We make sure to keep track of any maintenance or replacements to assets in order to conform to regulatory demands. Being a smaller utility servicing approximately 22,000 customers, Welland Hydro has a slight advantage on many other (larger) utilities in that less man power is needed to do such assessments. The assets the utility looks after includes 8,000 poles, 2,500 transformers, and almost 500 kilometers of overhead and underground cable. Welland Hydro is responsible for the safe delivery of electricity to its customers. Now, I know what you’re thinking…Yes, most utilities do have some type of GIS or asset management software, but what makes AutoCAD stand out from the rest? Asset Management, Assessments, and Maintenance This allowed us to create electrical connectivity traces from breakers all the way to the meter and also enabled the us to reconfigure circuits and phasing, all from the comfort of our own office chair-a benefit in seeing the entire system in one big picture.
#Harnessing autocad 2008 software#
While entering the information, we needed to also ensure connectivity between all devices and conductors in the software in order to create a proper electrical and structural topology. This helped greatly with converting the information from paper to digital and it allowed the worker to ensure all data was correct prior to input. Since many of the drawings were drawn by hand in the late 1940s to 1990s, the utility was able to scan the files and input them into the GIS using AutoCAD Raster Design. The first step in becoming “digital” was deciding an efficient way to input all of our records into AutoCAD Map 3D. Another benefit to using AutoCAD Map 3D is the open architecture on which it’s built as users have the ability to develop better interoperability with other systems and software. We are able to streamline our processes with a single application for CAD and GIS. Ensure ease of implemention and transition existing data toīecause AutoCAD Map 3D is layered overtop of the existing AutoCAD® framework, a large benefit to using this software is its familiar interface.Obtain a system that maintains data security.Use proven technology that continues to innovate and allows integration with other systems.Increase efficiency and reduce job output time.Keep information in one central area (database).Keep connectivity active throughout the entire organization.
We had our goals set, but needed to outline the many challenges to overcome: The Big Pictureīack in 2006, Welland Hydro was in the market for a scalable and powerful yet cost effective tool to keep track of our assets and to do system condition assessments from the field. Thanks to the versatility of AutoCAD Map 3D, Welland Hydro has become one of the leading utilities in Ontario using the advanced technology at a relatively reasonable cost.
In this article, I explain how the Canadian utility has gone from “rags to riches” in terms of asset management, outage management, and GIS software. Using AutoCAD® Map 3D at Welland Hydro has helped us ensure maximum efficiency and versatility. Back November 21st, 2015 Harnessing the Power of AutoCAD Map 3D