High Voltage Line Problems

[tolind]

Where is a reference when dealing with High Voltage Lines interferring with buildings in the area? Property where a building is going to be built butts up to high voltage lines. It's an office so computer use is more than likely.

 

[veritas]

tolind - I am not sure I understand your question correctly. Do you mean the EM fields of the HV line interfering with what's in the building or what?

 

[wareagle]

In cases like this the utility probably has a right-of-way permint signed by the owner or previous owners giving permission to construct the line on the property. Suggest you contact the utility and see if they will relocate to a point that does not conflict with you construction project. Be prepared to assist with the cost of the reloction.

 

[light1]

There is now a trend to route the high voltage transmissions underground in more populated areas. Japan seems to be progressing in underground transmissions.
Where are you located?

 

[alehman]

In ANSI regions, the National Electrical Safety Codes (ANSI C3) dictates clearance requirements for safety.

 

[cuky2000]

EMF could create computer malfunction creating data errors, loss in magnetic media, monitors jiggle or lose color, etc. Even thought utilities in the US most comply with safety clearances established in the NESC (ANSI/IEEE Std C2) and OSHA, those safety requirements may not be sufficient to eliminate the interference to sensitive electronic equipment.

Unfortunately, the electrical noise induced by power lines is not easily enforceable as could see in the FCC Interference Handbook below page 14. Litigation in court also is time consuming and may cost significant amount in legal and other related fees.
A mitigating strategy to reduce the EMF induction is shielding the building or some room(s) with materials in the form of enclosures or barriers. Beware that cost could be significant in some applications.

The information contained in the enclose article could be relevant for you case.

http://www.fms-corp.com/facilityamerica.htm

http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Mass_Media/Databases/documents_collection/1993InterferenceHandbook.pdf

 

[GOTWW]

We just got the news today that workers are getting shocked opening the gates connected to a new steel chain-link fences that parallel an 233, & 112kV line corridor (many miles). The metal fences with metal posts, concreted into place 2' nominally deep. This happened before with some farmers and the barbed wire. Apparently there is also black arc scorching around the double-gate- center post securing pin. Going to investigate tommorow, more info then!

 

[jghrist]

GOTWW,

You need to bond the gate to the fence with flexible braid and bond the fences on each side of the gate to each other. Bonding the fence to a ground rod every 40 feet would also be advisable.

 

[wareagle]

The fence posts should be bonded together along with the ground rods.

 

[Skogsgurra]

Easy now,

Tolind never said anything about electic or magnetic interference. I do not think that we shall encourage unjustified fears of high voltage lines. They seldom, I would say never, can disturb electronic equipment in a building. A very sensitive measuring device that is used in an unscreened (=unsuitable) room can *perhaps* be disturbed, but not computers and communication equipment. A colour screen can sometimes be influenced by the magnetic field, but that problem disappears more and more with the use of LCD and plasma screen.

All tolind said was "interfere with" and that could just as well mean "gets in the way".

The fence thing is just sloppy installation. Should have been bonded and connected to the ground mesh as jghrist and others point out.

 

[busbar]

It’s a bit difficult to tell what ‘high voltage’ means in this case, but there is an online booklet of informal line-safety information at

http://www.transmission.bpa.gov/NewsEv/pdfs/LivingAndWorking.pdf

 

[GOTWW]

Guess the arcing was due to the wind making and breaking the critical conduction path at the U-shaped clevises that holds the gate to the center pin. Your generous advise will be taken, except that ground rods every 40-foot over maybe 15-20 miles will not, Have not done a means estimate in that but it would surely fly like a led ballon. As for shody workmanship, this is about as good as it gets from a civil eng. tech. and a fencing crew of questionable analytical engineering expertise and training.