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Our Pole Support Systems and Accessories streamline installation, enhance safety, and fortify your grid against the challenges that threaten traditional materials. Whether you’re safeguarding infrastructure against wildfire damage or enabling efficient installation in remote or tight spaces, our innovative support solutions are engineered for exceptional performance.

Pole Support Systems

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SUPPORT SYSTEMS & ACCESSORIES

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Fire Shield Products Landing

Fire Shield

Faced with increasing wildfire size, intensity and frequency, the utility industry is actively seeking a sustainable grid hardening solution for wildfire mitigation.

EXPOSURE DURATION: 3 MIN
TOTAL HEAT FLUX: 16,540 kW-s/m²
PEAK TEMPERATURE: 2,332°F [1,278°C]

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Gin Pole

The distribution grid has millions of poles located in challenging areas. Some of these locations could even be in your own backyard as decades of urban intensification have built up around the grid
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Gin Pole Figure 1
Hardware connections

hardware

Hardware connections can be an overlooked component in overhead lines, however, they provide a critical function. Every connection to a pole requires hardware and, like wood, steel and concrete poles, there are some considerations to be aware of.
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1586 E Venture Dr
St. George, UT, USA, 847790
+1 435 709 6921

22 Industrial Park Rd
Tilbury, ON, CAN, N0P 2L0
+1 519 682 1110

19409 Kenswick Dr
Humble, TX, USA, 77338
+1 832 414 7787

  • © 2025 RS Technologies Inc. All rights reserved

Faced with increasing wildfire size, intensity and frequency, the utility industry is actively seeking a sustainable grid hardening solution for wildfire mitigation.

Developed on the foundation of over 10 years of research, full-scale wildfire testing and real-world fire exposure, the RS Fire Shield™ is a proven fire solution that keeps poles standing during fire events.

The RS Fire Shield™ is a lightweight, rigid, composite shell designed to encapsulate a utility pole from the ground line up to protect the pole and mitigate fire-related damage. Developed using the same self-extinguishing polyurethane resin formulation used in all RS poles, the Fire Shield™ provides extended fire duration protection.

The Fire Shield™ creates a sacrificial thermal barrier protecting the underlying pole to ensure the pole’s structural capacity is maintained during and after a wildfire event, enabling faster restorations because pole replacements are no longer required. If exposed to severe fire conditions, the Fire Shield™ is easily remediated following the fire event using a proprietary polyurethane resin restoration coating or quickly replaced, depending on the level of damage.

EXPOSURE DURATION: 3 MIN
TOTAL HEAT FLUX: 16,540 kW-s/m²
PEAK TEMPERATURE: 2,332°F [1,278°C]

The distribution grid has millions of poles located in challenging areas. Some of these locations could even be in your own backyard as decades of urban intensification have built up around the grid, effectively isolating pole locations in back lots behind row houses. Until recently, the only way to change poles in these locations was with a crane, adding unnecessary cost and risk to what would otherwise be a simple pole replacement.

Lightweight RS modules coupled with the gin pole enables poles in these locations to be safely and efficiently replaced by hand.

Gin Pole Figure 1
RS gin pole assembly sequence diagram
Gin Pole Operation
Operation of the gin pole is easy and allows a crew of four to vertically erect poles up to 78 ft. [23.8 m] by hand, without the use of heavy equipment. Figure 1 details the assembly sequence:
  1. The base module (M5) is installed in the ground and the gin pole is attached to the base module with ratchet straps.
  2. The next module (M4) is lifted above the base module (M5) and the slip joint is assembled.
  3. The gin pole is moved up to the top module (M4) and the next module (M3) is lifted and the slip joint assembled.
  4. The process is repeated until the pole is completely assembled.
Hardware connections can be an overlooked component in overhead lines, however, they provide a critical function. Every connection to a pole requires hardware and, like wood, steel, and concrete poles, there are some considerations to be aware of. In the end, it is RS’s goal to utilize as much of a utility’s existing standard hardware as possible. Where required, RS is able to supply any additional hardware to complete the project. There are hardware solutions available for every RS pole application.
There are a few simple guidelines to follow when selecting hardware for use on RS poles:
  • Avoid hardware with cleats which is designed for use with wood poles.
  • Avoid sharp edge contact on the pole surface by ensuring the radius of curved hardware is correctly matched to the RS pole diameter. If there is a diameter mismatch, an RS bearing plate can be used as an intermediary.
  • Spread the load over the pole surface with square curved washers backing through bolt connections.
  • Guy wire connections will typically utilize a two-bolt guying tee to connect to the pole, however, guy wire loads should be reviewed using the RS Pole and Hardware Calculator to ensure the correct through bolt requirements.

In most cases, hardware for round cross-section steel and concrete poles can be readily used on RS poles. Almost all hardware manufacturers offer a flat-backed version of cleated hardware they produce for wood poles.

When it comes to crossarms and cross braces, any material including composite, steel, aluminum, or wood can be used with RS poles.

Climbing RS poles is achieved using steps or ladders. Many climbing solutions are available.