DOWNLOAD PDF The industry that supplies composite utility poles has undergone a similar technical evolution to what was seen for composite insulators. As with this latest insulator technology, performance of first generation composite utility poles did not always measure up to expectations and left some customers with legitimate concerns about continued use. This triggered a review of problems among suppliers as well as efforts to overcome these. In the case of composite poles, among the key issues going back to the time they were first developed has been degradation from continuous exposure to combinations of UV and moisture. Galen Fecht, Technical Service and International Sales Director at Ontario-based RS Technologies, explains that the service life of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) materials is governed by their ability to resist such exposure and that this depends largely on resin formulation. Composite pole technology goes back over 50 years and resin improvements have evolved based on field experience with materials that initially did not always meet customer expectations for service life As with the rods and tubes used as the structural elements in composite insulators, FRP poles are made from glass fibers, which provide the strength, and also a resin that bind the fibers into a matrix. Typically, most pole manufacturers have now come to rely only on E-glass fibers due to the best combination of desired electrical and structural characteristics. Resins include polyester, vinyl ester and polyurethane types. Fecht advises that, while polyester and vinyl ester resins are both workable and stable materials, they are not ideal for incorporating UV stabilizers into their composition. The reason, he says, is a phenomenon termed ‘fiber blooming’, whereby progressive environmental degradation of these resins can cause glass fibers to eventually protrude from the material. To overcome this problem, some manufacturers add a special ‘veil’ cloth in a secondary manufacturing operation while others apply a protective layer of paint. Fecht claims that the superior solution is to rely only on polyurethane resin that he says resists voids and more easily accepts UV stabilizers into its formulation. Each pole is made up of modular sections whose diameters govern structural strength A composite utility pole of up to 170 ft. (over 50 m) in height is typically made of modular sections, each produced by winding resin impregnated strands of fiberglass onto a steel mandrel – basically the same process used in manufacturing composite tubes for hollow core insulators. As with tubes, winding of each module is optimized by varying parameters such as tensioning of fibers, winding angles and wet-out process. The respective diameters of the modules used for a pole will determine its structural strength. One of the main considerations for any power utility that looks at the economic life of an overhead line is how many years of service composite poles will provide compared to well-known alternatives such as wood, steel or concrete. According to Fecht, accelerated aging tests using methodologies in the ASTM G154 standard offer a default UV test for polymeric materials but do not specify minimum duration of exposure. To meet customer requirements, he says that his firm has conducted extensive accelerated aging tests and results confirm a minimum pole life of 65 years and possibly as long as 125 years. He settles on a figure of 80 years as a reasonable expectation of effective service life, with no scheduled maintenance required over that period. In terms of inspection, utilities have plenty of experience with structures made of materials such as wood and there are long-established test protocols and criteria that dictate if and when replacement is warranted. New users of composite poles therefore have to move through a learning curve on what special procedures will have to be applied to such structures at the time of scheduled line inspections. Composite poles find most application in cases where existing structures are not lasting as long as expected due to attack by wildlife, environmental conditions or pollution Fecht explains that there are typically never any problems that occur below grade on a polyurethane FRP pole since this section is not subject to degradation from UV. Above grade, he recommends that all bolted connections be verified to ensure that recommended loads are not exceeded to avoid laminate damage. Also, slip joints of each module have to be examined to ensure they are tight and that the metal fasteners were properly installed when the pole was first assembled. A simple visual examination ensures that no portion of the slot is visible below the bolt head. Fecht also recommends checking for signs of damage such as cracking or impact on the first one or two meters above ground. Suppliers typically offer a damage assessment schedule that advises users what to do in cases such as minor scratches, where only application of a polyurethane paint is needed. Deep damage, by contrast, may present a structural concern and is best treated by means of special patches or, alternatively, replacement of the affected pole module. Finally, Fecht points out that, as with polymeric insulators, it is also advisable to monitor the hydrophobicity of a composite pole, which ideally should remain the