Introduction: Overhead line investment has historically been carried out on parts of the network that have a high fault rate. This has led to the identified section of network being replaced or refurbished to the current code of practice no matter what environment the line resides in. It is believed that a method to assess the performance of the overhead line against different weather patterns or storm events that it may encounter will allow better planning. A proven method of assessing the effects of more onerous weather conditions (including wind and ice-loading) would insure against any changes in local climate that may occur in the future.

Objectives: The aim of this project was to develop a software application that could better utilise specific geographic data to predict planning needs. The tool would be primarily used to model the effects of specific extreme weather events on the OHL network to test its resilience and to identify potential reinforcement requirements.