High Voltage Transmission lines side distances (Rights of Way)

[Dror Hashai]

Hello, I have several questions regarding the distances from which is not allowed to inhabit long-term (Rights of way) around High Voltage (HV & EHV) transmissions lines:

1) Is the term Rights of Way suitable for Underground transmissions as well (I.E. Cables), or there is a different technical term used?
2) What is consider typical distances worldwide, for both Overhead lines and underground cables, for different levels of Voltage? (for example, Voltages of 150-525 kV)
3) Are there relevant standards or professional literature on the subject?

 

[cuky2000]

1) Is the term Rights of Way suitable for Underground transmissions as well (I.E. Cables), or there is a different technical term used? Almost similar to the Right of Way (ROW) is the easement. Any utility will require a legal ROW in case access and maintenance are required for the length of the installation.

2) What is considered typical distances worldwide, for both Overhead lines and underground cables, for different levels of Voltage? (for example, Voltages of 150-525 kV). There is not a universal ROW rule. That may change from country to country and even among regions such as urban or rural areas. A general guide of commonly used ROW is shown below in FT (values in parenthesis are in m).

3) Are there relevant standards or professional literature on the subject?. See figure below.

 

[bacon4life]

In urban areas, instead of dedicated utility ROW, the transmission lines are often installed in/adjacent to street ROW. In my area, any pole within the street ROW has to be relocated at utility expense if the city widens the street. If the utility places the lines on private easements adjacent to the street ROW, the city would have to pay to relocate the lines if the road is widened. Sometimes the steel pole foundations are placed on private property easements, with the wires overhanging the public street ROW.

In urban areas there can be conflicts between rights of adjacent land owners when cities allow zero-lot-line construction. For example, a utility is allowed to place a transmission line at the very edge of their property, and a land owner can place a building up to the edge of their property. However, OSHA requires 10+ feet of worker safety space between workers on the side of the building and a power line. It ends up being up the building developer to decide how close they can build while still allowing adequate room for cranes and scaffolding.

In the graphic cuky posted, the area labeled as border zone may have separate easement that allows the removal of tree hazards but does not allow any construction activity. In slang terms I would refer to the wire zone as ROW and the border zone as slashing/vegetation rights.

 

[LittleInch]

Depends where you are in the world.

Personally I wouldn't buyt this house, but it's there.

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[Mat_pe]

3) Are there relevant standards or professional literature on the subject?

Check your TSO or DSO literature, if it is. It should be freely available to make desiners job easier.

 

[LittleInch]

Dror,

1) Is the term Rights of Way suitable for Underground transmissions as well (I.E. Cables), or there is a different technical term used?
Terminology does get mixed up and interchangeable, but for me an underground cable would need an "easement", although in the US I think ROW is also used a lot. The key issue is are you laying this cable in private land and need to have an agreement or does the legislation allow electricity suppliers to simply lay cables in anyone's land, pay then a bit of money and impose a set of restrictions?

The benefit of using a different terminology is that ROW can also mean the land take you need for construction ( the working width for pipelines) as well as the smaller width you need for permanent rights.

2) What is consider typical distances worldwide, for both Overhead lines and underground cables, for different levels of Voltage? (for example, Voltages of 150-525 kV)
Can't do any better than that diagram by cuky 2000. Most transmission companies will have something like this.

3) Are there relevant standards or professional literature on the subject?
Tends to be supplied by the company that owns or operates the cables, but the pictures in this post look pretty good to me

Also depends on who is there first, the cable or the people / buildings.


Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[Dror Hashai]

First thing first, thank you all for the answers and the useful information.
I understand there is no standardization regarding distances, which I find surprising, because there is a conflict of interests between the various parties involved: the electrical company, the city, and the general population.

Either way I would to add some details and to answer LittleInch question above:
1) Easement is more of legal term from I understand. Here the electrical company (or the country for that matter) can't impose on private land owner to use his land, but have to come to an agreement with him.

2) I'm more interested in underground high voltage cables, and what restrictions apply worldwide.
For example, the distance around 161 kV cables is roughly 10-20 meters (depends on laying method) is considered unsafe for prolonged duration, meaning that people can't live there.

If I understand correctly, those distances (20 meters to each side, overall 40 meters) are considering high, and in others places you can have an underground cable right next to your house or office? I understand correctly?

 

[cranky108]

A couple of things. In the picture above, I would not want to live there, because it seems no one can park there cars correctly.
We use city/state easement for a good deal of our underground. Mostly for under the road placement, creek crossings, and through parks. It is called public right of way, and the city or state owns the land. In cities it is about the only way to find land without a house or buildings. We don't build electric lines above or below houses, or buildings.
We do put distribution lines in peoples backyards, or front yards, but most of those had been established when the land was developed, and is in a easement.
The backyard doesn't work so well, as people add fences, and out buildings and plant around transformers. To work on things we would need to remove that.
There is a line of homes with a 115kV line in the backyard, but those back into a major road, and the backyards are extra large. They still can't build below the lines, as building codes would not allow.

 

[jghrist]

For example, the distance around 161 kV cables is roughly 10-20 meters (depends on laying method) is considered unsafe for prolonged duration, meaning that people can't live there.

What is the basis for this concern?

 

[Dror Hashai]

What is the basis for this concern?

This is the regulation requirement we have in Israel.
For high voltage cables (161 kV) the requirements are based on the radiation, and accordingly the
permitted (or forbidden) zone around the lines.

Since we haven't yet laid 400 kV cables, I wanted to know what are considered the typical limitations.

 

[LittleInch]

This is an interesting document from the UK national Grid. Whilst in appendix 6 it does say they want 30m for underground cables, this is mainly so that they can dig them up and replace them if required. No mention of safety issues, but I guess they might not want to say this.

https://www.nationalgrid.com/sites/...s/Sense of Place - National Grid Guidance.pdf

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[cuky2000]

Yes, the term ROW is applicable to UG transmission. The ROW width is less than the one used for OH transmission line. A good rule of thumb for a single circuit is a ROW width around 20-30 ft (~6.67-9.11m)

 

[JohnMcNutt]

Not sure how well I would sleep in these houses.