same classification as when it was new, over its entire service life. The STRI hydrophobicity guide serves well for this purpose. The value of maintaining good hydrophobic properties, he states, relates to improved self-cleaning from road salt or other contaminants. Apart from inspection protocols, another question mark for new users of composite poles is how these can best be climbed whenever there is a need for maintenance of line hardware and components. Here, Fecht notes that because composite poles are different to wood, different climbing techniques are advisable and these involve either steps or ladders. For example, he says that Ontario’s largest electric utility requested access steps be inserted into each composite pole installed onto their transmission network. To better respond to such requests in remote areas which cannot be accessed by a bucket, Fecht reports that his firm routinely pre-drills holes at strategic locations starting at about 3 m in height and then plugs these until such

DOWNLOAD PDF A modular composite monopole combines structural rigidity, strength and height capability, tower characteristics needed by the broadband and Wi-Fi industries. Composite poles are relatively maintenance-free and environmentally benign. By Kevin C. Coates A medium-sized crane is positioned to hoist a 93-foot RS monopole. The installation did not require a concrete foundation. From the time the crane arrived until the time the pole was guyed into place, about one hour elapsed. Access to widespread, reliable, and affordable broadband Internet service for rural customers is a technical and financial challenge. The cost of providing extensive coverage is always weighed against the ability of service providers to recover their deployment costs through competitive (i.e., affordable) user fees. With governments covering much of the initial infrastructure capital costs, the economics can work so that rural communities have a viable option to purchase high-speed Internet access. Finding ways to lower deployment and maintenance costs only improves the economics. The structure upon which a piece of broadband equipment sits can represent a considerable portion of a system’s network investment. And, once they are in place, these structures need to withstand the daily onslaught of weathering with minimal need for maintenance over time. In other words, the more sustainable and resilient a structure, the more it proves to be cost effective. With the introduction of high-strength, maintenance-free composite poles, broadband providers now have an extremely cost-effective platform upon which to site their equipment. Not only do composite materials drastically reduce the frequency of pole inspections and the need for pole maintenance, but also composite poles are often the lowest-cost and fastest structures to erect for Wi-Fi providers. Those companies that have already chosen to deploy them see these new composite poles as game changers to their bottom lines. From R&D to the field Because of the confluence of advances in material science, some innovative manufacturing methods and some timely marketing, composite poles are now the latest option in the toolbox for delivering cost-effective wireless Internet service. However, not all composite poles are designed or manufactured the same nor are they all well suited for use in broadband infrastructure. Otherwise known as fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs), composite pole technology was originally conceived and designed to support electric power transmission and distribution lines. Although they are lightweight, FRPs are stronger than steel. Their strength is derived from combining E-glass fibers with various combinations of thermoset resins. Several manufacturers provide electric utilities with composite poles, and each company tightly guards its own proprietary composite formula along with its manufacturing methods. All composite poles are stronger than steel and do not corrode, and their light weight makes them faster and easier to erect. They are fire resistant and impervious to insects. They do not conduct electricity. These new poles have a rated service life of 80 years, and they are also maintenance free. Of particular interest to the broadband community, composite poles do not interfere with transmission signals. One FRP product, made by RS Technologies Inc. of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is particularly well suited for the broadband arena. Its design allows network operators to easily configure customized poles from standard modules based on the unique conditions of the installation site. Because these monopoles are composed of tapered sections, complete monopoles are shipped with the modules nested one inside another and assembled at a staging area. Because the length of the modules is always less than 37 feet (11.3 meters), they require no transport permits and, as a result, are faster, easier, and less costly to ship. The larger-diameter modules are especially well suited for the tight deflection tolerances required for broadband’s targeted line-of-sight microwave backhaul. If it’s necessary to increase the height of a pole to accommodate new equipment for extending the signal further than originally specified, additional modules can be added to increase overall pole height. RS poles can reach above-ground