for the tower main legs, where the compression forces will be overestimated and the tension
forces underestimated.
This problem does not occur in RBD because the latter uses un-factored limit loads.
Consequently, dead loads will not be artificially amplified as the case with many deterministic
methods.
3.4. Inability to integrate quality in the design process

In deterministic design, load and strength are expressed using one value, either specified by the
applicable codes or standards or derived from experience. These values are usually named
nominal, characteristic, or guaranteed loads or strengths. In real life, the strength of any
component is not constant, but represents one point in the strength density function.
Let us assume that we have a choice between three insulator manufacturers all of them offering
an insulator with a guaranteed strength of a 160 kN corresponding to a 10% exclusion limit. In
deterministic design procedures, all three products are treated equally.
Let us now assume that tests have confirmed that the insulator strength is distributed according to
a normal distribution function with the following parameters:
Manufacturer A: average strength = 163 kN, standard deviation = 2 kN

Manufacturer B: average strength = 173 kN, standard deviation = 10 kN
Manufacturer C: average strength = 198 kN, standard deviation = 30 kN
A designer using deterministic design procedures will not be able to select the best product
between these three manufacturers. If offered a choice, some designers will likely select the
insulator having the highest average strength, i.e., manufacturer C.
The probability laws can confirm that the probability of not meeting the nominal strength of 160
kN is the same for all 3 manufacturers. This probability is 10%, based on a difference 1.28
between the average and the rated value. Consequently, all three products appear to be equivalent
from a statistical point of view.
However, with further analysis, it can be demonstrated that the results will differ. In overhead
lines, insulators are used in a string of many insulators and not as an individual component. Let
us assume that our EHV line requires 20 insulators in a string and try to assess the strength data
of strings of insulators that could be met with a 90% probability. Obviously, the strength of the
string will be as low as that of the weakest insulator in the group of 20 composing this string.
Statistical laws provide us with the following strengths of the string (or a series of 20 insulators)
corresponding to the probability of 10% of not being met8:
Manufacturer A: 157 kN
Manufacturer B: 147 kN
Manufacturer C: 123 kN
8 Refer to Table A.5 of IEC 60826

Consequently, it becomes obvious that the most reliable product to be used in a transmission line
is from manufacturer A that has the least strength dispersion, despite the fact that its average
strength is lower than the two others. Faced with many components that satisfy the product
standard, designers should normally select the ones with the least dispersion or scatter in their
strength. Reduction of the coefficient of variation (or scatter in strength) is obviously a sign of
quality and is thus compensated in RBD methods because the latter allows designing the product
much closer to the specified value. In practical terms, RBD can recognize the quality of a product
and compensates its manufacturer.
3.5. Mismatch between suspension and angle tower strengths

Irrespective of the design approach (deterministic or RBD), it is commonly accepted that angle
towers should be designed more reliable than tangent towers. In deterministic design approaches,
this translates in using larger overload or safety factors for angle towers compared to tangent
suspension towers. However, this treatment may not be sufficient to guarantee this objective,
particularly when tangent towers are used at a fraction of their maximum spans.
The use factor of tangent towers (approximately equal to the ratio of actual span and the
maximum span) can only be modeled and incorporated in the design process by means of
statistical techniques such as detailed in IEC 60826. Failure to do so can result either in over
designing the angle towers or facing their failure prior to tangent towers.
4. HOW RBD METHODS ADDRESS THE DEFICIENCIES OF

DETERMINISTIC DESIGN PROCEDURES
The following basic principles are used by RBD methods in order to address the deficiencies
stated above in deterministic methods:
4.1. Limit loads are specified

Contrary to deterministic methods that incorporate safety and/or overload factors, RBD specifies
the limit loads9 that the line has to withstand without damage. When limit loads are used, these
are transferred to the conductors and then to hardware, to towers (suspension or dead-end) and to
foundations. Therefore, each line component will be designed for the effects of the same limit
loads considered for the line, without the risk of mismatch between components.
4.2. Loads and strength are recognized as random variables and treated as such
There is no disagreement between proponents of RBD or deterministic methods that loads (e.g.
ice, wind, temperature and their combinations) and strengths are random variables. When the
randomness of loads and strengths are taken into account, there is an immediate recognition that
absolute reliability cannot be achieved and that there is always a risk that design loads can be
exceeded or components strength can be less that design values.
9 These loads are sometimes called ultimate loads, but the wording limit is a preferred one
Therefore, RBD design standards will have to specify an acceptable maximum probability of
failure (or its complement to one, the minimum reliability) and provide means to modulate these
probabilities if warranted by economics or the importance of the project.
4.3. Design loads are selected based on the required return period
It is widely accepted that yearly maximum climatic loads such as ice and/or wind, follow extreme
distribution functions. With such statistical functions, designers can associate a value of loads for
any selected return period.
The return period is an important parameter for qualifying reliability. For example, if a 150 year
return period load is selected as the limit load to design for, the probability of exceeding this load
is 1/150 0.67% per year. In a 50 year life span, the probability of exceeding the same load is [1-
(1-1/150)50] 28% .
4.4. The characteristic strength to be associated with load QT is also dependent on strength
dispersion and is equal to 10% exclusion limit
Similarly, the strength is also a random variable, typically described by normal or log-normal
distribution functions. The design strength is usually taken as the average minus 1 to 3 standard
deviations. If the strength were chosen with an exclusion limit of 10%, this value would
correspond to the average strength minus 1.28 x standard deviation in the case of a Normal
distribution function.
4.5. The association of QT and (10%)R will yield an almost constant yearly reliability of the
order of 1/(2T).
The line reliability and unreliability threshold corresponds to the condition where the load effect
is equal to the strength. If load does not exceed strength, then the system (transmission line) is
reliable. In the opposite case, the line would be in a failed condition.
If a load QT is associated with a strength corresponding to 10% exclusion limit, the resulting
reliability is almost constant and equal to 1/(2T) in the normal range of variation of Q and R. This
very significant relationship was uncovered and proven in previous papers and CIGR reports
written by the Author.
4.6. Yearly reliability can be customized by varying the return period T of design loads
Increasing reliability with RBD can be done very easily, either by selecting loads with a higher
return period, or strength with a lower exclusion limit. The former approach is more practical and
accurate and was selected by CIGR and IEC.
5. HOW TO APPLY IEC 60826

5.1. Design steps of IEC 60826
The design methodology as per IEC60826 can be summarized in Figure 2 -. It is noted that
activities (a) and (h) listed in this figure are not within the scope of IEC 60826.
a- Preliminary design : route selection, conductors, insulation design, supports, foundations,

climate data, etc.
b1- Select reliability b2- Select security b3- List safety requirements
level requirements (compulsory)
c- Calculate climatic
variables
d1- Calculate climatic d2- Calculate loads d3- Calculate construction &
limit loads related to security maintenance loads
e- Determine strength
coordination
f- Select load and

strength factors
g- Calculate required
characteristic strength
of components
Check compliance with safety

requirements of national and
regional regulations
h- Detailed design of
line components
Figure 2 - Transmission line design methodology according to IEC 60826
5.2. Source of design requirements

The design according to IEC 60826 (see boxes b1, b2 and b3 in Figure 2 -) originates from the
following requirements:
Reliability: These requirements consist of climatic loads (wind, ice, temperature and their
combinations) and aim to provide lines with satisfactory service performance. Statistical
tools are used to quantify these loads.
Security: These requirements aim to prevent or reduce risk of uncontrollable or cascading
failures.
Safety: These requirements aim to prevent human injury.
5.3. Reliability levels

Three reliability levels (I, II, III) are provided in IEC 60826. These levels correspond to return
periods of design loads of 50, 150 and 500 years. In general,
Level I is considered minimum for all permanent lines

Level II applies to lines with voltages equal or exceeding 230 kV
Level III applies to important lines in excess of 230 kV that are a unique source of supply.
Other levels can be selected based on local conditions or on an economical optimization between
cost of increased reliability and present worth of future failures.
5.4. Security requirements

Security requirements relate to behavior of lines once failure is initiated. They aim to prevent
uncontrolled propagation of failures (cascading). In such case, components are allowed to reach
stresses very close to their ultimate limit state (failure). It is noted that in IEC 60826, security is a
deterministic concept, while reliability is probabilistic.
Security and reliability requirements are interrelated because both tend to increase the required
strength of components. Security measures, if more critical than climatic loads (reliability
requirements), can also increase reliability.
5.5. Safety requirements

These are required to protect people from injury. They consist of construction and maintenance
loads. It is aimed that the probability of failure under such loads should be very low.
5.6. Design equation, general format

Load effect < Strength or,
QT < RC or,
Load corresponding to a return period T < Characteristic strength RC
The above equation has been expanded in the IEC standard to the form below:
QT = R RC
where,
factor for span dispersion, default value equal to 1.0 for new lines
QT load corresponding to a return period T
R global strength factor equal to the product of S * N * Q * C

S factor related to coordination of strength (sequence of failure)
N factor related to number N of components
Q factor related to the difference between tested and installed component
C factor related to the statistical parameters of the characteristic strength
It is important to note that the load QT shall be the maximum along the space covered by the line.
Furthermore, not only the maximum load intensity is important, but also its spatial coverage, as
both affect design requirements and line reliability. Directional tendencies of wind or ice loads
can be taken into account if confirmed; otherwise, it should be assumed that load direction
always occurs in the most critical direction.
5.7. Loading cases and limit states

Limit states of strength of line components are defined for each component: a damage limit state
(serviceability) and a failure (ultimate) limit state. Each group of loading requirements is
associated with one of the limits states given below in Table 2.
Table 2 - Loading cases and limit states

Condition Load case Strength Limit State
Reliability Climatic, ice, wind, wind + ice, with a return Damage limit
period T
Security Failure limit (torsional and longitudinal) Failure limit
Safety Construction and maintenance loads Damage limit
5.8. Differences between theoretical and actual reliabilities

IEC 60826 recognizes that the actual reliability may differ from the theoretical reliability when
factors such the ones listed below are not properly accounted for:
Actual use factors of components, particularly towers, are quite different from the
assumed value of 1.0;
The degree of correlation between loads and strengths;
Direction of wind speed in relation to that of the line;
Exclusion limit of strength different from the assumed 10%;
Number of components subjected to maximum load intensity;
Quality control during fabrication and construction.
Methods to take into account the above factors are covered in the subject standard.
5.9. Use factor of components

The use factor in IEC 60826 is defined as the ratio of the actual load (as built) to the limit design
load of a component. For tangent towers, it is virtually equal to the ratio of actual to maximum
design spans (wind or weight), and for angle towers, it also includes the ratio of the sines of the
half angles of deviation (actual to design angles).
Use factor cannot exceed 1.0 and its influence on line reliability has been covered in the IEC
standard. The use factor variation in overhead lines is inevitable because of the following
reasons:
Line components are mass fabricated;

Components are not specifically designed for each tower location or use;
Their design parameters reflect maximum usage along the line;
Effective loads on line components are location dependent (span and tower height at each
location).
Globally, the use factor variation increases reliability. However, a large dispersion of U may be
an indication of a poor optimization (e.g. not enough tangent tower types or their parameters
incorrectly selected). It is important to recognize that the preferred sequence of failure could also
be altered if the use factor variation is not taken into account.
5.10. The characteristic strength RC

IEC 60826 makes reference to the characteristic strength which is defined as the strength value
guaranteed in relevant Standards. Sometimes, it is also called the guaranteed strength, the
minimum strength, or the minimum failing load, and usually corresponds to an exclusion limit,
from 2 to 5%, with 10% being an upper practical (and conservative) limit.
The strength distribution function is usually Normal (Gaussian). With stringent quality control, it
tends to become a Log-normal function.
The characteristic strength can thus be calculated from the following equation, assuming it
corresponds to a 10% exclusion limit:
RC = (10%) R = R (1 - k VR), where:
k = 1.28 for Normal distribution;

k = 1.08 to 1.26 for Log-normal distribution.
In case the maximum intensity of load is widespread and covers a large number (N) of structures,
the strength distribution becomes that of chain or a series of N components whose strength is
controlled by the weakest. Although the original distribution of strength can be Normal, that of
the series of N structures will tend to be an Extreme (minima) type. Correction factors are
provided in order to take into account the effect of the spatial coverage of the maximum load
event on reliability (N factor).
5.11. Strength coefficient S related to sequence of failure

