PLS-CADD

PLS-CADD is a design and drafting program for overhead power lines. Power Line Systems of Madison, Wisconsin, created it, and Bentley Systems bought the company in a deal announced in November 2021. Engineers build a 3D terrain model from survey data such as GPS, total station, photogrammetry or airborne LiDAR. They then route the line, place structures and run sag-tension calculations that include insulator swing, wind blowout and creep. It also calculates thermal ratings under IEEE 738 and CIGRE 207. Plan and profile sheets update automatically as the design changes. According to Bentley, PLS-CADD can import, filter and classify millions of LiDAR points. Its AMBER tool builds line models from the classified data. PLS-CADD links to the vendor's structure programs, including PLS-POLE and TOWER, and hands difficult spans to the SAPS finite element engine. It can also connect to ODBC databases and export to CAD formats or PDF. The software is aimed at utilities and at engineering consultancies that design transmission lines. Bentley says it is used by more than 1,600 organizations in over 125 countries, and the acquisition announcement called it the US industry standard. There are lighter editions, PLS-CADD/LITE and Ultralite. Pricing is not published: buyers request a quote from Bentley or a partner, and subscription licenses can run on virtual machines or network servers. The main drawbacks are cost and a learning curve. Bentley recommends three days of basic and two days of advanced training. PLS-CADD is a design tool, not a maintenance or asset management system, so it has no work orders or field apps.