PPG Industries' (NYSE: PPG) protective and marine coatings (PMC) business has published a white paper demonstrating how utilities can save millions of dollars by implementing a proactive maintenance program for transmission towers and poles.
The six-page document illustrates the four phases of transmission tower corrosion and details how priority management and scheduling of tower maintenance can keep repair costs from escalating.
Steve Feldman, PPG national sales director, protective coatings, North America, said that the need to generate shareholder profits has caused many utility companies to reduce investment in transmission tower maintenance, which ultimately produces higher long-term costs.
"As a prominent supplier to utility companies, we see first-hand how a reactive, fix-as-needed approach to tower repairs can actually double or triple long-term maintenance costs," he said. "The white paper demonstrates how a proactive maintenance program works to prioritize repairs so that they can be made in the most cost-effective manner."
The white paper also highlights the savings utilities can realize through proactive transmission tower maintenance. "The key is not to focus on the towers and poles that need the most or least significant repairs," Feldman explained. "The most cost-effective approach is to fix towers that are closest to transitioning from one phase of corrosion to the next. That not only saves several thousand dollars in repair costs per tower, but also helps owners identify which towers should be budgeted for immediate repairs and those that can wait one, five or ten years."
To download a copy of the white paper, visit www.ppgpmc.com/northamerica or call 1-888-9PPGPMC (977-4762) to receive a hard copy.