In IEC 60826, line components can be designed to fail (with a 90% probability) in a preferred
mode called preferred sequence of failure. The best (or least damaging) failure mode is the one
where the consequences of the first failure on the line are minimized. Strength factors allowing to
target a preferred sequence of failure are provided in the standard. It is generally accepted that
angle towers, dead-end towers, conductors or foundations should not fail first, thus leaving
tangent towers as the one to fail first. The following table specifies the strength factors applicable
to the strength of the component not to fail first.
Table 2 - Values of S
Coefficient of Variation (COV) of R1
5% 7,5% 10% 20%
COV of 0,05-0,10 0,92 0,87 0,82 0,63
R2 0,10-0,40 0,94 0,89 0,86 0,66
Note: in the above Table 2, R2 is the component designed more reliable than R1
5.12. Wind loads and limitations of wind calculations

Wind loads on conductors and tower structures are the source of important and critical loading
requirement for overhead transmission lines. Methods to calculate wind forces, starting with a
reference wind speed, are provided in the standard for the following conditions:
Spans between 200 m and 800 m;

Height of supports less than 60 m;
Altitude below 1300 m.
5.13. Ground roughness

For the purpose of calculating wind pressure and forces, four (4) categories of ground roughness
(also called terrain types) are provided:
A- Flat coastal areas and deserts;

B- Open country, cultivated fields;
C- Numerous low height obstacles;
D- Suburban areas.
5.14. Reference wind velocity

The reference wind velocity VR considered in IEC 60826 consists of a 10 min. average, at 10 m
height, in a terrain type B. The standard provides for conversion from other wind data, having
different averages or located in a different terrain category, to the above reference value.
5.15. Wind speed design cases

High wind is combined with average minimum daily temperatures, and a reduced wind (60% of
the reference value) is combined with the 50-year minimum temperature.
5.16. Wind load model

The conversion from wind speed to forces follows the equation:
Load = k ( V2), where k is the product of:
Height factor;
Span factor;
Response factor;
Shape factor.
In IEC 60826, the k factor in the above equation takes the form of:
Wind force = A Cx Gc GL ( V2), with:
Gc = Combined wind factor dependent on spans, height and terrain roughness category
GL = Span factor
Cx = Drag (or force) coefficient
is the air mass per unit volume = 1.225 kg/m3 (this is a default value, but adjustments of for
different temperatures and altitudes are provided).
is the air density correction factor given in Table 5 of IEC 60826
A similar equation provides for calculation of wind forces applied to various types of
transmission structures such as those made of angle sections, round pipe sections or steel poles.
Drag coefficients are also provided for these tower types and take into account the compactness
(or solidity ratio) of the windward face to reflect the shielding of wind on the leeward face.
5.17. Icing types

Ice accretion on conductors and structures are the source of important loads, and often control the
design in many northern countries. The standard covers three types of ice accretion: precipitation
icing, wet snow, and in-cloud icing. Methods to calculate design icing are provided and cover a
range of cases with various availabilities of statistical data.
5.18. Ice loading cases

Once design ice thickness or weight of ice per unit length of conductors has been statistically
defined, this value is used in the following loading cases:
Uniform ice formation;

Non uniform ice (longitudinal unbalanced icing, with all phases in a span subjected to the
same unbalanced conditions);
Torsional condition (unbalanced icing conditions occurring in opposite longitudinal
directions thus creating a torsional moment on the structure).
5.19. Combined ice loads with wind

The presence of wind during or after icing episodes requires special loading cases and
combinations of ice and wind loads in order to account for their combined effects.
The calculation of combined forces due to wind on ice covered conductors are provided in the
standard and take into account: the ice thickness or ice weight per unit length of conductor, ice
density, wind speed during icing, and drag coefficient of ice covered conductor.
Two combinations of ice, wind speed during icing, ice density/drag coefficient are provided for
in the standard and consist of combining an extreme value of one variable (such as the 50 year
value) with the average values of the other variables.
5.20. Construction and maintenance loads (safety requirements)

The loading conditions provided in the IEC standard supplement national regulations and safety
codes. They are focused on reducing the risk of injuries to personnel working during construction
and maintenance of the lines. These requirements should result in a very high reliability (risk of
failure practically nil). The approach to deal with such loads is deterministic and consists of
applying overload factors of 1.5 to 2.0 in order to insure such a high reliability. These loads are
not usually combined with severe climatic loads, because construction and maintenance
operations are not commonly undertaken during such weather events.
For example, loads during erection of supports are simulated by designing each support point for
twice the static loads at sagging conditions. Under some conditions, and under controlled
construction operations, the factor of 2.0 could be reduced to 1.5.
5.21. Security related loads

As explained earlier, these loads are intended to prevent cascading or uncontrollable failures.
Minimum requirements are specified as follows:
A broken phase load (torsional load) is applied on any one phase or ground wire
attachment point, and is equivalent to the Residual Static load (RSL) calculated with bare
conductors at average temperatures.
A longitudinal load is specified, equivalent to a simulated fictitious ice load equal to the
conductor weight applied on one side of the tower.
For lines that require a higher security level, additional security measures can be considered such
as: Increasing the number of points where the RSL is applied, Considering the RSL in
conjunction with some climatic load, and/or inserting anti-cascading towers.
5.22. Limit states of conductors and ground wires

An example of limit states of strength of conductors and ground wires is provided in Table 3.
Table 3 - Damage and failure limits of conductors and ground wires

Types Damage limit Failure limit
Lowest of :
- Vibration limit, or
All types - The infringement of critical clearances defined by Ultimate tensile
appropriate regulations, or stress (rupture)
- 75% of the characteristic strength or rated tensile strength
(typical range in 70 % to 80 %)
5.23. Limit states of interface components

Typical strength limit states of interface components are provided in Table 4.
Table 4 - Damage and failure limit of interface components

10
Type of interface components Damage limit Failure limit
Cable connectors: Dead-end and Unacceptable permanent Rupture
junction fittings and Suspension deformation or slippage
fittings
Insulators (porcelain and glass) 70 % strength rating or broken shed Rupture of pin, cap,
(glass only) cement or shed
11
Hardware Critical permanent deformation Rupture of hardware or
shear of bolts
6. CONCLUSION OF SECTION I
This paper summarizes advantages of RBD methods over common deterministic based methods
as well as the key features of standard IEC 60826 and its companion document, CIGR
Technical Brochure 178.
Local weather conditions are taken into account during the design process, and tools are provided
in order to increase reliability and security if warranted either by the importance of the line or by
local conditions.
This RBD method of IEC 60826 Standard should provide for more economical design for a given
target reliability compared to safety factor methods or, inversely, a higher reliability for given
limit loads.
10 Normally, hardware is designed in a manner to reduce or eliminate wear. Should wear be expected because of point to point
contact, it should be considered in the design. In such case, the damage limit becomes: exceeding the excepted wear.
11 Defined as the state where the hardware cannot be easily taken apart.
The IEC 60826 has now been integrated in many international standards (ex. CSA C22.3, 2002,
CENELEC EN 50341, IS 802, etc.) and utility practices. It represents a major contribution to the
international trend in migrating toward reliability based design concepts in overhead line design.
7. REFERENCES
[1] IEC 60826 - Ed. 3.0 (2003): Design Criteria of Overhead Transmission Lines
[2] CIGR WG 22.06, (1990), Loading and Strength of Overhead Transmission Lines, Electra
No. 129, March 1990.
[3] CIGR WG 22.06, (Feb. 2001), "Probabilistic Design of Overhead Transmission Lines",
Technical Brochure No. 178.
[4] GHANNOUM, E., Orawski, G. (1986), "Reliability Based Design of Transmission Lines
According to Recent Advances by IEC and CIGR", International Symposium of Probabilistic
Design of Transmission Lines, Toronto, June 1986.
Reliability Based Design Methods

for Overhead Lines
Comparisons
SECTION II - APPLICATIONS
Prepared by Lars Rolfseng,Task Force Leader

Calculations carried out by se Rognes
Working Group B2.06
April, 2006
SECTION II
APPLICATION OF IEC STANDARD 60826
Scope of Section II
The scope of Section II is to clarify the interpretations of IEC International Standard 60826 Ed. 3
(October 2003), recommend possible amendments and to provide an application example based
on one given set of input parameters and compare the results with calculations based on the
previous version i.e. IEC 826 TR, (1991) with the same input parameters.
PART A - EXPLANATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO IEC 60826

A.1 Introduction
In 1991 the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) published a Technical Report 826
entitled "Loading and Strength of Overhead Lines". This document introduced reliability and
probabilistic concepts for calculation of loading and strength requirements for overhead lines
components.
In 1996 CIGR WG B2.06 published the Technical Brochure 109: Review of IEC 82 - Loading
and Strength of Overhead Lines". This Technical Brochure (TB) contains:
- A review of the use and application of IEC 826 TR based on a worldwide questionnaire,
- An application example with detailed description of premises, step-by-step calculations with
references to the relevant clauses of IEC 826 TR and numerical results,
- An analysis of recent transmission line failures and
- A proposal of an improved rewritten standard for overhead line design: Improved design
criteria of overhead transmission lines based on reliability concepts. The latter became to a
large extent the basis for the main body of the international standard that was published in
October 2003: IEC 60826 Ed. 3: Design criteria of overhead transmission lines.
To justify the proposed improved standard in TB 109, CIGR WG B2.06 published in 2001 the
TB 178: Probabilistic design of overhead lines as a companion document to Improved design
criteria of overhead transmission lines based on reliability concepts in TB 109. TB 178 contains
the technical background of Reliability Based Design and the content of this Brochure is the main
bases for the appendices incorporated in IEC 60826.
CIGR, WG B2.06 was asked to provide a detailed calculation example to serve as a companion
document for IEC 60826. During the preparation of this example, it was felt that possible
inconsistencies or ambiguities of requirements, contradictions in IEC 60826, would be
discovered. This should in turn lead to recommended changes to IEC 60826, issued by CIGR to
IEC/TC11.
In order to undertake this task, the same structure and set of input data for design of a typical line,
that was used for the preparation of TB 109, is used to calculate load and strength requirements in
accordance with the new International Standard IEC 60826 (2003), and compare the results with
the calculations based on IEC 826 TR (1991). The computations of the loads according to IEC
60826, compared with IEC 826 TR are thoroughly discussed and assessed in Part C of this
Section II. Specific recommendations are provided in order to propose clarifications and changes
to some clauses of IEC 60826.
After approval, this document will be forwarded to IEC/TC11 for follow-up actions.
PART B - APPLICATION EXAMPLE OF IEC 60826

B.0 Foreword
In Technical Brochure 109 Application of IEC Technical Report 826 wind and ice loadings are
calculated according IEC Technical Report 826 (1991). In this Part B the same calculation
example is used to calculate the wind and ice loads according to the new IEC International
Standard 60826 Ed. 3.
B.1 Method
The example is divided in 3 Parts:
Part B - Apply the IEC 60826: Design criteria of overhead transmission lines on the
transmission line sections given on the enclosed profile with the technical and meteorological
data specified below. Assess the available data.
Part C - Calculate ice, wind and combined wind and ice loads on conductors and earth wires,
based on data available from another terrain category. For the case of ice loading, two
calculations are performed as specified in B3.1 below.
Part D - Calculate the total loads on supports for the following towers by means of a line
calculation program:
1: tangent tower BM 75 (suspension insulators)
2: angle tower BMV 73 (suspension insulators)
3: tension tower FMV 78 (strain insulators)
The towers are shown on an enclosed separate profile.
B.2 Technical information
All towers are assumed rigid. Only insulator swing is used to balance asymmetrical loads.
Only one value for the Modulus of Elasticity is used: E = 68 000 MPa for the conductor and
E = 119 000 MPa for the earth wire.
Creep of conductor and earth wire is not been taken into account in this study.
Reliability level (Clause 2.1.2 in TR 826 (1991) and Clause 5.1.1.1 in IEC 60826 2003)) = 2.
Terrain category (Clause 3.2.3.1 in TR 826 and Clause 6.2.2 in IEC 60826) = C (assumed for
the general line topography).
Information is found on the profile about:
Span lengths
Height differences
Tower angles
Conductor and earth wire data:

