Establishing Design Loads, Load Combinations, and Structural Design Methodology for OCS Poles and Foundations

The Overhead Contact System (OCS) is a key method for powering rail transit, especially in urban and non-exclusive corridors like light rail and streetcars. It consists of powered electrical wires suspended from poles spaced 100 to 150 feet apart. In the U.S., there is no standardized code for the structural design of these poles and foundations. While IEEE Std 1630-2012 and ASCE 48 provide some guidance, they do not fully address OCS-specific requirements like loads and serviceability criteria. The NCES C2-2023 standard is often used for load calculations but is geared toward transmission lines, not OCS. There is a need for comprehensive guidelines that cover the structural design of OCS poles, including load definitions, load combinations, design philosophy, and requirements for poles that carry additional structures like street signs or traffic signals.

• Record URL:
  http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=5827
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Contract to a Performing Organization has not yet been awarded.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Proposed
• Funding: $280000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  Project D-27

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Transit Cooperative Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC    20001

  Federal Transit Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Garcia-Colberg, Mariela

• Start Date: 20241126
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Contact wire; Design load; Rail transit; Structural design; Support poles
• Subject Areas: Design; Energy; Highways; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01937962
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project D-27
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: Nov 26 2024 5:33AM