heights of up to 135 feet (41 meters). Throughout the world, utilities and broadband providers are now beginning to deploy these new poles with greater frequency and with excellent results. The stories of three broadband providers in North America are indicative of the difference composite modular monopoles can make to a system. Strength and durability In December 2008, a brutal storm slammed the northeastern part of North America and blanketed the area with a layer of ice up to 1-1/2 inches thick. Wooden utility poles snapped like toothpicks after heavily laden trees fell onto power lines and poles, and weeks went by before the power grid was completely restored. The most time-consuming, dangerous, miserable and expensive part of grid reconstruction was setting new power poles in frozen soil. This can also apply to any broadband structure that might go down in a winter storm. A December 2008 ice storm snapped wooden poles owned by the Princeton, Mass., Municipal Light Department, but not their dual-use composite poles. The 75- to 80-foot composite poles were used for both electric power delivery and top-mounted broadband antennas. After the storm, only one wireless broadband transceiver was left in operation in Princeton, Mass., and it sat atop one of 24 dual-use RS monopoles that were all undamaged. Princeton Municipal Light Department General Manager Jonathan Fitch explained that the utility uses 75- to 80-foot monopoles so they can support power lines on crossarms at lower levels and reserve the upper reaches of the poles for broadband equipment. He said that in the aftermath of the storm, 150 wood poles were destroyed (out of a total of about 2,900 poles) and one-third of the wires in his utility’s 34-square-mile grid were on the ground. The strength and resilience of composites for supporting sensitive electronics and electric power lines in severe weather conditions were instantly obvious to Fitch. Getting Wi-Fi to the people Two North American rural broadband initiatives worked fast to implement Internet access in the summer of 2009 using RS monopoles as their support structures, one in Vermont and New Hampshire and the other in Nova Scotia. This May 2009 RS composite monopole installation in Nova Scotia provides and example of fast, direct-bury installations. These poles saved thousands of dollars by not requiring foundation

DOWNLOAD PDF By Sabrina Locicero BC Hydro workers atop newly-installed fiberglass pole in Pacific Spirit Park’s Camosun Bog A pole replacement project completed late last year in Vancouver’s Camosun Bog has helped protect the area’s intensively studied ecosystem while also improving service reliability. Using helicopters, BC Hydro collaborated with the British Columbia Transmission Corporation (BCTC) to replace nine aging wooden transmission poles near the Camosun Substation in Pacific Spirit Park with six fibreglass poles. The new poles are longer-lasting, which minimizes maintenance and access requirements as well as environmental impact. Why fibreglass poles? Cedar poles last 40 to 50 years, while fibreglass poles can last up to 120 years. This decreases the amount of maintenance that BCTC and BC Hydro will have to do throughout the lifespan of the poles. They are also extremely flexible. In a heavily treed area such as Camosun Bog, these poles will be able to bend and flex in the event of trees striking the line. Again, this avoids having to replace wooden poles that have snapped from the weight of trees hitting the line. The poles, which were pre-assembled near Camosun Substation, also have a minimal impact on the environment. Unlike wooden poles, fibreglass poles are chemically inert, will not decay and will resist woodpecker damage. Removal & installation by helicopter To reduce the environmental impacts of the project work, the BC Hydro-BCTC team worked with Metro Vancouver Regional Parks, the Camosun Bog Restoration Group and the Pacific Spirit Park Society. They agreed that using a helicopter to remove old poles and install new ones was the best option. This would avoid having to create new access to the bog area. The team also minimized permanent ground disturbance by cutting the old poles above ground level. When the project was complete, 150 plants were installed at various sites to enhance affected habitat and to cover up the temporary walking trails that were made to access the pole sites throughout the bog. Minor design changes were made by the team to mitigate impacts, such as moving the location of a new pole required to hold the distribution termination equipment. Working with the designers in the preconstruction phase allowed BCTC and BC Hydro to avoid disturbing a very wet and ecologically-rich part of the bog. This project is an example of a project team making decisions that involve the community and local interest groups, using new technology, and being environmentally responsible to protect a rare ecosystem. By implementing measures to reduce environmental impacts, the team’s collaboration has helped BC Hydro take an important step towards contributing to its Environmental Impact Goal (EIG), which aims for BC Hydro to have no net incremental environmental impact in the areas of land, water, air, and climate change by 2024 (compared to 2004).   Sabrina Locicero is a writer-editor with BC Hydro’s Corporate and Employee Communications group.