Conductor Earth wire Unit
Conductor type Grackle Goll

Material ACSR AACSR
Aluminium: 54 x 3,78 16 x 2,77 mm
Steel 19 x 2,27 19 x 2,40 mm
Overall diameter 34,03 17,54 mm
Overall cross section 682,88 182,37 mm
Nominal breaking strength 186,90 156,50 kN
Weight 2,28 0,945 kg/m
Modulus of elasticity 68 000 119 000 MPa
Coefficient of linear expansion 19,4 x 10-6 14,20 x 10-6 /C
Every day stress (0C) 60 105 N/mm
Every day tension 41,0 19,1 kN
Number of conductors per phase 1
Weight insulator set 1500 kN
Length insulator set 4,0 m
As the conductor height above ground (Zc) is difficult to read from the profile, the following
values are used (Note: These values represent average conductor heights for wind loading
calculation):
70-71: 21 m 78-79: 14 m
71-72: 21 m 79-80: 28 m
72-73: 18 m 80-81: 16 m
73-74: 19 m 81-82: 17 m
74-75: 20 m 82-83: 16 m
75-76: 21 m 83-84: 17 m
76-77: 17 m
77-78: 17 m
Although section 2 of the profile (towers 78-84) is not included in the example (it is only asked
for tensions in direction towards falling number on tower 78), the conductor heights of this
section is given if a complete calculation of tower 78 is desirable for comparisons with own
practices.
Height of the earth wire is 5 m above the conductor for all spans.
B.3 Meteorological information
B.3.1 Ice
Time series of ice loadings:
The following annual maxima of ice loadings have been recorded:
Year Ice load (N/m) Year Ice load (N/m)
1980 10 1986 8
1981 9 1987 6
1982 8 1988 7
1983 11 1989 34
1984 32 1990 4
1985 3 1991 23
Ice load from precipitation icing

Type of ice: wet snow
Temperature: 0 C
Two calculations are performed:
A: Calculation based on the full statistical information (Clause 3.3.1.2.2 in TR 826 and A
5.8.1 in IEC 60826)
B: Calculation based on the knowledge of the highest (overall) load in 12 years (34 N/m)
(Clause 3.3.1.2.3 in TR 826 and A 5.8.1 in IEC 60826)
B.3.2 Wind
The time series of the maximum yearly 10 min wind speeds (perpendicular to the line) is
measured 13 m above ground in terrain with terrain category B for the following 29 years:
Year Wind speed Year Wind speed
m/s m/s
1956 16,5 1971 15,4
1957 15,4 1972 15,4
1958 17,0 1973 20,6
1959 15,9 1974 15,4
1960 25,7 1975 13,4
1961 13,4 1976 18,5
1962 15,4 1977 12,9
1963 14,4 1978 13,4
1964 16,5 1979 14,4
1965 15,4 1980 14,9
1966 22,6 1981 14,4
1967 17,5 1982 13,9
1968 15,4 1983 17,0
1969 13,4 1984 14,9
1970 17,5
These wind data available for terrain category B have to be converted to terrain category C
assumed for the line section considered.
Coincident temperature = 0C (Clause 3.2.4.1.4 in 826 and 6.4.3 in IEC 60826)
Reduced wind speed:
- Min. temperature = -18C (Clause 3.2.4.2.1 in 826 and 6.2.4 in IEC 60826)
- Reduced wind speed = 0.6 Vr (Clause 3.2.4.2.2 in 826 and 6.2.4 in IEC 60826)
B.3.3 Combined wind and ice
Wind reduction factor Bi:
In IEC 60826, the suggested range for Bi is: 0,6 0,85.

The chosen value is: Bi = 0,75 (Clause 3.4.2.2.1.4 in 826 and 6.4.4.1 in IEC 60826)
Wind speed coefficient of variation (COV):
Vem/ V em = Vm/ V m = 0,18 (Clause 3.4.2.2.1.4 in 826 and A 4.5.2 in IEC 60826)
Ice load coefficient of variation (COV):
g/ g = 0,70 (is used)

g/ g = 0,82 (is calculated) (Clause 3.4.2.1 in 826 and A 5.8.1 in IEC 60826)
Number of years = 12.

PART C - A STEP BY STEP CALCULATION OF THE APPLICATION

EXAMPLE
C.0 Introduction
The following calculations based on revised IEC 60826 "Probabilistic design of overhead lines"
(October 2003) are compared with the calculations presented in CIGR Technical Brochure 109
"Loading and strength of overhead lines".
Some comments are given at the end of each clause.
The calculated loads on conductors and earth wires are summarized in tables 1A, 1B, 2A and 2B.
The results of the calculations of the total loads on supports are presented in tables 3A and 3B.
Comments to the 2003 edition of IEC 60826
The factors Kg and Kn and the formula for reference ice load, gR, are not found in IEC 60826 Ed.
3, see section 6.3.4. The formula for gR is given in equation 6.3 in CIGR TB 178 i.e. gR =
KgKnKdKh g where g is the mean value. In IEC 60826 Ed. 3 clause 6.2.3 Reference wind load
VR and clause 6.3.4 Reference limit ice load it is said that the reference load for wind, VR, and
for ice, gR, can be determined by statistical analysis of relevant wind and ice data.
Here references to the direct calculation of these design loads using the Gumbel distribution in
clause B.2.1 equation B.7 and clause C.4.2 using equations C.27, C.28 and C.29 are missed.
In section A4.5.2 Reference wind speed for design the second paragraph starts: The reference
VR is determined from. This sentence is difficult to understand and should be replaced by:
For finite number of observations, the reference wind speed VR with a given return period T is
determined from the mean value, standard deviation and parameters C1 and C2 using equation
B.7. The parameters C1 and C2 are calculated by using equations C.27, C.28 and C.29. For
infinite observations equation B.8 or table C.1 should be used.
In clause 6.3.2 and 6.4.6.2 there is a misprint: The number 9,82 should be 9,81
Factors that are equal for several load cases
sin2 = 1,00
diameter conductor = 34,03 mm
diameter earth wire = 17,54 mm
C.1 Wind Load
Given parameters
Terrain category of line = C

Reliability level = 2
N = 29 years
The wind speeds are measured in terrain with terrain category B and 13 m above ground.
V10 = V13/(13/10)0,16 (eq. A.36)
Vm = (v10 / 29 ) = 15,42 m/s
Vm = 2,72 m/s
In CIGRE Technical Brochure 109 values for the Gumbel constants C1 and C2 corresponding
with infinite observations are used. For the purpose of the comparison the same premises are
used. Normally it is recommended to use the correct number of observations to calculate the
reference load.
C1 (infinite observations) = 1,28255 (Table C.1)
C2 (infinite observations) = 0,57722 (Table C.1)
VR = 24,83m/s (eq. B7)
= 1,00 (table 5)
= 1,225 kg/m3 (clause 6.2.5)
KR = 0,85 (table 4)
q0 = 0,5KR2VR2 = 272,7 N/m2 (eq. 7)
Cxc = 1,00 (clause 6.2.6.1)
Ac=q0CxCGcGLsin2dL (eq. 8)
Reduced Wind
Min. temperature = -18,00 oC

VRred. = 0,6VR = 14,90 m/s (clause 6.2.4)
2 2
q0 = 0,5KR VRred = 98,20 N/m2
Acred = q0CxCGcGLsin2dL
Comparison of the CIGR TB 109 calculation with IEC 826 (1991)
.
- KRVR is now 0,85 24,83= 21,11 compared with 21,37 according IEC 826 (1991).
- The span factor, GL, was not included in IEC 826 (1991), but integrated in the combined wind
factor Gc..
- The values found for the combined wind factor, Gc, are now higher compared with IEC 826
(1991).
- The resulting values of the wind load on conductors, AC, are about 1% to 5% higher
compared with IEC 826 (1991).
C.2A Ice without Wind (based on full statistical information)

Number of years with observation, N = 12.
g = 12,92 N/m
g = 10,65
g /g = 0,82 (note: 0,70 is used)
C1 = 0,98327 (eq. C.29
C2 = 0,50350 (eq. C.28)
KgKn = 4,21 (3,421,23) (not found in standard, but taken from TB 178)
Kdconductor = 1,05 (eq. A53, precipitation icing)
Kdearthwire = 0,85 (eq. A3, precipitation icing)
g R = K g K n K d K h g (not found in standard, but taken from TB 178)
(gR could have been calculated by using equations C.27, C.28 C.29 and B.7 in IEC 60826 Ed. 3)
- Kd for conductor and earth wire are lower (1,05 and 0,85 versus 1,06 and 0,90)
- Kh for precipitation icing varies for each span depending on height above ground, compared
with the value 1,00 for all spans in the calculation using figure 15 in IEC 826 (1991). This
change is described in clause 6.3.4.1 in IEC 60826. The clause deals with reference limit ice
load based on statistical data. Clause 6.3.4.1 reads:
The reference design load gR, or tR if ice thickness is chosen as the ice variable, are the reference limit
ice loads corresponding to the selected return period T (function of the reliability level of the line). The gR
or tR values can be directly obtained from the statistical analysis of data obtained either from direct
measurements, icing models, or appropriate combinations of both.
NOTE 1: The figures and equations given in this subclause are based on gR (N/m) being the ice variable. However, equation (13)
can be used to convert from gR to tR if the latter is chosen as the ice variable.
If data is measured (or model simulated) on conductor diameters and heights typical of the line, there will
not be any further adjustment to this value. However, if data is measured at the assumed reference height
of 10 m on a 30 mm conductor diameter, gR should be adjusted by multiplying it with a diameter factor Kd
and a height factor Kh applicable to the actual line conditions.
Kd is given in Figure 10.
Figure 10 Factor Kd related to the conductor diameter

For both types of icing, when Kd g exceeds 100 N/m, the value of Kd is no longer increased.
If g (average of yearly maximum values of g) is above 100 N/m and d greater than 30 mm, Kd is
considered equal 1,0.
Kd describes the variation of g with the height of conductors above the ground. Its value is given in Figure
11.
Figure 11 Factor Kh related to the conductor height
As a simplification, it is suggested that the value gR be the same for phase conductors and ground wires in
the same span, but there is growing evidence that the higher ground wire may accumulate more ice for
some types of ice accretion. For variation of in-cloud icing accretion with height, refer to comments in
A.5.8.2.
In this case data is measured at the assumed reference height of 10 m on a 30 mm conductor

diameter. Therefore the values used for Kh are specified for each span in the tables 1A, 2A, 1B
and 2B and they are in the range of 5% to 12 % larger than Kh = 1,0 as used in IEC 826 (1991).
The resulting reference ice load gR is about 3% to 7% higher and varies for each span compared
with one value equal 1.0 for all spans in the first calculation using IEC 826 (1991).
C.2B Ice without Wind (based on maximum ice load)
g max = 34,00 N/m

g = 0,45 g max = 15,30 N/m
g /g = 0,50
C1 = 0,98327
C2 = 0,50350
KgKn = 3,29 (not found in standard, but taken from TB 178)
g R = K g K n K d K h g (not found in standard, but taken from TB 178)
(gR could have been calculated by using equations C.27, C.28 C.29 and B.7 in IEC 60826 Ed. 3)
C.3A Combined Wind and Ice Loading (based on full statistical information)
CiH = 1,0 (table A14)
= 600,0 kg/m3 (table A14)
= 3,142
Condition 1 (Low probability ice load with moderate wind)

gL = gR (6.4.2)
Bi = 0,45 (chosen value, 6.4.4.1)
ViH = BiVR = 11,2 m/s (6.4.4.1)
2 2 2
q0H = 0,5KR ViH = 55,2 N/m (6.4.6.1)
DL = (d2+4gL/(9,81))0,5 (6.4.6.2)
Ac1 = q0HCiHGcGLDLLsin 2
(6.4.6.2)
Condition 2 (Low probability wind load with moderate ice)

gH = 0,4gR (6.4.2)
Bi = 0,75 (chosen value, 6.4.4.1)
ViL= BiVR = 18,6 m/s (6.4.4.1)
q0L= 0,5KR2ViL2 = 153,4 N/m2 (6.4.6.1)
DH = (d2+4gH/(9,81))0,5 (6.4.6.2)
Ac2 = q0LCiHGcGLDHLsin 2
(6.4.6.2)
- The high probability ice load in combined events, gH=0,4gR is used in IEC 60826 instead of
the factors KL and KH from table 17 in IEC 826 (1991)
- Values for Bi for condition 1 and 2 differ compared with IEC 826 (1991)
- The factors KiH, KiL and Kn in IEC 826 (1991) are not longer included
- The factor GL was not included as a separate variable in IEC 826 (1991) but integrated in the
combined Gc
For the result of calculations based on full statistical information, see Tables 1A, 2A and 3A:
Table 1A - Calculated loads on conductor based on full statistical information

