610 N. Whitney Way, Suite 160 Madison, WI 53705, U.S.A. Phone: (608) 238-2171, Fax: (608) 238-9241 Email: info@powline.com
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Winter 2011 Newsletter

In this issue:

1. Version 12 Released!
2. PLS Videos on YouTube
3. Upcoming Classes and Events
4. Web Site Additions
5. Current Versions

Version 12 Released!

We are now shipping Version 12 of all our programs. A summary of the most significant changes is included below.  A complete change log will be included with any upgrade and the changes are documented in the new version 12 manuals also available today.

Top 10 PLS-CADD v12 Improvements

1. New Structure Groups feature that allows application of load cases to a specific set of structures. Structures can be inserted in a group manually (ex: choose grade B or grade C construction) or using rules based on height (ex: NESC 60' exemption), station (ex: different wind zones throughout line), line angle, dead end sets...
2. Can now do radial clearance checks to survey points and TIN. Can also create a "Wire Surface TIN" that defines a surface through which the wire can swing.
3. Can now measure distances to DXF and Shapefile lines and surfaces with distance between entities command and also create survey points along edges or surfaces defined by these entities.
4. Prohibited zone and extra cost zone constraints can now be polygons in the plan view (ex: lake, road or river edge) with a user specified required clearance to structures and their guys. Polygon zones can be created from DXF and Shapefile polylines & polygons or defined manually using the mouse.
5. Can color TIN according to slope of ground and can also use slope to generate automatic spotting constraints.
6. P&P sheet plan view structure numbers can now be relocated by dragging with the mouse.
7. Project lines can now have their own notes and annotation (including new revision cloud line type).
8. Shapefile export now available for all reports that previously supported KML.
9. Clearance between sections commands now support "Straight line wire" (CSA) mode.
10. Improved ECW/JP2/TIF support while also adding support for JPG images which can be automatically linked to the closest structure based on their embedded GPS coordinates.

Major Improvements to TOWER

• Automated the design and checking of redundant members according to ASCE 10, CSA S37-01, ANSI/EIA 222-G, EN50341 and AS 3995
• Redundant members may be included in the model for automated loading and design, but excluded from the finite element analysis
• Added a Climbing Load Check with criteria as per ASCE-10, EN50341-1:2001, AS3995 1994, and AS/NZS 7000:2010
• Added an Included Angle Check (IAC)
• Improved and expanded control over the compression capacity of tension-only members
• Geometry/Joints, Geometry/Secondary Joints, Geometry/Groups/Table Edit and Geometry/Sections/Table Edit now provide real time graphical feedback as you edit them.

Major Improvements to PLS-POLE

• You may now select ASCE 48-11 as the strength check for steel poles
• The FRP option can now model Duratel FRP poles

Major Improvements to TOWER and PLS-POLE

• Increased the maximum number of load cases to 1000
• Geometry/Guys has three new methods for specifying an anchor relative to another guy making it easy to model split-guys and other more complex situations
• Added four new loading methods to implement AS/NZS 7000:2010, synoptic/downdraft and wind on face/fluid dynamics options

You can use Help/Download Upgrade to upgrade to version 12 today.

PLS Videos on YouTube

To make it easier to discover and view videos about our software we have created a Power Line Systems YouTube channel. Please subscribe to it as we intend to release short instructional videos with much greater frequency in 2012.

Classes and Events

2012 will be a great year to meet with us in person as we will have booths at the IEEE T&D, Cigre and the ASCE ETS Conferences:

• Booth 1263 IEEE PES Transmission and Distribution Conference and Exposition in Orlando, Florida, May 7-10, 2012.
• Please visit with us at the 2012 CIGRE Technical Exhibition, Palais des congres de Paris, France, August 27-31, 2012
• 2012 ASCE Electrical Transmission and Substation Structures Conference in Columbus, Ohio, November 4-8, 2012.

In addition we have scheduled the following classes:

• Computerized Transmission Line Design: PLS-CADD Hands-On Training (Organized by the University of Wisconsin) December 5-9, 2011 in Orlando, FL
• Design of Overhead Transmission Lines using PLS-CADD (includes 32 PDHs), January 9-13, 2012 in Madison, WI
• Computerized Transmission Line Design: PLS-CADD Hands-On Training (Organized by the University of Wisconsin) February 20-24, 2012 in Orlando, FL
• Design of Transmission Lines, Structures and Foundations February 27 - March 2, 2012 in Orlando, FL
• Design of Transmission Lines, Structures and Foundations August 13-17, 2012 in Madison, WI
• Computerized Transmission Line Design: PLS-CADD Hands-On Training (Organized by the University of Wisconsin) December 3-7, 2012 in Orlando, FL
• TOWER class: will be held in the 2nd Quarter of 2012. Send email to be notified when the date is finalized.

Please let us know if you would like to be added to the notification list for new classes.

Web Site Additions

• Handouts from the 2011 PLS-CADD Advanced Training and User Group Meeting are available online.
• The Hubbell Power Systems / Ohio Brass Quadri-Sil^® insulator library is now available for download.
• Suzhou Furukawa Power Optic Cable Company's PLS-CADD cable models are now available for download.
• Prysmian's PLS-CADD cable models are now available for download.
• K-LINE's insulator library with properties for strain, suspension and post insulators is now available for download.
• Duratel's Fiber Reinforced Polymer pole library for PLS-POLE is now available for download.

Current Versions

The current shipping versions of our software are listed below. These versions support Windows XP, Vista and 7 (both 32 and 64 bit). Note that we no longer support operating systems prior to Windows XP SP2. We strongly recommend you run a 64 bit edition of Windows so that you may take advantage of the enormous investment we have made in the x64 Edition.

We strongly encourage you to upgrade to the current release of all the applications you own. To do so please use the Help/Download Upgrade command built into your PLS software. This would also be a good time to use the Help/Check for Updated Manual command to make sure you have the latest edition of the manuals. As always, we welcome your suggestions and comments on our software.

Staff of Power Line Systems, Inc.