Two new 105-foot composite fiberglass poles were set Dec. 27 on a Cinergy 138kV line one mile west of Clarksville Substation #327. The poles are on each side of a 700-foot span across Silver Creek and the levee.
The original wood poles had to be replaced due to severe woodpecker damage. Replacing the damaged poles with more wood was considered, as were steel and concrete. Composite fiberglass poles were selected for several reasons. Fiberglass poles are resistant to insects, birds, and animals. Ground line decay is not a concern. And installation only requires the use of a single line truck. Also, there was only a two- to three-week wait for the fiberglass poles compared with up to six months for the alternatives.
The composite fiberglass poles were easy to deliver to the job site. They came in five sections with the longest 35 feet in length. The total weight was 2,689 pounds, compared with 9,000 pounds for a comparable 105-foot class, H2 wood pole. Minimal traffic control measures were needed compared with those required to navigate a 105-foot wood pole through the city streets.
The project’s engineer, Brian McNew of T&D Projects Engineering, was on site along with the factory representative, Gerry Thomas for RS Technologies, to lend their expertise to the project.