Table 2A - Calculated loads on earth wire based on full statistical information
Table 3A - Calculated loads on supports based on full statistical information
C.3B Combined Wind and Ice Loading (based on maximum ice load)
Formulas: see C.3A
For the result of calculations based on maximum ice load, see Tables 1B, 2B and 3B:
Table 1B - Calculated loads on conductor based on maximum ice load

Table 2B - Calculated loads on earth wire based on maximum ice load
Table 3B - Calculated loads on supports based on maximum ice load
PART D - CONCLUSION OF SECTION II
The following conclusions can be drawn from the following tables:
Table 4A - Comparison of conductor and earth wire forces according to the 1991 and the
2003 edition based on full statistical information
Table 4B - Comparison of conductor and earth wire forces according to the 1991 and the
2003 edition based on maximum ice load
In the Tables 4A and 4B, 1991 edition (a) and 2003 edition (b) are compared. The relative
difference 100.(Fb-Fa)/Fa is given. Figures in brackets are absolute values in kN.
Transversal forces for combined load conditions wind and ice and longitudinal forces for load
condition non-uniform ice are higher, most of the other forces are lower.
The differences in forces due to high and low wind are small i.e. in the range of 0% to 3%.
Insignificant larger % values occur when the compared absolute values are small. Thus the
calculations of wind loads according IEC 60826 (2003) are consistent with calculations according
IEC Technical Report 826 (1991) with insignificant load differences on conductors and towers.
The largest differences occur for ice loads mainly due to the fact that ice accretions increases
with the height for precipitation ice as described in clause C.2A. In this case the highest
differences are in the range of 25% to 31%. The calculations reveal that the improved description
of ice loads in IEC 60826 is important and that proper quality ice measurements combined with
development of ice models are important in countries exposed to atmospheric icing.
TABLE 1A - Calculated loads on conductor based on full statistical information

SPAN
70-7171-7272-7373-7474-7575-7676-7777-78
Height above ground Zc 21 21 18 19 20 21 17 17 m
Span length L 297 317 332 282 504 362 412 314 m
Combined wind factor Gc 2,40 2,40 2,33 2,36 2,39 2,40 2,30 2,30
Span factor GL 0,970 0,967 0,964 0,979 0,914 0,955 0,940 0,967
Factor related to the conductor height Kh 1,083 1,083 1,060 1,068 1,075 1,083 1,053 1,053
WIND LOAD
High wind speed Dynamic reference pressure q0 273 N/m2
Wind load Ac 6,4 6,8 6,9 6,0 10,2 7,7 8,3 6,5 kN
Reduced wind speed Dynamic reference pressure q0 98 N/m2
Wind load Ac 2,3 2,5 2,5 2,2 3,7 2,8 3,0 2,3 kN
ICE WITHOUT WIND
Condition 1. Uniform ice Ice load gR 62 62 60 61 61 62 60 60 N/m
Condition 2. Non-uniform ice Max. ice load 0,7*gR 43 43 42 43 43 43 42 42 N/m
Min. ice load 0,40,7gR 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 N/m
COMBINED WIND AND ICE
Condition 1. Uniform ice Ice load gL 62 62 60 61 61 62 60 60 N/m
Dnamic reference pressure q0H 55 N/m2
Wind load Ac1 4,6 4,9 4,9 4,3 7,3 5,5 5,8 4,6 kN
Equivalent diameter of ice DL 120 120 119 120 120 120 119 119 mm
Condition 2. Non-uniform ice Ice load gH 25 25 24 24 24 25 24 24 N/m
Dynamic reference pressure q0L 153 N/m2
Wind load Ac2 8,5 9,1 9,1 8,0 13,6 10,3 10,9 8,5 kN
Equivalent diameter of ice DH 81 81 80 80 80 81 80 80 mm
TABLE 1B - Calculated loads on conductor based on max. ice load

SPAN
70-71 71-72 72-73 73-74 74-75 75-76 76-77 77-78
Span length L 297 317 332 282 504 362 412 314 m
Span factor GL 0,970 0,967 0,964 0,979 0,914 0,955 0,940 0,967
ICE WITHOUT WIND
Min. ice load 0,40,7gR 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 N/m
Dynamic reference pressure q0H 55 N/m2
Wind load Ac1 4,4 4,7 4,7 4,2 7,0 5,3 5,5 4,4 kN
Wind load Ac2 8,3 8,8 8,9 7,8 13,1 9,9 10,5 8,3 kN
TABLE 2A - Calculated loads on earth wire based on full statistical information

SPAN
70-71 71-72 72-73 73-74 74-75 75-7676-77 77-78
Span length L 297 317 332 282 504 362 412 314 m
Span factor GL 0,970 0,967 0,964 0,979 0,914 0,955 0,940 0,967
WIND LOAD
High wind speed Dynamic reference pressure q0 273 N/m2
Wind load Ac 3,5 3,7 3,8 3,3 5,5 4,2 4,5 3,5 kN
Reduced wind speed Dynamic reference pressure q0 98 N/m2
Wind load Ac 1,2 1,3 1,4 1,2 2,0 1,5 1,6 1,3 kN
ICE WITHOUT WIND
Min. ice load 0,40,7gR 15 15 14 14 14 15 14 14 N/m
Wind load Ac1 4,3 4,6 4,6 4,0 6,8 5,2 5,5 4,3 kN
Wind load Ac2 7,7 8,2 8,3 7,2 12,2 9,2 9,9 7,7 kN
TABLE 2B - Calculated loads on earth wire based on max. ice load

SPAN
70-71 71-72 72-73 73-74 74-75 75-76 76-77 77-78
Span length L 297 317 332 282 504 362 412 314 m
Span factor GL 0,970 0,967 0,964 0,979 0,914 0,955 0,940 0,967
ICE WITHOUT WIND
Min. ice load 0,40,7gR 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 N/m
Condition 1. Uniform ice ce load gL 48 48 47 48 48 48 47 47 N/m
Wind load Ac1 4,1 4,4 4,4 3,9 6,5 5,0 5,3 4,2 kN
Wind load Ac2 7,4 7,9 8,0 7,0 11,7 8,9 9,5 7,5 kN
TABLE 3A - Calculated loads on supports (kN) based on full statistical information
TOWER NO. BM 75
Conductor Earth wire

Longitudinal Vertical Transversal Longitudinal Vertical Transversal
High wind speed 0,0 -8,9 9,0 -0,5 -2,7 4,8
Low wind speed 0,0 -9,1 3,2 0,6 -3,0 1,7
Uniform ice -0,9 -32,5 0,0 -11,0 -22,8 0,0

Non-uniform ice -3,9 -22,5 0,0 -23,1 -14,4 0,0
Wind and ice, condition 1 -0,9 -32,4 6,4 -11,2 -22,8 5,9
TOWER NO. BMV 73

High wind speed 0,1 -13,3 26,1 -0,5 -5,4 13,3
Low wind speed -0,2 -12,8 19,8 -0,3 -5 9,7
Uniform ice 1,9 -37,3 41,2 -5 -24,7 25,2

Non-uniform ice 3,7 -26,2 30,9 -16,3 -15,8 18,4
Wind and ice, condition 1 1,9 -37,4 46,2 -5,1 -24,8 30,0
TOWER NO. FMV 78 (towards tower 77)

High wind -48,8 -6,1 21,2 -24,4 -2 10,7
Low wind -43,4 -6 17,1 -20,8 -1,9 8,3
Uniform ice -103,7 -16,6 38,1 -63,8 -10,8 23,4

Non-uniform ice -81,2 -10,5 29,8 -52,4 -8,2 19,2
TABLE 3B - Calculated loads on supports (kN) based on max. ice load
TOWER NO. BM 75

Uniform ice -1 -30,8 0 -10,3 -21,3 0
Non-uniform ice -3,7 -21,6 0 -21,6 -13,5 0
Wind and ice, condition 1 -1 -30,7 6,2 -10,4 -21,2 5,7

TOWER NO. BMV 73

Uniform ice 1,7 -35,5 39,6 -4 -23,4 24,2
Non-uniform ice 3,4 -25,2 29,9 -14,9 -15,1 17,7
TOWER NO. FMV 78 (towards tower 77)

Uniform ice -99,4 -15,8 36,5 -60,9 -10,1 22,4
Non-uniform ice -78,2 -10,1 28,7 -50,2 -7,7 18,4
Table 4A - Comparison of conductor and earth wire forces according to the 1991 and the
2003 edition based on full statistical information
a = 1991 edition
b = 2003 edition
Comparison of relative difference = 100.(Fb-Fa)/Fa. Figures in brackets are absolute values in kN.

Long. Vert. Trans. Long. Vert. Trans.
Tower BM 75
High wind speed 0 1 (0,2) -1 (0,1) 0 0 -2 (0,1)
Low wind speed 0 2 (0,2) -3 (0,1) 0 3 (0,1) -6 (0,1)
Uniform ice 13 (0,1) 5 (1,6) 0 6 (0,6) 6 (1,2) 0
Non-uniform ice -22 (1,1) 10 (2,0) 0 -18 (5,2) 13 (1,6) 0
Wind and ice, condition 1 13 (0,1) 5 (1,6) -31 (2,9) 6 (0,6) 7 (1,5) -31 (2,7)
Tower BMV 73
High wind speed - 2 (0,2) 0 (0,1) 0 2 (0,1) -1 (0,1)
Low wind speed 0 2 (0,3) 1 (0,2) -25 (0,1) 2 (0,1) 2 (0,2)
Uniform ice 6 (0,1) 4 (1,4) 4 (1,5) 4 (0,2) 4 (0,9) 3 (0,7)
Non-uniform ice -18 (8,2) 10 (2,3) 15 (4,0) -23 (4,8) 12 (1,7) 10 (1,6)
Tower FMV 78
High wind speed 1 (0,3) 2 (0,1) 0 0 5 (0,5) -1 (0,1)
Low wind speed 2 (0,7) 3 (0,2) 1 (0,2) 1 (0,3) 6 (0,1) 1 (0,1)
Uniform ice 3 (3,3) 3 (0,5) 3 (1,2) 3 (1,9) 5 (0,5) 3 (0,7)
Non-uniform ice 6 (4,4) 15(1,4) 6 (1,6) 3 (1,5) 5 (0,4) 3 (0,5)
Wind and ice, condition 2 2 (1,2) 8 (0,8) -2 (0,5) -1 (0,5) 14 (0,7) -4 (0,9)
Table 4B - Comparison of conductor and earth wire forces according to the 1991 and the
2003 edition based on max ice load
a = 1991 edition
b = 2003 edition
Comparison of relative difference = 100.(Fb-Fa)/Fa. Figures in brackets are absolute values in kN.

