Crossarms

Crossarms are horizontal structures attached to poles that provide mounting points for wires. They're essential for accurately modeling wire positions and calculating clearances.

What is a Crossarm?

A crossarm is a horizontal beam mounted on a pole:

            ___________
           |    |      |  ← Crossarm
           |    |      |
                |
                |  ← Pole
                |
                |

Crossarms provide:

• Attachment points for wires
• Horizontal spacing between conductors
• Phase separation for three-phase circuits

Adding Crossarms - Automatic Mode

Aura can automatically detect crossarms from point cloud data:

Adding Crossarms - Manual Mode

For more control, add crossarms manually:

Crossarm Properties

Each crossarm has these properties:

Removing Crossarms

Crossarm Visibility

Control crossarm visibility in the left sidebar:

• Toggle Crossarms - Show or hide all crossarms
• Crossarm Color - Click to change the display color
• Opacity - Adjusted with the Digital Grid opacity slider

Types of Crossarms

Distribution Crossarms

Standard crossarms on distribution poles:

• Typically 8-10 feet long
• Mount primary or secondary wires
• May have multiple tiers

Transmission Crossarms

Larger structures on transmission towers:

• Multiple levels for different circuits
• May be lattice or tubular steel
• Support high-voltage conductors

Buck Arms

Shorter crossarms mounted perpendicular to main crossarms:

• Provide additional attachment points
• Often used for transformers or equipment
• May support service drops

Best Practices

When to Add Crossarms

Add crossarms when you need:

• Precise wire attachment positions
• Accurate horizontal clearance calculations
• Detailed infrastructure documentation

Crossarm Placement Accuracy

For accurate placement:

• Zoom in close to the pole
• Use Classification view to see structure clearly
• Click on actual crossarm points in the point cloud

Multiple Crossarms

Poles often have multiple crossarms:

1. Add each crossarm separately
2. Start from the top and work down
3. Verify positions relative to each other

Common Configurations

Single-Phase with Neutral

        _____
       |  |  |
          |      ← Phase and neutral wires
          |

Three-Phase

    _____________
   |   |   |    |
       |         ← Three phases plus neutral
       |

Stacked Crossarms

        _____    ← Upper crossarm
       |  |  |
       |  |  |
       |_____|   ← Lower crossarm
          |
          |

Integration with Wires

Crossarms help position wires accurately:

1. Add poles first
2. Add crossarms to define attachment points
3. Add wires using crossarm endpoints as reference
4. Wire sag calculations use crossarm positions

Wire Attachment

When adding wires after crossarms:

• Click on crossarm endpoints for attachment points
• Wires connect at the specified heights
• Sag is calculated from these positions

Troubleshooting

Auto Detection Fails

If automatic crossarm detection doesn't work:

1. Check point cloud density around the pole
2. Verify pole position is accurate
3. Try manual mode instead

Crossarm Position Wrong

If crossarm appears in wrong location:

1. Remove the crossarm
2. Zoom in closer
3. Re-add using manual mode
4. Click carefully on the actual structure

Crossarm Not Visible

If crossarm doesn't appear:

1. Check crossarm visibility is enabled
2. Verify the crossarm was created
3. Check the color isn't blending with background

Next Steps

After adding crossarms:

1. Add wires using crossarm attachment points
2. Run analysis for clearance calculations
3. Review the complete model for accuracy