Steel Utility pole

A utility pole is a wooden pole used to 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,^[1] telegraph pole, or telegraph post, depending on its application. A stobie pole is a multi-purpose pole made of two steel joists held apart by a slab of concrete in the middle, generally found in South Australia.

Electrical cable is routed overhead on 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.

Utility poles are commonly used to carry two types of electric power lines:^[2] distribution lines (or "feeders") and subtransmission lines. Distribution lines carry power from local substations to customers. They generally carry voltages from 4.6 to 33 kilovolts (kV) for distances up to thirty miles, and include transformers to step the voltage down from the primary voltage of the lines to the lower secondary voltage used by the customer. A service drop carries this lower voltage to the customer's premises.

Subtransmission lines carry higher voltage power from regional substations to local substations. They usually carry 46 kV, 69 kV, or 115 kV for distances up to 60 miles. 230kV lines are often supported on H-shaped towers made with two or three poles. Transmission lines carrying voltages of above 230kV are usually not supported by poles, but by metal pylons (known as transmission towers in the United States).

For economic or practical reasons, such as to save space in urban areas, a distribution line is often carried on the same poles as a subtransmission line but mounted under the higher voltage lines; a practice called "underbuild". Telecommunication cables are usually carried on the same poles that support power lines; poles shared in this fashion are known as joint-use poles. However, they may also have their own dedicated poles.

Description [edit]

The standard utility pole in the United States is about 40 ft (12 m) long and is buried about 6 ft (2 m) in the ground.^[3] However, poles can reach heights of 120 ft (37 m) or more to satisfy clearance requirements. They are typically spaced about 125 ft (38 m) apart in urban areas, or about 300 ft (91 m) in rural areas, but distances vary widely based on terrain. Joint-use poles are usually owned by one utility, which leases space on it for other cables. In the United States, the National Electrical Safety Code, published by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) (not to be confused with the National Electrical Code published by the National Fire Protection Agency [NFPA]), sets the standards for construction and maintenance of utility poles and their equipment.

Standards for wood preservative materials and wood preservation processes, along with test criteria, are in ANSI, ASTM, and AWPA specifications, and in GR-60, Generic Requirements for Wooden Utility Poles.

Pole materials [edit]