Methodologies for implementing improvements in maintenance of power transmission lines

This article describes and analyzes the historical incidence of defects along overhead power transmission lines over the area of the state utility company CEEE-GT, in Southern Brazil in order to suggest improvements for the program of maintenance of this company that may applicable to several other similar companies. To this end, two methods are presented: the first one classifies the defects in accordance with their risks to system functionality, in view of establishing a guideline for the corrective maintenance program. The second method establishes the frequency with which rigid detailed inspections should be done in accordance with historical incidence of defects along the power transmission line.