Wooden Utility Poles, also known as transmission poles, support overhead power lines and various other public utilities, such as cable, fibre optic cable, and related equipment such as transformers and street lights. It can be referred to as a transmission pole, telephone pole, telecommunication pole, power pole, hydro pole, telegraph pole, or telegraph post, depending on its application.

The power poles in your neighbourhood range in height from 30ft to 60ft tall. Big ones that you may see along major roads and highways measure from 60ft to more than 120ft in height. The world's tallest power line suspension towers, which flank the Yangtze River in Jiangyin, China, are 1,137' tall! Electrical cable is routed overhead on wood utility poles as an inexpensive way to keep it insulated from the ground and out of the way of people and vehicles.

Utility poles can be made of wood, metal, concrete, or composites like fiberglass. They are used for two different types of power lines; subtransmission lines which carry higher voltage power between substations, and distribution lines which distribute lower voltage power to customers.

Utility poles were first used in the mid-19th century with telegraph systems, starting with Samuel Morse who attempted to bury a line between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., but moved it aboveground when this system proved faulty. Today, underground distribution lines are increasingly used as an alternative to utility poles in residential neighbourhoods, due to poles' perceived ugliness.

Read more here.

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Most power poles are 50 to 60 years old, with some of them much older than that. Depending on your local climate, wooden utility poles in your neck of the woods may last from 40 to 60 years. Metal and concrete poles can last much longer, but eventually all utility poles need to be replaced.

R&B Group specialises in the manufacturing, large scale order and export of wooden utility poles throughout Africa, and globally. Our easy access to the harbours of the South African East coast make shipping them to any destination simple.

All timber utility poles, need to be treated using a creosote or CCA process in order for them to be protected from pest, insects and fungi infestations. Timber that is in contact with the ground such as the utility pole itself, will need to be H4 treated, while the cross arms will require a H3 treatment. The lesser treatment is due to there being no ground contact.

All R&B Group utility poles come in the following popular sizes: Length 8m - 18m. Top Diameter: 120mm - 240mm. Other specifications are available on request.

All R&B Group utility poles are manufactured under ISO9001 certification & to the stringent SABS 754 quality controls. As a customer you can be assured of our quality.

You can find out more here.

Claire Brear

I build beautiful Squarespace websites for creatives, coaches and causes. Based in South Africa, working internationally.

http://www.backyardcreative.co.za
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