DOWNLOAD PDF Severe weather reinforces utility’s decision to install fiberglass poles. By Steve Coltharp and Tim Vied, Western Kentucky Rural Electric Cooperative Corp. After losing more than 120 wood poles to Hurricane Ike in September 2008, Western Kentucky Rural Electric Co-operative Corp. (WKRECC) installed seven RS composite utility poles in its system on a trial basis. The composite poles were quickly put to the test when, in January 2009, a once-in-a-hundred-years ice storm rolled through the WKRECC territory. The storm took down more than 1600 wood poles; yet, while the composite poles were on circuits with damaged wood poles, not one composite pole was damaged. It took weeks for WKRECC to fully restore service to its customers. Hurricane Ike Western Kentucky is a serene place with gently rolling hills, meandering streams and rivers, and a lot of trees. WKRECC provides electric power to 38,000 customers living in four Western Kentucky counties. The cooperative’s 100 or so employees do their best to see that 11 substations, 15 miles (24 km) of transmission lines and 4000 miles (6437 km) of distribution lines reliably deliver electric power generated and transmitted by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). This is a predominantly agricultural area of the United States where things change relatively slowly. However, things changed rather abruptly when the region was hit by not one but two major weather events in less than five months. Winston Chambers, a contract engineer with Patterson & Dewar Engineers, assesses damage to a double-circuit joint-use wood pole. First came Hurricane Ike, which surprisingly took an interior course northward over the WKRECC service territory. The hurricane brought sustained winds of 90 mph (145 kmph), toppled thousands of trees and destroyed more than 120 wood poles, knocking out power for weeks. A utility east of the WKRECC service territory had similar issues but not with about a dozen RS composite poles it had installed near Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. Manufactured by RS Technologies, those poles emerged from the hurricane unscathed. WKRECC took notice. Actually, even before the storm, WKRECC has decided to purchase seven composite poles for a trial deployment. There were several primary reasons for trying out the composite poles: high strength, long life, zero maintenance, environmentally benign materials, light weight, and a modular design that makes installation easy. These benefits helped offset the somewhat-higher initial cost of the composite poles, which were about twice as much as the wood distribution poles they replaced. However, the freight costs for the composite poles were half as much as for wood poles and, according to the contractors who installed them, the composite poles were easier and faster to install, all of which saved money. During the Ike recovery phase in October 2008, the composite poles were installed along a road not too far from WKRECC’s warehouse. The next pole in the line was steel and stood across the road near an intersection. The Ice Storm It did not take WKRECC long to determine the right purchasing decision had been made. On Jan. 27, 2009, a vast swath of the United States was slammed by a brutal winter storm that coated everything with a thick layer of ice. More than 1600 wood poles went down. Many of them snapped like toothpicks under the loads brought about by ice-ladened lines, or by trees and heavy branches falling against the lines. WKRECC lost its entire system, which is fed by TVA, who was down for five days before it was able to restore its transmission. However, it took WKRECC 21 days to completely restore power, and this was only possible because of the mutual assistance help of 500 cooperative volunteers from North Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, and Tennessee. An extreme icing load caused this double-circuit double-deadend wood pole to snap. Things got a little crowded at WKRECC’s warehouse at times during this all-hands-on-deck period of reconstruction. In addition to storing supplies, the warehouse complex was also the site for putting up the volunteers and feeding them until all the work was done. Strength and Resilience Amidst all of the wreckage along the road where the composite poles were installed, the only pole damaged was the steel pole with two breaks. In other words, the composites held their designed load, plus the ice, plus a portion of the load formerly carried by the steel pole across the street. This was possible because of the high amount of elastic strain energy composite poles are able to absorb in high-load situations. Needless to say, the strength and resilience of these poles in such harsh conditions were both surprising and impressive. This wood pole was used to replace a steel pole that was damaged by the ice storm, because there were no composite poles in