The Evergy power transmission tower stabilization project in Missouri faced an urgent challenge. A critical 161-kilovolt transmission tower was damaged by flooding during the pandemic, endangering power for local hospitals filled with patients during the pandemic. Evergy, the project owner, responded with innovative digital solutions from Bentley and Bentley’s Power Line Systems (PLS), including iTwin Capture and PLS-CADD, to create a digital twin of the damaged tower.

High-resolution drone imagery and 3D modeling enabled the team to assess structural deflection and design emergency stabilization—all while keeping the power line energized. Traditional ground-based surveys would have taken weeks, but by adopting drone-based photogrammetry and digital twin technology, Evergy stabilized the structure within two months, averting a prolonged outage. This approach not only accelerated response time, but also minimized resource use and ensured uninterrupted power to critical facilities, showcasing the transformative impact of digital engineering for community resilience and infrastructure reliability.