Long. Vert. Trans. Long. Vert. Trans.
Tower BM 75
Uniform ice 43 (0,3) 5 (1,4) 0 5 (0,5) 6 (1,2) 0
Non-uniform ice -20 (0,9) 9 (1,8) 0 -18 (4,9) 13 (1,5) 0
Wind and ice, condition 2 33 (0,1) 5 (0,8) -22 (3,3) -8 (0,5) 5 (0,5) -22 (2,9)
Tower BMV 73
Uniform ice 6 (0,1) 3 (1,1) 3 (1,3) -13 (0,6) 4 (1,0) 4 (0,9)
Non-uniform ice -17 (7,5) 9 (2,1) 15 (3,8) -25 (5,0) 14 (1,8) 10 (1,6)
Wind and ice, condition 1 0 3 (1,1) -3 (1,4) -16 (0,8) 3 (0,7) -6 (1,9)
Wind and ice, condition 2 -13 (0,1) 0 (0,1) -9 (3,9) -25 (0,8) -1 (0,2) -13 (3,8)
Tower FMV 78
Uniform ice 3 (2,6) 2 (0,3) 3 (1,0) 3 (1,9) 4 (0,4) 3 (0,7)
Non-uniform ice 5 (3,89 16 (1,4) 5 (1,4) 3 (1,6) 5 (0,4) 3 (0,5)
Wind and ice, condition 2 -5 (3,6) 0 -8 (2,6) -8 (3,8) 2 (0,1) -11 (2,5)

Overhead Lines
Comparisons
SECTION III - COMPARISONS
Prepared by
Elias Ghannoum, Leon Kempner, Pekka Riisi, Jan Rogier, Tony Ploeg, Chris Thorn
Chris Thorn, Task Force Leader

Original version by Tony Ploeg
Calculations carried out by Chris Thorn and Pekka Riisi
IEC reviewed by Elias Ghannoum
EN reviewed by Jan Rogier
ASCE reviewed by Leon Kempner
Working Group B2.06
April, 2006
SECTION III
COMPARISONS BETWEEN IEC 60826 AND OTHER

RELIABILITY BASED DESIGN METHODS
1. SCOPE OF SECTION III

Since the publication of Technical Report IEC 826 in 1991, a number of other overhead line
design codes based on reliability design (RBD) methods have been published. These
documents have generally adopted many of the concepts given in IEC 826, but there are also
some substantial differences.
The purpose of this Section III is to compare the methods adopted for the calculation of
mechanical loadings for overhead power lines according to a number of these design codes with
the latest version of the IEC document, IEC 60826 Edition 3 (October 2003).
The main objective is to assess the level of consistency and the significance of any major
differences between the different codes.
2. STANDARDS ON RBD
2.1 List of standards compared
IEC 60826 Design Criteria of Overhead Transmission Lines (IEC/TC11/WG08), Ed. 3

issued October 2003 (IEC)
CIGRE SCB2 Probabilistic Design of Overhead Transmission Lines (CIGRE Technical
Brochure No. 178), February 2001 (CIGRE)
EN 50341-1:2001 Overhead Electrical Lines exceeding AC 45 kV Part 1:
General Requirements - Common Specifications (CLC/TC 11), October
2001 (EN or CLC)
ASCE 74 Guidelines for Transmission Lines Structural Loading (ASCE), Draft as of
April 2005 (ASCE)
NESC 2002 National Electrical Safety Code 2002 (NESC)
2.2 Scope of the standards
International Standard IEC 60826 has been prepared by the IEC Technical Committee 11
Overhead Lines. This standard specifies the loading and strength requirements of overhead
lines derived from reliability based design principles. These requirements apply to lines above 45
kV and above, but can also be applied to lines with a lower nominal voltage. It provides a
framework for the preparation of national standards dealing with overhead transmission lines,
using reliability concepts and employing probabilistic or semi-probabilistic methods. This
standard does not cover the detailed design of line components such as supports, foundations,
conductors or insulator strings. Although the design criteria apply to new lines, many concepts
can be used to address the reliability requirements for uprating and upgrading of existing
overhead lines.
CIGRE Working Group WG B2.06 Principles of Overhead Lines contributed to the review of the
IEC 60826 standard with the CIGRE Technical Brochure 109 and with the Companion
Document CIGRE Technical Brochure 178.
European Standard EN 50341 has been drawn up by the Technical Committee CENELEC TC
11. This standard specifies the general requirements that shall be met for the design and
construction of new overhead lines to ensure that the line is suitable for its purpose with regard
to safety of persons, maintenance, operation and environmental considerations. EN 50341 also
covers the detailed design of overhead line components. It applies to overhead electric lines with
rated voltages exceeding 45 kV AC. CENELEC prepared a complementary standard for lower
voltage levels.
Beside the clauses that are common to all European countries (Main Body or EN 50341-1), this
standard also includes National Normative Aspects (NNA or EN 50341-3) that are normative to
the country considered, such as A-deviations (required by the existing national laws or
regulations), Special National Conditions (SNC or national characteristics or practices that
cannot be changed even over a long period, e.g. those due to climatic conditions) and National
Complements (NCPT or national practices that should be gradually adapted to the Main Body).
Both deterministic (called Empirical) and probabilistic (called General or Statistical)
approaches are considered in the Main Body. Each National Committee can further decide to
use either the Empirical or the General Approach.
North-American Standard ASCE 74 has been prepared by the Task Committee on Structural
Loadings of the Committee on Electrical Transmission Structures of the American Society of
Civil Engineers (ASCE). ASCE 74 provides detailed guidelines and procedures for developing
transmission line structure loads. As this manual is intended as a loading document, it contains
almost no discussion of strengths except in most general terms and to note the differentiation
between limit states and damage limits when discussing the problems of the application of
reliability based design concepts. Although intended as a guide for lines 69 kV and above, the
application of the concepts in this standard might be justified at lower voltages.
The purpose of the Safety Code NESC 2002 is the practical safeguarding of persons during the
installation, operation or maintenance of electric supply and communication lines and associated
equipment. The NESC 2002 contains the basic provisions that are considered necessary for
safety of employees and the public under the specified conditions. The NESC is not intended as
a design specification or as an instruction manual.
2.3 Comparison of some EN-NNA
A comparison of the wind loadings calculated in accordance with the General (or Statistical)
Approach of CENELEC National Normative Aspects documents produced by the National
Committees of the following countries is included in Appendix A:
EN 50341-3-7 Finland (NNA/FI)

EN 50341-3-9 Great Britain (NNA/UK)
EN 50341-3-16 Norway (NNA/NO)
EN 50341-3-18 Sweden (NNA/SE)
EN 50341-3-19 Czech Republic (NNA/CZ)
2.4 Comparison of symbols and definitions
The symbols adopted in this document are those used in the various documents listed above,
but it should be noted that usage varies across the range of documents. Brief definitions of
symbols are included in this paper, but for full details reference should be made to the
appropriate document. It should also be noted that some parameters which are given similar
titles or symbols in different documents are defined differently. Where possible, preference is
given to the symbols and definitions of IEC 60826.
2.5 Comparison of line components and subsystems
An overhead line is designed as a system made of separate components (IEC, CIGE, EN) or
subsystems (ASCE, NESC).
Table 2.5 Overhead Line components and subsystems
IEC, CIGRE, EN ASCE, NESC

Component Subsystem
Support Support system
Foundation
Conductor and earthwire Wire system
Insulator string
3. BASIS OF DESIGN
Table 3.1
IEC, CIGRE EN ASCE NESC
Basis of design
Reliability requirements Yes Yes Yes Yes

Reliability levels 3 3 1
Relative reliability factors 4 -
Return period T (years) of climatic 50, 150, 500 50, 150, 500 50, 100, 50
load (1) (2) 200, 400
Security requirements (3) Yes Yes Yes (4) Yes (5)
Safety requirements (6) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Strength coordination Yes Yes (7) Yes (7) No
Limit state for:

Reliability (probabilistic) Damage Ultimate Damage Ultimate
Security (deterministic) Failure Ultimate Failure Ultimate
Safety (deterministic) Damage Ultimate Damage Ultimate
Notes:
(1)
Reference return period is usually 50 years
(2)
Also called limit load in IEC/CIGRE, characteristic or extreme load in EN and weather-
related design load for return period in ASCE
(3)
To reduce risk of uncontrollable propagation of failures
(4)
Dynamic longitudinal load factors and Residual Static Load (RSL) factors are provided.
(5)
Concept stated only. No specific requirements, or guidance for calculation of security
loadings is given.
(6)
To ensure safe construction and maintenance conditions
(7)
General guidance only provided for strength coordination
4. BASIC DESIGN EQUATION
Table 4.1 Basic design equation
Code Design limit load < Design strength

IEC, CIGRE Effect of QT (1) < S . N . Q . C . RC (2)
or effect of T . Q50
EN Effect of F . F50 < RK / M (3)
or effect of FT
ASCE Effect of . Q50 < . Rn (4)
or effect of QRP
NESC (5)
Extreme wind L50 < . Rn
(6)
District Loads OLF . L < . Rn (7)
The nomenclature varies between the various documents.
QT, FT, QRP and LRP are defined as climatic loads (weather-related loads for ASCE/NESC) having
a return period T (RP for ASCE/NESC).
, T, F are load factors applied to loads having a reference return period. They are given in
Clauses 6.1 to 6.7.
RC, RK and Rn are defined as the characteristic strength (IEC/CIGRE, EN) or the nominal
strength (ASCE, NESC) specified in appropriate standards, also called guaranteed strength or
minimum strength (or minimum failing load for IEC and percentage of an estimated breaking
load for ASCE). This value corresponds usually to an exclusion limit of 2% to 5% (i.e. the value
being reached with a 98% to 95% probability). When not specified or calculated, the exclusion
limit is conservatively taken as 10% (or with 90% probability). ASCE recommends that in the
future all transmission and distribution line strength design guides publish strength values at the
5% lower exclusion limit.
Notes:
(1)
QT can be obtained from the statistical analysis of climatic data. If only Q50 is available QT
can be estimated by multiplying Q50 by load factor T (or Tw2 if the adjustment factor for the
wind speed is Tw).
(2)
S, N, and Q are strength factors (IEC/CIGRE) depending on strength coordination (see
Clause 7.2), number of components, and quality level respectively. C takes account of
variation between the actual exclusion limit of characteristic strength, RC, and the
supposed 10% exclusion limit. Values of are usually less than 1.0.
(3)
M is the partial factor (EN) for material property covering unfavourable deviations from
characteristic strength, RK, inaccuracies in applied conversion factors and uncertainties in
the geometric properties and the resistance model.
(4)
is a strength factor (ASCE) that takes account of strength coordination (see Clause 7.2)
and variation between nominal strength, Rn, and the (5%) exclusion value, Re. Values of
are usually less than 1.0.
(5)
The current NESC 2002 has an extreme wind load case, probabilistic based on a 50 return
period. For this extreme wind load there is only one level for line reliability. The NESC also
consider District Loads. These loads are deterministic and summarized in Table 4.2 below.
(6)
OLF is the Overload Factor (NESC) to be applied to the District loads.
(7)
is a strength factor (NESC) that takes into account of the variability of material and
deterioration after installation.
Table 4.2 Characteristics of deterministic District Loads (NESC)
District Load L Wind pressure Ice thickness Temperature

Pa mm C
Light 430 0 -1
Medium 190 6.5 -10
Heavy 190 12.5 -20
5. COMBINATION OF LOADS
Table 5.1 - Loading Condition IEC CIGRE EN ASCE NESC
Reliability Based Design Conditions X X X X X

Limit wind load at reference temperature X X X X X
Reduced wind load at low temperature X X X X -
Uniform ice loads on all spans X X X X -
Unbalanced ice loads, longitudinal bending X X X X X
Unbalanced ice loads, torsional bending X X X (X) (X)
LP ice load and moderate wind load X X X X D
LP wind load and moderate ice load X X X - -
LP drag, moderate wind and ice load X X - - -
Deterministic Security Conditions
Torsional loads X - (X) (X) (X)
Longitudinal loads X - (X) (X) (X)
Deterministic Safety Conditions
Construction loads X - (X) (X) (X)
Maintenance loads X - (X) (X) (X)
Notes:
LP Low probability (having a high return period T)
X The load combination is specified in the document; bases for the calculation of loadings
are given.
(X) The load combination is specified in the document, but only general guidance is given.
D Deterministic condition
6. LOAD FACTORS FOR PERMANENT AND VARIABLE LOADS
6.1 Load factors for dead loads
Table 6.1 Load factors for dead loads
Code Reliability Based Design Cases Deterministic Load Cases

IEC, CIGRE 1.0 -
EN 1.0 -
Security: 1.0
ASCE 1.1
Safety: 1.5
NESC
Extreme wind 1.0 -
District Loads - Metal Grade B: 1.50;
Metal Grade C: 1.90
6.2 Load factors for wind loads
Table 6.2 - Load factors for wind loads
Reliability level 1 2 3
Return period T (years) 50 150 500
(Q50) (Q150=1.10 Q50) (Q500=1.20 Q50)
IEC, CIGRE (1)(2)
1.00 1.21 1.44
EN (3) 1.00 1.20 1.40
Reliability factor 1 2 4 8
Return period RP (years) 50 100 200 400
ASCE (4)(5) 1.00 1.15 1.30 1.45
NESC Grade B Grade C

Extreme wind 1.00 1.00
District loads 2.50 2.20
(Wire Tension) (1.65) (1.30)
Notes:
(1)
Default load factors (IEC, CIGRE) are based on coefficient of variation (COV) up to 0.16
for wind speed and are derived from the Gumbel distribution function.
(2)
IEC has an additional return period of 25 years for use with temporary structures.
(3)
Load factor (EN) is depending on the selected reliability level and takes account of the
possibility of unfavourable deviations from the characteristic load values, inaccurate
modelling and uncertainties in the assessment of the load effects. The COV is not
specified.
(4)
Load factors (ASCE) are based on coefficient of variation (COV) up to 0.18 for wind
speed and are derived from the Gumbel distribution function.
(5)
ASCE has an additional return period of 25 years for use with temporary structures. The
relative reliability factor is 0.5.
6.3 Load factors for ice loads
Table 6.3 - Load factors for ice loads