stock. As a result of this very positive experience, WKRECC decided to install three large-diameter composite poles to carry the lines out of a new substation considered to be in a critical location. Again, the assembly and installation of these poles were quick and straightforward. Not long after the substation project was completed in September 2009, WKRECC ordered 20 additional RS distribution poles to be part of a new 7.2-kV distribution line that is about 8000 ft (2438 m) of 397-kcmil spacer cable. The contractor’s feedback was that the lightweight composite poles were easy to handle and easy to set. The composite poles have to be drilled to fasten framing to them, and the contractor drilled these holes easily in the field. Assembly went quickly, the wire was strung, and the line was put into service soon thereafter. Ice buildup on a typical three-phase pole. After the extreme weather events it has experienced recently, WKRECC now must consider more than just the initial capital costs in its purchasing decisions when buying poles. As mentioned earlier, shipping and installation costs with composite poles are less than that of wood poles. There is also the strength factor, which certainly plays a role in ensuring reliability and lowering maintenance costs. Unlike wood poles, composite poles do not require derating over time. In fact, their superior strength allows greater flexibility when retrofitting larger-sized conductor or for placing poles farther apart when using low-sag conductors. Construction Pluses Because RS composite poles are hollow, they require different installation methods and hardware. Hardware is now

DOWNLOAD PDF The service territory of Dixie-Escalante Electric Cooperative in Beryl, Utah, spans some of the most rugged and beautiful scenery in the west. But the hilly, rocky, high-desert terrain poses plenty of access and climate-related difficulties for a co-op building a new transmission line – especially when regulatory requirements imposed by federal and state land trusts, fish and wildlife agencies, and archaeological authorities are factored in. As the co-op planned a 30-mile transmission project, an economical solution arrived courtesy of HD Supply Utilities, which proposed installing new RS composite poles rather than steel towers. While Colin Jack, Dixie-Escalante Electric engineering chief, admits strength and durability of the structures were serious concerns, visits to HD Supply Utilities’ factory and two sites where the poles had been placed in service laid his worries to rest. “HD Supply even came up with an answer for locations along the route where heavier loads were an issue by doubling the poles installed – simply placing one module inside another,” Jack comments. RS poles boast advanced ultraviolet protection that can’t be scratched or flaked away and remain impervious to pests, rot, and corrosion. They also weigh about half as much as comparable steel poles, allowing Dixie-Excalante Electric to employ its existing equipment for the project. “The poles make line construction faster and easier while minimizing environmental impacts,” Jack concludes. “And the pole itself offers some insulating benefit.” Contact: Anna McPherson, HD Supply Utilities, 407-893-9105, hdsupply.com/utilities; or Colin Jack, Dixie-Escalante Electric Cooperative, 435-673-3297.

DOWNLOAD PDF By Laurie A. Shuster As utilities seek to replace aging transmission and distribution poles and keep pace with new residential and commercial developments, some are turning to a potentially longer-lasting pole that also requires less maintenance. Composite poles, manufactured from fiber-reinforced polymers and polyurethane resins, are lighter and easier to transport than steel, concrete, or wooden poles. They are also more resistant to wildfire and, when treated with fire retardants, to fires that are wooden poles. And because the inspection, maintenance, and replacement of power poles represents significant costs for cash-strapped utilities, the higher initial costs of some composite poles can be more than offset by their durability in certain applications. Scott Smith, the manager of apparatus engineering for Southern California Edison, of Rosemead, California, says his utility has deployed composite poles instead of wooden ones to support lines carrying 34,500 V or less, the voltage typically required for residential areas, in locations where wooden poles have unusually short service lives. “One of the places we use them is in the foothills, where we have a woodpecker problem,” says Smith. “Woodpeckers can destroy a wood pole in just six months.” Southern California Edison also uses the new poles in areas where termites are a problem; woodpeckers and termites generally cannot damage composite poles, Smith says. And because the poles are resistant to moisture, they are also useful in Southern California’s coastal environment, he