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.