(Load factors may be applied either to ice thickness or to the weight of ice per unit length of
conductor)
Reliability level 1 2 3
Return period T (years) 50 150 500
IEC, CIGRE (Q50) (Q150) (1) (Q500) (1)
Ice thickness (2) 1.00 1.15 1.30
Ice weight (2) 1.00 1.20 1.45
EN: Ice weight (3) 1.00 1.25 1.50
Reliability level 1 2 4 8
Return period RP (years) 50 100 200 400
ASCE (4)(5): Ice thickness 1.00 1.25 1.50 1.85
NESC Grade B Grade C
Vertical loads
1.5 1.5
(metal structures)
Notes:
(1)
If values of Q150, and Q500 are available from statistical analysis, these may be adopted.
(2)
Default load factors are based on COV up to 0,30 for ice thickness and COV up to 0,65
for unit ice weight and are derived from the Gumbel distribution function
(3)
Load factor (EN) is depending on the selected reliability level and takes account of the
possibility of unfavourable deviations from the characteristic load value, inaccurate
modelling and uncertainties in the assessment of the load effects. The COV is not
specified.
(4)
The ice loads are according to the revised ASCE 7-02 (ASCE 2002) ice load map. The
COV is not specified.
(5)
ASCE has an additional return period of 25 years for use with temporary structures. The
relative reliability factor is 0.5.
6.4 Combination factors for moderate loads
Table 6.4 - Combination factors for moderate loads
Code Wind load (with low probability ice) Ice load (with low probability wind)
IEC, CIGRE Average of yearly maximum (Q1) Average of yearly maximum (Q1)
0.40 0.35
EN
for 3 year return value (Q3) for 3 year return value (Q3)
ASCE X (1) -
NESC - -
Note:
(1)
ASCE wind speeds concurrent with the 50-year ice thicknesses are back-calculated
using the 50-year wind-on-ice load on a 1-inch wire and the 50-year ice thickness. The
concurrent wind speed is not adjusted for other return periods of extreme ice load.
6.5 Other load factors
Table 6.5 Other load factors
Wind load at low temperature Safety load (1)

Code (Min yearly temperature with Security load (1) Construction and
return period T) maintenance loads
IEC 0.6 = 0.36 1.0 1.5 (if careful works)
CIGRE - -
EN not specified 1.0 1.5
ASCE - 1.0 1.5
NESC - - -
Note:
(1)
Security and Safety loadings are deterministic in nature and their magnitude is
independent of reliability level.
7. WIND LOADS
7.1 Terrain roughness
IEC, CIGRE, ASCE and NESC define the roughness factor KR, the roughness coefficient for
one, three or four different terrain categories. EN defines the terrain factor kT and the ground
roughness parameter zO. The following definitions and values in Table 7.1 are used.
Table 7.1 Terrain categories
Terrain Value
Roughness characteristic Code
Category KR
A Large stretch of water upwind, flat coastal (0.10-
IEC, CIGRE 1.08
areas 0.12)
I Rough open sea, lakes with at least 5 km
fetch upwind and smooth flat country EN kT = 0.17 z0 = 0.01
without obstacles
D Flat unobstructed areas directly exposed
to wind flowing over open water
ASCE 1.09 0.09
(excluding shorelines in hurricane prone
regions for a distance of at least 1.6 km)
B Open country with very few obstacles,
airports or cultivated fields with few trees IEC, CIGRE 1,00 (0.16)
and buildings
II Farmland with boundary hedges,
occasional small farm structures, houses EN kT = 0.19 z0 = 0.05
or trees
C Open terrain with scattered obstructions ASCE (NESC) 1.00 0.11
C Terrain with numerous small obstacles of
IEC, CIGRE 0.85 (0.22)
low height (hedges, trees and buildings)
III Suburban or industrial areas and
EN kT = 0.22 z0 = 0.30
permanent forests
B Urban and suburban areas, well-wooded
areas, or terrain with numerous closely
ASCE 0.85 0.14
spaced obstructions having the size of
single-family dwellings or larger
D Suburban areas or terrain with many tall
IEC, CIGRE 0.67 (0.28)
trees
IV Urban areas in which at least 15% of the
surface is covered with buildings with EN kT = 0.24 z0 = 1.0
mean height > 15 m
V Mountainous and more complex terrain shall be evaluated
where the wind may be locally EN separately possibly by
strengthened or weakened meteorologists
7.2 Reference wind speed VR
The reference wind speed (basic wind speed for ASCE/NESC) is defined as the wind speed
measured at a height of 10 m above ground level, corresponding to an averaging period of 10
min (mean wind speed for IEC, CIGRE and EN) or 3 seconds (gust wind speed for EN, ASCE
and NESC) and having a return period T (RP for ASCE).
Table 7.2 Reference wind speed VR

(10 m height; return period T)
Gust wind speed Mean wind speed
Code
(Average period of 3 s) (Average period of 10 min)
IEC, CIGRE - VR
EN VR = Vg VR = Vmean
ASCE VRP -
NESC
Extreme wind VRP -
Reference wind speed VR (basic wind speed VRP for ASCE) measured in weather stations typical
of open flat terrain, such as airports (terrain category B for IEC and CIGRE; II for EN; C for
ASCE and NESC), is identified as VRB (VR(II) for EN and VRP for ASCE and NESC). Where
available wind data differ from these assumptions, conversion methods are provided in the
Codes. These methods are discussed in the next Clauses.
7.3 Variation of wind speed with terrain category and height
For the purpose of this document the original equations for the variation of the wind speed with
terrain category and height above ground, z, have been split into two independent parts KR and
Kh (Table 7.3) where:
KR = VR / VRB
Kh = Vh / VR
KR represents a multiplier for the conversion of the reference wind speed for terrain category B,
VRB to VR for other terrain categories than B.
Kh represents a multiplier for the conversion of the wind speed for z = 10 m height above ground,
VR to Vh for other heights than 10 m.
Finally Vh may be obtained from:
Vh = Kh .VR = KR .Kh .VRB
Table 7.3 Variation of wind speed with terrain category and height
Code Original equation for KR Kh

Vh / VRB = KR .Kh
IEC, CIGRE KR (z/10) KR (z/10)
EN kT ln (z/z0) kT ln (10/z0) ln (z/z0) / ln (10/z0)

EN (alternative) KR (z/10) KR (z/10)
ASCE (KZ)1/2 = KR (z/10.06) KR (z/10.06)
All Codes apply the so-called power law for the variation of the wind speed with height, except
EN that uses an alternative wind model (logarithmic law where kT and z0 are given in Table 7.1).
For the purpose of this document the original equation of ASCE:
KZ = 2.01 (z(ft) /zg(ft) ) 2
(where zg is 700 ft, 900 ft and 1200 ft and is 1/11.5, 1/9.5, 1/7.0 for respectively ASCE terrain
category D, C and B) has been converted in metric units:
(KZ)1/2 = KR (z/10.06)
where KR and are found in Table 7.1.

KR and Kh are not formally used in the original equations of EN (kT and z0 are used) and ASCE
(KZ is used). Moreover Kh is integrated in the combined wind factor of IEC (See Clause 7.5).
7.4 Relative wind speed
The relative wind speed Vh / VRB = KR.Kh is given in Table 7.4 for IEC terrain categories A, B, C
and D and for heights above ground, z, of respectively 10 m, 30 m and 50 m. The relative wind
speed Vh / VRB equals KR for z = 10 m.
Table 7.4 Relative wind speed
Height in Vh / VRB = Terrain category to IEC

Code
m KR.Kh A B C D
IEC, CIGRE 1.08 1.00 0.85 0.67

10 KR EN 1.17 1.00 0.77 0.55
ASCE 1.09 1.00 0.85 -
IEC, CIGRE 1.20-1.23 1.19 1.08 0.91

30 KR.K30 m EN 1.36 1.22 1.01 0.82
ASCE 1.20 1.12 0.99 -
IEC, CIGRE 1.27-1.31 1.54 1.21 1.05

50 KR.K50 m EN 1.45 1.31 1.13 0.94
ASCE 1.25 1.19 1.07 -
7.5 Unit action of wind speed on any component of the line
The following expressions are used for the unit action, a, of the wind speed on any line
component:
IEC/CIGRE a = ..KR2.VRB2.CX.G
air mass density (1)

KR roughness factor at the line location (see Clause 7.1)
VRB reference wind speed at flat and open terrain category B
CX drag coefficient for the component X being considered
G combined wind factor depending on height above ground, wind gust, dynamic
response and terrain category
EN a = ..KR2.Kh2.(VR(II) )2.CX.GX.Gq

KR terrain factor at the line location (see Clause 7.3)
Kh takes into account height effect for VR(II) (see Clause 7.3)
VR(II) reference wind speed at flat and open terrain category II
CX drag factor for the component X being considered
GX structural resonance factor for the component X being considered
Gq gust response factor depending on height above ground and terrain category (equals
1 if the gust wind speed is considered)
ASCE a = ..KZ .VRP2.Cf.G.Kzt
air mass density(1)

KZ velocity pressure exposure coefficient which takes into account terrain category and
height above ground (see Clause 7.3)
VRP basic wind speed at flat and open terrain category C
Cf force (i. e. drag) coefficient for the component being considered
G gust response factor including span effect, depending on height above ground and
terrain category (This gust factor is derived from the Davenport model and ASCE
neglects the resonant component of this model)
Kzt optional factor to account for terrain effects from mountains and hills
NESC a = ..KZ .V502.I.Cd.G (only for the extreme wind condition)

KZ velocity pressure exposure coefficient which takes into account height above ground
for terrain category C
V50 basic wind speed at flat and open terrain category C
I importance factor, 1.0 for utility structures and their support facilities
Cd force (i. e. drag) coefficient for the component being considered
G gust response factor including span effect, depending on height above ground and
terrain category (This gust factor is derived from the Davenport model and ASCE
neglects the resonant component of this model)
Note:
(1)
The air mass per unit volume is equal to 1.225 kg/m3 (1.226 kg/m3 for ASCE) at a
temperature of 15 C and an atmospheric pressure of 101,3 kPa at sea level. All Codes
provide an air density correction factor when the temperature and the altitude are
significantly different from the assumptions.
7.6 Comparison of combined wind factors for conductors
The combined wind factor, G, for conductors which takes account of gust effects (dependant on
span length), conductor height above ground and terrain category is compared in this clause
with the following parameters.
- Gc.GL of the IEC, CIGRE document, where Gc is the combined wind factor for conductors
with a span length of 200 m and GL is the span factor (GL = 1.0 for a span length of
200m)
- Kh2.Gq.GXc of the EN code, where Gq is the gust response factor and GXc the resonance factor
for the conductor, also termed span factor
- Kh2.Gw.Kv2 of the ASCE/NESC code, where Gw is the gust response factor for conductors
(wires) including span effect for wires. To make this value comparable it is
multiplied by Kv2 = (V3 s/V10 min)2 = 1.432 = 2.04, to take in account the reference to
the 10 minute average wind speed
Table 7.6a - Comparison of combined wind factors for conductors at terrain category B
Span length in m
Height in m Code
200 400 600
IEC, CIGRE 1.84 1.73 1.624

10 EN 1.94 1.77 1.72
ASCE/NESC 1.51 1.39 1.31
IEC, CIGRE 2.25 2.12 1.99

30 EN 2.32 2.17 2.08
ASCE/NESC 1.81 1.68 1.61
IEC, CIGRE 2.44 2.30 2.16

50 EN 2.60 2.43 2.33
ASCE/NESC 1.96 1.84 1.76
Table 7.6b - Height considered for conductors
Code Theoretical height Location For support calculation

IEC Centre of gravity Lower third of sag Attachment point of (middle) conductor
CIGRE - Lower third of sag -