adds. What is more, composite poles are more likely to survive the region’s infamous brush fire season than are wood poles, Smith says. Michael Tenace, the technical director of RS Technologies Inc. a manufacturer of resin poles based in Calgary, Alberta, says that his firm’s staff of civil engineers designed the poles, which are manufactured in modules of standard size that can be configured to build poles ranging in length from 30 to 120 ft. (9 to 30.5 m) and in diameter from 1 to 4 ft. (0.3 to 1.2 m). Although the firm’s civil engineers can also assist utilities in designing soil amendments to help keep the poles in place in locations where the ground is less than suitable, most installations require no such intervention, he says. “There are no foundations necessary,” says Tenace, who adds that “since it’s a lighter structure than steel, wood, or concrete, you can often simply bore a hole, drop it in, and backfill.” Smith says that because the poles are lighter than those made with other materials, they are ideal for use in national forests, where the most environmentally benign method of delivery is by helicopter. Glen Barefoot, the corporate marketing manager for Strongwell, a firm based in Bristol, Virginia, that sells poles made of fiber-reinforced polymer, says that his company’s 55 to 80 ft. (16.7 to 24.4 m) long one-piece poles weigh just a 10th as much as comparably sized concrete poles. Don Williams, the chief executive officer for Duratel, a Chicago-based firm that makes pultruded composite poles, says that a standard 40 ft. (12 m) tall wood utility pole with a bearing capacity of 2,400 lbs. (1,100 kg) typically weighs 1,100 lbs. (500 kg), whereas a composite pole of the same size and capacity made by his firm weighs just 305 lbs. (138 kg). Composite poles are also more likely to bend than to break in very strong winds, making them preferable to poles of wood or concrete in tornado- and hurricane-prone regions or under ice loads, according to the manufacturers “Wood breaks at eighty-plus miles an hour,” whereas Duratel’s poles can withstand wind up to 150 mph (240 km/h), Williams says. Some of the poles are sold in sections, making them easier to transport on smaller vehicles than would be the case with full-sized poles. Smith says his utility has opted for RS Technologies Inc.’s tapered pole sections, which can be nested inside one another, for use in residential backyards. “It’s hard to get poles into a backyard,” he says, and the labor costs of doing so are high. Because their initial costs can be 2 to 20 times as much as those of poles made from more traditional materials, composite poles are unlikely to replace all other types anytime soon. But Smith says, “If you look at the way we use them, a high woodpecker area, or a high moisture area, you might only get a year to ten years out of a wooden pole.” By contrast, the manufacturers say composite poles ought to last 40 to 125 years, even under harsh conditions.  

DOWNLOAD PDF RS Technologies Inc. announces that Grand Bahama Power Co. has placed an order for 404 RS modular composite poles. Grand Bahama Power Co. has placed an order for 404 RS modular composite poles from RS Technologies Inc. The first shipment of 48 poles is destined for a transmission line that will supply electric power to a new Ginn Resorts project, the Ginn Sur Mer on Grand Bahama Island. This 22-mi, 69kV line is necessary to serve the increased load resulting from Ginn Sur Mer’s new development. The construction of this transmission line, along with the existing facilities, will continue to provide reliable electric service to the growing West End area. “The RS pole was the best solution for this job because its polyurethane construction can withstand the UV and hurricane exposure of the Bahamian environment,” stated Tim Bell, president of Barkley Technologies, the design engineers for the project. “The RS nesting modular design provided logistics savings and its PLS-CADD compatibility enabled in-depth analysis, which was critical for the hybrid, concrete-filled solution being utilized. In addition, this hybrid solution allows Grand Bahama Power the ability to use existing equipment to build the line, thus providing significant savings for the utility and its ratepayers.” “The deployment in the Grand Bahama of our highly robust RS composite poles using this innovative engineering approach demonstrates the versatility and cost effectiveness of our product,” said Paul Giannelia, president and chief executive officer of RS. “We have every confidence these poles will contribute to improving our customer’s overall grid reliability, and our new lifetime guarantee assures our customers that they can depend on our RS  poles to stand up to the harshest climatic conditions.” Source URL: https://www.tdworld.com/overhead-transmission/article/20961851/grand-bahama-hardening-its-grid-with-rss-composite-poles