Composite Utility Poles: Advances in Design, Materials & Manufacturing

Summary form only given. FRC (fiber-reinforced composite) or "composite" poles have been in use since the mid-1950's, when they were first installed in Hawaii as a solution to wood pole degradation and steel pole corrosion occurring due to the moist salt air environment. Since those early days, significant advancements have been made in composite pole technology to the point where today composite lighting standards are the norm. With their high strength-to-weight ratio, environmental friendliness, non-conductivity, and longest lifespan on the market, composite utility poles for distribution and transmission applications are steadily gaining in popularity with electric utilities. Filament winding, pultrusion, spincasting, and vacuum infusion are the most common composite pole manufacturing processes being used today. The focus of this paper will be on the filament winding technique and the recent key advances that have been made with this process, including new axial fiber placement technology allowing the fiberglass rovings to be placed longitudinally along the pole for increased strength, and development of high-strength, impact-resistant polyurethane resin. In addition to the technological improvements, an innovative modular design concept allows lightweight composite utility pole modules to be easily transported and assembled to make up various combinations of pole lengths and classes