EN Centre of wind pressure - -
ASCE Centre of wind pressure Higher third of sag -
(for no wind)
NESC - Height of wire at -
structure
7.7 Comparison of combined wind factors for towers
The combined wind factor, G, for lattice towers (depending on gust, height and terrain category)
as used by IEC, CIGRE (TB109), is compared in this clause with the following parameters:
- Gt of the IEC/CIGRE document, where Gt is the combined wind factor for towers
- Kh2.Gq.GXt of the EN code, where GXt is the drag factor for the tower (GXt taken as 1.0)
- Kh2.Gt.Kv2 of the ASCE code, where Gt is the gust response factor for the tower. To make this
value comparable it is multiplied by Kv2 = (V3 s/V10 min)2 = 1.43 2 = 2.04, to take in
account the reference to the 10 minute averaging wind speed
Table 7.7 - Comparison of combined wind factors for towers
IEC Terrain category

Height in m to Code
CG of panel (1)
A B C D
IEC 1.70 1.95 2.50 3.30

CIGRE 1.70 1.95 2.55 3.30
10 EN 1.69 1.94 2.38 3.96
ASCE 1.70 1.90 2.26 -
NESC - 1.90 - -
IEC 1.95 2.32 2.95 3.95

CIGRE 2.00 2.30 3.00 3.90
30 EN 2.06 2.51 3.01 4.48
ASCE 1.92 2.16 2.60 -
NESC - 2.16 - -
IEC 2.15 2.55 3.35 4.40

CIGRE 2.15 2.50 3.25 4.40
50 EN 2.29 2.86 3.69 7.50
ASCE 2.02 2.28 2.76 -
NESC - 2.28 - -
Note:
(1)
The height above ground level is measured at the centre of gravity (CG) of the panel.
8. DRAG COEFFICIENTS
For conductors in IEC, CIGRE, EN, ASCE and NESC the recommended drag coefficient or
factor CX = 1,0 (1.0 to 1.4 for wires covered with glaze ice).
For lattice towers in IEC, CIGRE and EN the same magnitude for the drag coefficient is
recommended, depending on the solidity ratio.
In ASCE slightly different values are given see Figure 1.
In NESC, the drag coefficient is 1.6 for lattice with a tower face shielding factor of 2.0.
IEC, CIGRE, & EN
ASCE
Figure 1. - Drag coefficient for lattice towers

9. SPAN FACTOR
In Figure 2 the span factor is given in the different codes is shown.
A
IEC/CIGRE
C ASCE EN
Figure 2. - Span factor for conductors

10. ICE LOADS
In IEC, CIGRE and EN the basic ice load, g (N/m), is referred to a conductor of diameter 30 mm
10 m above the ground. In ASCE/NESC reference is not given.
Table 10.1 - Comparison of reference ice loads
Code Ice variable Adjustment factors

Diameter (Kd) Height (Kh)
IEC weight X X(1)
CIGRE weight X X(1)
thickness X X(1)
EN weight X(2) -
ASCE thickness (3) - X(1)
NESC thickness - -
Notes:
(1)
only for precipitation icing
(2)
no values specified
(3)
factor Kzt in the unit action equation for ASCE (see Clause 7.5) has to be replaced by
Kzt0.35 for ice loading
Table 10.2 - Comparison of unbalanced ice load condition
Code Longitudinal bending Transversal bending Torsional bending

IEC 1 = 0,28, 2 = 0,7 1 = 0,28, 2 = 0,7 1 = 0,28, 2 = 0,7
CIGRE (TB 109) 1 = 0,28, 2 = 0,7 1 = 0,28, 2 = 0,7 1 = 0,28, 2 = 0,7
EN 1 = 0,30, 2 = 0,7 1 = 0,50, 2 = 1,0 1 = 0,30, 2 = 0,7
ASCE Mentioned but no Mentioned but no Mentioned but no
values given values given values given
NESC Mentioned but no - -
values given
11. COMBINED WIND AND ICE LOADS
See Clauses 5 and 6.4. The equivalent of ice-covered conductors is defined the same as in IEC,
CIGRE, EN and ASCE.
Table 11.1 - Comparison of drag coefficient and densities (kg/m3)
Code Precipitation In-cloud ice In-cloud ice Precipitation

Wet snow Soft rime Hard rime Glace ice
IEC Drag 1.0 1.2 1.1 1.0
Density 600 600 900 900
CIGRE Drag 1.0 / 1.4 1.2 / 1.7 1.1 / 1.5 1.0 / 1.4
Density 600 / 400 600 / 400 900 / 700 900 / 900
EN Drag 1.0 1.2 1.1 1.0
Density 500 300 700 900
ASCE Drag 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0
Density 600 / 800 150 900 900
NESC Drag - - - 1.0
Density - - - 900
12. FAILURE AND CONTAINMENT LOADS (SECURITY LOADS)
IEC, CIGRE, EN, ASCE and NESC define the torsional and longitudinal loads.
The guidelines given in these codes are in principle the same.
IEC and CIGRE provide guidelines for additional security for specific situations.
13. CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE LOADS (SAFETY LOADS)
IEC, CIGRE, EN, ASCE and NESC provide guidelines for construction and maintenance loads.
14. STRENGTH COORDINATION
It is generally ensured that foundations are more reliable than their supports. The strength levels
of the supports and the foundations can be adjusted relative to each other.
ASCE 74 considers that the question of relative reliability can be solved by the selection of
strengths at appropriate exclusion limits or, equivalently, by the application strength factors. It is
considered sufficient that matching the 10% exclusion limit of the strength of supports to the 1%
exclusion limit of the strength of foundations, will ensure sufficient separation that the supports
will fail before their foundations.
In order to achieve strength coordination, IEC 60826 recommends to apply a strength reduction
factor S2 to the strength of the component (foundation) chosen to be more reliable while a
factor S1 = 1.0 is applied to the first component to fail (support). IEC 60826 provides a
statistical method to derive the strength factor S2 for various combinations of the coefficient of
variation (COV) of the strength of foundations (usually 0.10 to 0.30) and suspension supports
(usually 0.05 to 0.10) so that the foundation will fail after the support with a target probability of
90%.
15. OTHER LOADS
EN provides additional guidelines for loads caused by:
- Short-circuit
- Avalanches
- Earthquakes
ASCE provides additional guidelines for loads caused by:
- Conductor galloping
- Flooding
- Structural vibration
- Earthquakes
- High Intensity Winds
NESC provides additional guidelines for loads caused by:
- Earthquakes
High Intensity Winds (HIW) do not follow the pattern and characteristics of extreme wind from
which the gust response factors are developed. ASCE considers that the probability of a
transmission line being crossed by a tornado is significant. 86% of the tornadoes observed in a
63-year period and categorized by F scale are assigned to the scale of F2 (gust wind speed
range from 180 km/h to 253 km/h; path width: 52 m to 162 m; path length: 5 km to 16 km) or
smaller. The path width may be sufficient to create very large loads acting on the structure but
the conductor loads on the full span will be much smaller. Tornado loading applied to the wire
system is neglected for the small tornado widths of F2. For this case, it is appropriate to consider
the load factor, , the gust response factor, Gt and the velocity pressure exposure coefficient, KZ,
equal to 1.0.
For severe types of tornadoes, the line designers focus changes from resisting the HIW to one of
failure containment.
16. GENERAL OVERVIEW
All the documents considered share many common features. All adopt a reliability based (i.e.
probabilistic or semi-probabilistic) design method for calculation of climatic loads, essentially
similar to IEC 60826. However, the European Standard EN 50341-1 still provides a deterministic
Empirical Approach as an alternative for some countries.
IEC 60826 and ASCE 74 adopt alternative limit states of damage, for use with reliability based
and safety loadings, and failure for use with security loading cases. The other documents use
ultimate limit state for all these loading cases.
Climatic loadings tend to be the most important in the design of overhead lines, but all
documents also give guidance on security loading cases and construction and maintenance load
cases to be used for design. Neither security nor construction and maintenance loadings lend
themselves completely to a reliability-based approach. In most documents security loading
cases are based on arbitrary assumptions about hypothetical broken conductors causing
unbalanced longitudinal occurring. These conditions are combined with climatic loadings based
on low return periods.
There are minor differences in the formulation of the basic design equations, but climatic
loadings are always based on weather events of a specified return period, usually 50 years (See
Table 4.1).
The range of loading cases considered differs between the various Codes, with IEC offering the
most extensive range (See Table 5.1).
For load factors on wind loadings, IEC applies factors to wind speed. The other documents
apply factors to wind load or pressure factors (Table 6.2). For ice loading, IEC and ASCE offer
alternative approaches of applying factors to ice thickness. IEC and EN apply factors to ice
weight (Table 6.3).
For combinations of weather events occurring simultaneously, for example wind and ice loading,
all documents assume that improbable events will not occur simultaneously, i. e. the maximum
ice loading based on a 50 year return or higher return period event would occur simultaneously
with a wind loading of much lower return period and vice-versa (See Tables 6.4 and 6.5).
The terrain categories and defining parameters used in the different codes are listed in Table 7.1
and the nearest equivalents between the different codes are grouped together. It should be
noted that the subsequent wind loading calculations are based on Terrain Type B to IEC, taken
as equivalent to Category II in EN or Category C in ASCE/NESC.
IEC and EN take a reference wind speed based on a 10 minute mean wind speed, whereas
ASCE/NESC adopt a 3 second gust wind speed (Table 7.2).
For the purpose of the comparison between the different Codes, the original equations for the
variation of wind speed with terrain category and height above ground have been converted and
split into two parts (Table 7.3). So it becomes obvious that there are some small differences in
the roughness factor KR and the roughness coefficient according to the terrain category (Table
7.4). All Codes follow a power law for the wind model, except EN that applies a logarithmic law.
Formulas for effective wind pressure, including the effects of terrain category, drag coefficient
and gust factors are given in Clause 7.5.
Combined wind loading factors including the effects of gust, height, and terrain are compared in
Table 7.6 for conductors and in Table 7.7 for lattice towers. IEC is the only standard where the
impact of height above ground on wind speed is combined with the gust response factor in a
combined wind factor.
A comparison of the values of drag coefficient for conductors and lattice towers are given in
Clause 8. IEC/CIGRE, EN, ASCE and NESC all specify a value of 1.0 for conductors. ASCE
adopts a value of 1.0 to 1.4 for snow-covered conductors. For tower steelwork IEC/CIGRE and
EN use the same formula.
A comparison of the span factors adopted in the different codes is given in Clause 9. There are
fairly small differences between IEC/CIGRE and EN, but ASCE/NESC varies significantly from
the other documents.
Table 10.1 compares the use of adjustment factors on ice weight and thickness depending on
conductor height and diameter, and Table 10.2 considers the treatment of unbalanced ice
loading in the various documents.
Table 11.1 highlights the differences in drag coefficient on iced conductor and the density of ice
adopted for different types of icing.
Clause 12 gives brief notes on the failure containment loads given in the different documents.
Clause 13 notes that all documents contain guidance on construction and maintenance
loadings.
Clause 14 mentions that IEC provides statistical methods to achieve strength co-ordination
between the least reliable components. ASCE provides appropriate strength levels for relative
reliability. There is only general guidance being given in EN and no explicit mention of this
subject in NESC.
Clause 15 looks at other loading conditions not mentioned above. It notes the ASCE provides
guidance on galloping, vibration, flooding and high intensity winds, especially tornadoes, which
are not explicitly mentioned in the other documents. Seismic effects are mentioned by EN,
ASCE and NESC. EN also provides guidance on loadings generated by short-circuits and
avalanches.
Appendix A gives a comparison between conductor wind pressures, including gust, height and
span related effects for a range of conductors for wind spans varying from 200-600 m and mean
conductor heights of 10 m, 30 m, and 50 m. Terrain category B to IEC or the closest equivalents
to the other codes is assumed. This information is given in tabular form in Tables A.1-A.3, and
in graphical form in Figures A.1-A.3. It is shown that IEC/CIGRE and EN agree fairly closely, but
ASCE gives significantly lower values than either of the other documents. The main reason for
this is believed to be the use of the simplified Davenport gust response model. It may be noted
that the use of the full Davenport model is allowed as an option in ASCE, and this gives results
much closer to IEC.
Table A.4 provides a comparison of conductor wind loadings calculated in accordance with the
EN-NNA documents for various European countries, with IEC/CIGRE, ASCE, and the EN Main
Body. The countries concerned are Norway, Sweden, Finland, Czech Republic, and the UK.
This information is also provided in graphical form in Fig A.4. It appears that the Norwegian,
Swedish, Finnish, and UK NNAs give values similar to ASCE, whilst the Czech NNA follows EN.
17. CONCLUSION OF SECTION III
The main issue of this Section III was to compare the recently published International Standard
IEC 60826 Ed.3 on Design Criteria of Overhead Transmission Lines, issued October 2003 with
the existing Codes EN 50341-1, ASCE 74 and NESC 2002, and to assess the consistency.
These Codes followed the Reliability Based Design method developed in the IEC Technical
Report 826 issued in 1991, a previous version of IEC 60826. CIGRE WG B2.06 already
contributed to the review of this Technical Report in the Technical Brochure 109 and with the
Companion Document Technical Brochure 178. The detection of the most significant differences
between IEC 60826 and the other Codes is a new step in the improvement of RBD Codes.
This Section III concludes with the comparison of results of the numerical calculations of
conductor wind loadings between the different codes, including the National Normative Annexes
of EN 50341-3.
APPENDIX A - COMPARISON OF WIND PRESSURES FOR DIFFERENT

