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Efficiency Through Performance For utilities companies serving remote or hard-to-reach areas, the challenges of maintaining infrastructure are magnified. These locations often experience harsher environmental conditions, and the logistics of transporting and installing traditional utility poles can be both time-consuming and costly. The key to reducing these long-term costs and improving efficiency in isolated areas lies in adopting high-performance RS poles. Resilient Structures utility poles, made from advanced engineered composite materials offer numerous advantages over traditional wood or steel poles and are engineered to perform in these high-demand applications. A Longer Lifespan for Lower Costs One of the standout features of RS utility poles is their exceptional durability. Unlike wooden poles, which can rot, or steel poles, which can corrode, composite poles are resistant to a wide range of environmental conditions. They are designed to withstand high winds, heavy rains, and extreme temperatures, making them ideal for remote locations where weather conditions can be unpredictable. Additionally, composite poles are impervious to pests like termites and woodpeckers, which can significantly shorten the lifespan of wooden poles. This durability ensures that composite poles have a longer service life, reducing the frequency of replacements and repairs. Fewer vulnerabilities also mean reduced maintenance requirements. Traditional wooden poles often require regular inspections and treatments to prevent decay and pest infestations, while steel poles need periodic maintenance to prevent rust and corrosion. Composite poles, however, require minimal maintenance once installed. Over time, the reduced maintenance demands translate into substantial cost savings for utility companies. Lightweight, Strong and Simpler to Install Another significant advantage of composite utility poles is their lightweight nature. Compared to their wooden or steel counterparts, composite poles are much less expensive to transport and install. This is particularly beneficial in remote areas where access can be challenging, and the use of heavy equipment may not be possible. Despite their lightweight construction, composite utility poles yeild an impressive strength-to-weight ratio. Once installed, they are capable of supporting heavy loads, including power lines, transformers, and other expensive specialty transmission or distribution equipment. The added integrity ensures that they can be deployed in a variety of applications without compromise. For utility providers searching for faster, lower cost installation in remote areas, with enhanced reliability going forward, Resilient Structure utility poles are the clear solution. The combination of strength and durability makes them an ideal choice for providing service continuity to challenging locations. Remote Locations a Smart Starting Place Alternative poles aren’t always avilable when you need them. Due to supply chain challenges and competition, wood poles sometimes are hard to find, and those already in service become more likely to fail with each passing year. For utility companies interested in adding more reliability and resiliency to their infrastructure, remote locations are an ideal place to begin. In coastal areas, where exposure to salt and wind can rapidly deteriorate traditional poles, RS poles are proven to be a game-changer. Similarly, in mountainous regions where access is limited and installation is challenging, the ease of handling and durability of our composite poles result in more efficient and cost-effective infrastructure projects. Additionally, the durability and longer service life means fewer disruptions to service, which can improve customer satisfaction and minimize outage-related costs. In fact, when evaluating the total cost of ownership, composite utility poles often prove to be the more economical choice, regardless of installation location. Expand Your Boundaries with Composite Don’t settle for the status quo when it comes to the hurdles of remote installations. Invest in the simplicity and reliability of Resilient Structure composite poles. Take advantage of our advanced materials that are readily available, lighter weight, cheaper to install, more durable, with an overall lower life cycle maintenance cost. Easier to deploy and feature zero scheduled maintenance. Speak with a member of the Resilient Structures team today to discuss the best solution for your projects. DOWNLOAD PDF

The Necessity of Reliability In an era where extreme weather events, wildfires, and other natural disasters pose increasing risks to our infrastructure, the reliability of utility services has never been more important. Within the utility industry, ensuring a stable and reliable grid is more than just a priority—it’s a necessity. The stakes are even higher when interruptions can have devastating consequences for critical infrastructure and local economies. The lines and circuits delivering service to industrial facilities, hospitals, senior care facilities, schools, water treatment facilities and commercial businesses must be protected. Traditional Utility Poles Not Up to the Task Traditional utility poles, typically made from wood steel, or others, have long been the backbone of our electrical and communication networks. However, these materials have limitations and risk when the consequences of a failure matter the most. Wood poles are susceptible to woodpeckers, carpenter ants and other pests, along with wind, fire and ice. Even in ideal conditions they weaken as they age. In addition, availability of wood and alternative poles such as, steel, or others is making it increasingly difficult to get supply when you need them, particularly for municipal utilities and co-operatives. Given these challenges, there is a growing need for more available, durable and resilient alternatives. RS utility poles are engineered to withstand nature’s harshest conditions while minimizing maintenance. They offer a promising solution to the reliability challenges faced by utility companies of all sizes. Stronger, More Reliable RS Composite Poles RS utility poles are constructed from a blend of proprietary materials such as fiberglass, polyurethane resin, and other composites. These materials were engineered over decades and are specifically chosen for their strength, durability, and resistance to environmental stressors. Unlike traditional poles, RS poles do not suffer from issues like decay, corrosion, or destructive wildlife. Their non-conductive nature also makes them safer for the crews who work on them, and the customers they serve. RS poles are also better at handling the extreme conditions that are becoming more common in every community. From high winds and heavy snowfall to wildfires and flooding, their resilience increases the likelihood that utility services remain uninterrupted, safeguarding critical infrastructure and minimizing downtime during disasters. By leveraging the unique properties of composite materials, our utility poles provide a robust alternative that can withstand the rigors faced in deployment. Their lightweight nature also materially reduces transportation and installation, reducing time and the associated labor costs. Reduced maintenance needs and longer lifespans mean significantly reduced costs due to: no replacement costs or repairs. So, while the unit cost of RS poles may be perceived to be higher than traditional poles, the long-term savings are substantial and provide more value than the alternative pole. Upgrade Your Grid The adoption of RS utility poles in high-threat or difficult to reach environments represents a forward-thinking approach to your infrastructure needs. Broadly using this innovative technology today, protects your assets and enhances service reliability against future destruction from pests, and environmental factors like wildfires and increasingly damaging storms and weather events. Interested in further exploring a transition to RS utility poles? A member of the Resilient Structures team is ready to answer your questions. DOUNLOAD PDF

Challenge: Building a reliable grid capable of delivering power to all customers requires utility companies, regardless of size, to place some utility poles in less-than-ideal locations. These may include: Rear easements Residential backyards and commercial back lot locations can result in costly specialized equipment or cranes being required for installation. Remote and challenging locations Off-road locations can require expensive permanent or temporary roads to be constructed. Wetlands Swamps and wetlands can be challenging to access for pole replacement and new construction. Rear easements Residential backyards and commercial back lot locations can result in costly specialized equipment or cranes being required for installation. Marine Installations Some overhead lines are off-road only, or restricted to water access, significantly limiting the options for transporting materials and equipment to the installation location. Adjacent to major thoroughfares In areas where poles are located close to busy roads, a utility might not be able to close off multiple lanes to install single-piece poles. Solution: Composite poles from Resilient Structures can reduce the need for labor, equipment and time required for installation. The lower installed structure costs can save money in the short term and reduce the Total Cost of Ownership by minimizing the need for future replacement and additional installation costs. Resilient Structures composite poles are lightweight and modular, allowing them to be: Carried by hand, minimizing the need for access by heavy equipment, and erected by hand using a gin pole. This keeps back lot installations safe. Nested transportation, which means more poles can be delivered to site on a single truck at a much lower cost compared to alternative longer, heavy weight structures. Brought to the project site and installed faster using lighter duty equipment, than traditional pole materials aiding in more efficient access for remote and challenging terrain. Transported by boat, ATV, argos, snow machines, and even hand dollies when transporting to remote locations. Installed vertically one module at a time, eliminating the need for cranes with wide outriggers which block multiple lanes and force traffic restrictions. Evidence: RS utility structures are commonly used in difficult to install applications across North America and abroad instead of heavier, more difficult to transport alternatives. In this case an Australian utility with 28,000 low voltage poles in residential and commercial backyards faced severe access limitations when replacement was necessary. Standard wooden, concrete or steel single piece poles were not a viable option. The only multi-piece poles available for installation with a lifting beam were composite and steel. The lighter weight, non-conductive and non-corrosive composite material, along with the lower cost, made composite poles the clear choice for most of their replacement projects. Pole replacement required only mini excavators and elevated work platforms, scaffolding and ladders and a lifting beam. The pole hole and pole base are installed by the mini excavator, alleviating the need for more substantial equipment. More Evidence: When designing a 22-mile 69kV transmission line, reliability was paramount. It would need to sustain 150 mph wind speeds and serve a critical customer and local economy micro-GDP commercial complex, which provided services and jobs for the community. All types of materials including wood, steel, concrete and composite were evaluated for material resistance to UV, combustion, salt contamination, corrosive soils, insects, and birds. The Resilient Structures composite pole provided the best all-around solution. Although the economic evaluation alone justified their use, the most significant advantage of Resilient Structures poles was the ability for the utility to install 100 percent of the poles internally with their composite trained crews, minimizing the need for specialized line crews and eliminating any additional equipment requirements beyond their existing fleet.  

Challenge: Building resiliency into critical structures and circuits is at the core of improving a utility’s overall system reliability. The cost and impact of failure is immense. When critical structures fail, the electric equipment (transformers, reclosers, etc.) they support also go out of service. Often the equipment is damaged and unusable. These poles and their associated equipment then take longer and cost more to restore in spite of their importance to the system. Similarly, critical circuits are mission critical for infrastructure, hospitals, and other key community services. Their failure has a profound impact on the community and local economy. Investing to protect these important assets is a strategic imperative for leading utilities. Age, exposure to the elements, and extended replacement cycles lead to the gradual degradation of the average strength of wood structures. These structures are then far more prone to fail when facing challenges such as:Severe Weather The impact of severe weather on electric infrastructure is unmistakable. Hurricanes, tornados, derecho winds, and ice storms have devastated communities across North America. Fires WIldfires are increasingly a risk that cannot be ignored. From pole top fires originating on the structure itself to naturally caused wildfires burning utility structures, the impact on critical structures and circuits is the same. It takes only minutes for fire to cause a wood structure to fail. Ice Storms Heavy ice buildup on overhead lines and equipment places extreme pressure on the poles supporting them. Without the ability to absorb the elastic strain, failure of these critical structures and circuits is increasingly inevitable. Solution: Targeted use of composite poles on critical structures and circuits can dramatically improve the overall performance of an electric system. Wood, and alternative poles will always have a role as utility structures, but when it comes to protecting a utility’s most important assets, nothing surpasses the performance of composites. Composite poles from Resilient Structures are engineered to perform in all extreme weather conditions. The advanced material science ensures an engineered pole capable of ensuring the mission-critical operation of selected elements of the system. Resilient Structures composite poles are strong and resilient thanks to advanced design and company support: The mean ultimate strength of our composite poles is up to 100% greater than the published strength, substantially more than that of other engineered materials. Resilient Structures poles are non-conductive and do not support combustion, mitigating fire threats Our composite poles absorb significant elastic strain energy in high-load situations, with the ability to prevent cascading failures of adjacent wood or steel poles. A dedicated and qualified team of experienced engineers is ready to partner with structural analysis, hardware review and drawings specifically for your project Every Resilient Structure pole features a 41-year limited warranty and a projected service life of 80+ years. High Load and Hurricane Evidence: In December 2021, a series of record-setting tornadoes tore through Western Kentucky. After the tornadoes had passed Hopkinsville, within the service territory of Pennyrile RECC, over two miles of 13kV wood distribution poles lay on the ground from a wind-load-induced cascading failure. However, three Resilient Structures composite poles installed in 2012 stopped three different cascading wood pole failure events on the circuit, preventing further damage to the system and protecting nearby critical substation components. Similarly, Resilient Structures poles used on a 22-mile, 69kV line in Grand Bahama have repeatedly proven their resilience to hurricanes. In 2016, the island was hit by Hurricane Matthew, a Category 4 storm with winds of 140 mph. A direct hit destroyed approximately 10% of the area’s poles, over 2,300 in all. As the restoration efforts began, it became clear that Resilient Structures composite poles stood strong during the hurricane, with zero failures Then, in 2019, Category 5 Hurricane Dorian brought wind gusts up to 220 mph and $7 billion in damage. However, a text message from Grand Bahama Power Vice President Frank Woodworth confirmed that the Resilient Structures composite poles had survived… “again.” Fire and Ice Storm Evidence: Resilient Structures is a pioneer in engineering utility pole solutions to address the growing risk of failure due to fire and ice. Faced with an intensifying challenge and desperate to mitigate their fire threat risk, California’s utilities needed a pole that would not burn. Newly named gigafires, fires that destroy 1 million acres or more, were wreaking havoc, but Resilient Structures had a solution. In 2011, unsatisfied with the existing industry fire tests, Resilient Structures partnered with University of Alberta fire expert Mark Ackerman to develop a full-scale test that simulated the realities of a wildfire. This test, known as the RS-Ackerman Fire Test, has become the industry standard all California utilities use to evaluate a pole’s fire performance. Resilient Structures composite poles passed the test and outperform the alternatives, making them safer for line crews and the public. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Kentucky experienced a severe ice storm in January 2009 that caused $240 million in damage to jurisdictional utilities alone. West Kentucky Electrical Co-operative (WKREC) was already in the process of a pilot evaluation of 10 Resilient Structures poles when this disaster struck. The high-performance Resilient Structures poles went undamaged in the storm and even carried the load of a neighboring steel pole when it collapsed. The superior resiliency and reliability demonstrated here provided unyielding confidence in Resilient Structures poles – which are now used not only in the WKREC’s highest priority sections of their grid but many other global utilities as well.  

Challenge: Utilities plan for wood utility poles to deliver for at least 40 years, but many wood poles last less than 30 due to environmental conditions. Whether it’s across an entire grid or in a very specific region, the failure of utility poles can be accelerated by: Destructive wildlife and pests – Pound for pound, nothing is more destructive to a wood pole than a woodpecker or carpenter ants. The structural damage inflicted on wood pole lines set the stage for catastrophic failure in high load events. Foam filler and wraps are costly band-aids that only prolong the inevitable. Wildfire vulnerable regions High winds regions Ice storm prone regions Wetlands and naturally humid regions – Poles installed in areas with high ground water or high average rainfall can suffer from rot, or corrosion resulting in reduced load bearing capability of the pole. Salt, alkaline/acidic, and sand wind impacted environments – Steel or concrete poles installed in coastal areas or close to roadways where salt crystals or brine are used for ice control have a high probability of corrosion (steel) or spalling (concrete, because of corroding steel rebar inside the pole). Solution: Ending the threat of natural decay and wildlife requires using poles that are not susceptible to these dangers. Composite poles from Resilient Structures (RS) are made from an advanced composite material with integrated UV protection. They combine an ultra-strong polyurethane resin and E-glass fiber rovings to withstand everything nature can throw at it. The unmatched durability of a Resilient Structures pole means: The composite material is impervious to woodpeckers, termites and carpenter ants, dramatically increasing service life in locations with a high risk of exposure to damaging pests. They will not rot or corrode and are resistant to salt, soil pH levels and chemicals. This allows for excellent wet area and coastal performance. Resilient Structures poles require no scheduled maintenance, like preservative treatments or repainting, resulting in significant operational savings. Inspections are fast and non-invasive. Typical pole replacement frequencies are cut in half. Evidence: During a 15-year period the population of great woodpeckers doubled in Canada and tripled in Quebec. As a result, Hydro-Québec, which manages a fleet of 2 million poles, experienced an exponential increase in woodpecker activity on its facilities. From 2012 to 2021, the utility documented more than 100,000 poles with damage caused by woodpeckers. About 12,000 poles of those require replacement. While older wood poles were thought to be more vulnerable to the birds, Hydro-Quebec’s newest facility found 10 percent of its 500 poles already damaged after just two years in service. Since replacement costs thousands of dollars for each pole, utilities often try to protect poles with physical barriers, including wire mesh or rigid casings. However, their effectiveness only delayed the inevitable. Instead, Hydro-Québec is maximizing value using RS composite poles and identifying the appropriate use and installation locations as part of their reliability plan. Thus reducing costly frequent repairs and associated ancillary costs of wood poles.