CODES
Calculations carried out by Chris Thorn and Pekka Riisi
Tables A.1 to A.4
Effective wind pressures, taking account of gust, span and height effects have been calculated
in Tables A.1 to A.3 for wind span lengths between 200 m to 600 m:
Table A.1 for mean conductor height 10 m;

Figure A.1 for mean conductor height 10 m;
Figure A.2 for mean conductor height 30 m;
Figure A.3 for mean conductor height 50 m.
Table A.4 provides a comparison between conductor wind loadings, calculated in accordance
with the EN-NNA documents for various European countries, with IEC/CIGRE, ASCE, and the
EN Main Body:
Table A.4 for mean conductor height 30 m and span length 400 m;
Figure A.4 for mean conductor height 30 m and span length 400 m.
General Assumptions
Wind Speed: 24 m/s (10 minute mean wind speed)

Conductor diameter: 30 mm
Air temperature: 15 C
Notes: Terrain Categories are not entirely compatible between the different codes, but the
closest equivalent has been chosen.
Table A.1 - Effective wind pressures on conductors for terrain category B to IEC assuming a reference wind speed of 24 m/s 10
minute average period and mean height of conductor = 10 m
Adjusted Combined Factors for given span Effective Wind Pressures (N/m2) for
Terrain Average wind Drag Air length given span length
Code
Category Time speed factor density
(m/s) (kg/m3) 200m 300m 400m 500m 600m 200m 300m 400m 500m 600m
IEC B 10 min 24.0 1.0 1.225 1.85 1.798 1.743 1.691 1.648 653 634 615 597 582
CIGRE B 10 min 24.0 1.0 1.225 1.85 1.798 1.743 1.691 1.648 653 634 615 597 582
EN II 10 min 24.0 1.0 1.225 1.771 1.703 1.654 1.617 1.586 625 601 584 570 560
ASCE C 3 sec 34.3 1.0 1.226 0.738 0.703 0.679 0.662 0.639 532 507 490 478 461
NESC C 3 sec 34.3 1.0 1.226 0.738 0.703 0.679 0.662 0.639 532 507 490 478 461
Notes:
1) The terrain categories quoted are considered to be the nearest equivalents from the various codes.
2) The ASCE and NESC adjusted wind speed values have been obtained by multiplying the 24 m/s 10 min mean wind speed by 1.43 to convert
to 3 sec gust wind speed, as recommended in ASCE 74 Appendix E.
3) The combined factors and effective wind pressures include the effects of gust, conductor height and span length.
Table A.2 - Effective wind pressures on conductors for terrain category B to IEC assuming a reference wind speed of 24 m/s 10
Adjusted Combined factors for given span Effective wind pressures (N/m2) for
Code
200m 300m 400m 500m 600m 200m 300m 400m 500m 600m
(m/s) (kg/m3)
IEC B 10 min 24.0 1.0 1.225 2.23 2.168 2.101 2.038 1.987 787 765 741 719 701
CIGRE B 10 min 24.0 1.0 1.225 2.23 2.168 2.101 2.038 1.987 787 765 741 719 701
EN II 10 min 24.0 1.0 1.225 2.321 2.232 2.169 2.120 2.080 819 788 765 748 734
ASCE C 3 sec 34.3 1.0 1.226 0.884 0.847 0.821 0.803 0.789 638 610 592 579 569
ANSI C 3 sec 34.3 1.0 1.226 0.884 0.847 0.821 0.803 0.789 638 610 592 579 569
Notes:
3) The combined factors and effective wind pressures include the effects of gust, conductor height and span length
Table A.3 Effective wind pressures on conductors for terrain category B to IEC assuming a reference wind speed of 24m/s 10
Adjusted Combined Factors for given span Effective wind pressures (N/m2) for
Code
200m 300m 400m 500m 600m 200m 300m 400m 500m 600m
(m/s) (kg/m3)
IEC B 10 min 24.0 1.0 1.225 2.43 2.362 2.289 2.221 2.165 857 833 808 784 764
CIGRE B 10 min 24.0 1.0 1.225 2.43 2.362 2.289 2.221 2.165 857 833 808 784 764
EN II 10 min 24.0 1.0 1.225 2.60 2.50 2.43 2.38 2.33 918 883 858 839 823
ASCE C 3 sec 34.3 1.0 1.226 0.96 0.92 0.90 0.88 0.86 695 667 648 634 624
ANSI C 3 sec 34.3 1.0 1.226 1.01 0.97 0.94 0.90 0.90 727 697 676 646 646
Notes:
3) The combined factors and effective wind pressures include the effects of gust, conductor height and span length
Category B to IEC
IEC/Cigre
ASCE/NESC
1000 CLC
800
Eff.Wind
Pressure 600
a
(N/sq.m)
400
200
0
CLC
200
300 ASCE/NESC
400
IEC/Cigre
500
Span (m)
600
Fig A.1 - Comparison of Effective Wind Pressure on conductors for EN (CLC), ASCE/NESC,
and IEC/CIGRE for various span lengths and a height of 10 m above ground for Terrain
Category B to IEC or equivalent.

Category B to IEC
IEC/Cigre
ASCE/NESC
1000 CLC
800
Eff.Wind
Pressure 600
(N/sq.m) a
400
200
0
CLC
200
300 ASCE/NESC
400
IEC/Cigre
500
Span (m)
600
Category B to IEC
IEC/Cigre
ASCE/NESC
1000 CLC
800
Eff.Wind
Pressure 600
(N/sq.m) a
400
200
0
CLC
200
300 ASCE/NESC
400
IEC/Cigre
500
Span (m)
600
Table A.4 (begin)
Effective wind pressures on conductors under extreme wind loadings having been
calculated in accordance with IEC, EN, ASCE/NESC and the EN-NNAs of Finland,
Sweden, Norway and the UK
Comparison of Conductor Wind Loads derived from different Standards
Pekka J Riisio & Chris Thorn

BASIC DATA Symbol Unit Value
Reliability level 1
Return period of loads T years 50
Conductor diameter d mm 30
Conductor height (average) h m 30
Span length L m 400
Terrain category II
Altitude (from sea level) H0 m 0
Air temperature Ta C 15
Reference wind speed (terrain II) VR(II) m/s 24.0
Table A.4 (End)

Effective wind pressures on conductors under extreme wind loadings having been calculated in accordance with IEC,
EN, ASCE/NESC and the EN-NNAs of Finland, Sweden, Norway and the UK
ASCE
IEC NESC EN EN - NNA
LOAD PARAMETERS (EN) Symbol (EN) Unit 60826 74 MB FI SE NO UK
Terrain category B C II II II II II
Terrain factor kT - KR=1.00 0.19 0.19 0.19
Ground roughness parameter z0 - 0.05 0.05 0.05
Reference wind speed at site VR m/s 24.0 34.3 24.2 24.2 24.0 21.4
Span factor GXc - GL=0.94 0.81 0.65 0.50 0.70 0.51
Height correction factor Kh - KZ=1.26 1.21 1.21 1.21 1.20
Gust factor for wind speed kg - 1.36 1.36 1.36 1.06
Gust factor for wind pressure Gq = kg2 - Gw=0.65 1.84 1.84 1.84
Combined wind factor for L=200 m GC - 2.23
Combined wind factor (See 7.4) G - 2.10 1.03 2.17 1.74 1.88 2.21
Mean wind speed at conductor height Vh = Kh . VR m/s 29.2 29.2 29.0
Gust wind speed at conductor height kg .V h m/s 39.6 39.6 39.3
Altitude factor for density - 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00
Temperature factor for air density - 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00
Air density or kg/m3 1.225 1.226 1.23 1.23 1.23 1.22
Gust pressure at conductor height (.Vh2 /2).Gq N/m2 788 959 959 920 946
Drag factor CXc - 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00
Load factor for wind load (or Speed) w - 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.30 1.00 1.00
Design wind pressure Qd N/m2 788 959 959 1196 946
Wind load of conductor per unit length Qc = Qd.GXc.d N/m 22.3 23.3 18.6 17.9 19.9
Effective wind load on wind span Fc = Qc.L N 8911 9305 7444 7176 7948
Effective wind pressure on conductor Qd.GXc N/m2 743 593 775 620 598 662 615
Effective Wind Pressures on Conductors for
CLC NNAs Terrain Cat B or equivalent,
Height=30m, Span=400m
Eff. Wind Pressure (N/sq.m)
1000
800
600
400
200
C E LC /FI SE O K
C
Z
IE C / N
A/
U
A/
AS C N
A
N
A A/ N N
N N N N N
N
Fig A.4 - Effective wind pressures on conductors for CLC NNAs Terrain Category B or
equivalent, height = 30 m, span = 400 m.

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Reliability Based Design Methods

Elias Ghannoum, Jan Rogier, Lars Rolfseng, Chris Thorn

Jan ROGIER, Convenor (Belgium); Pavel FRONEK, Secretary (Czech Republic)

Contributors: Tony PLOEG (The Netherlands); se ROGNES (Norway)

Reliability Based Design Methods for Overhead Lines

Content of the Technical Brochure

Abstract of the Technical Brochure

Rsum de la Brochure Thmatique

Reliability Based Design Methods for Overhead Lines

Content of the Technical Brochure

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................9

APPLICATION EXAMPLE OF IEC 60826 .............................................................................18

SECTION I - ADVANTAGES .................................................................22

5. HOW TO APPLY IEC 60826 .................................................................................................32

5.1. DESIGN STEPS OF IEC 60826 ................................................................................................32

SECTION II - APPLICATIONS ...........................................................41

C.1 WIND LOAD ..........................................................................................................................49

SECTION III - COMPARISONS .........................................................65

10. ICE LOADS ...........................................................................................................................90

CIGRE Technical Brochure

Reliability Based Design Methods for

From Elias Ghannoum, Jan Rogier, Lars Rolfseng, Chris Thorn

Working Group B2.06

Reliability Based Design Methods for Overhead Lines

AIM OF THE TECHNICAL BROCHURE

Section I demonstrates why probabilistic methods constitute a major improvement compared to

BUT DE LA BROCHURE THEMATIQUE

Reliability Based Design Methods for Overhead Lines

Possible interpretations of IEC 60826 are clarified by application examples. Some

THE NEED FOR RELIABILITY BASED DESIGN IN OVERHEAD LINE

Possible inconsistencies and unbalance in strengths of components

Unknown reliability level

Difficulty to adjust the overall line reliability

Difficulty to design heterogeneous structures

Difficulty to adjust design to local weather conditions

CASE STUDIES OF INCONSISTENCIES IN DETERMINISTIC DESIGN

wind speed/reference speed

Figure 1 - Variation of wind speed with the return period

Improper application of tower safety factors for foundation design

Inability to integrate quality in the design process

Mismatch between line components

HOW RBD METHODS ADDRESS THE DEFICIENCIES OF

Limit loads are specified

Loads and strengths are recognized as random variables

Design loads are selected based on the required return period

The characteristic strength is also dependent on strength dispersion

Basic design equation

HOW TO APPLY IEC 60826

Design steps of IEC 60826

a- Preliminary design : route selection, conductors, insulation design, supports, foundations,

f- Select load and strength

Check compliance with safety

h- Detailed design of line

Figure 2 - Transmission line design methodology according to IEC 60826

Difference between theoretical and actual reliability

A- Flat coastal areas and deserts;

Combined ice loads with wind

Proactive solutions, such as:

Reactive solutions, such as: