45 replies to this topic

[Punisher_FIN]

hey guys, remember we have 4 seasons in finland, so wood decays (even chreosote poles) usually within 30-40 years at max, soits highly uncommon to find over 50 year old wooden pole, which still stands and has not decayed to ground level at all

anyway, i checked and started to think about that digging depth and in here its 10% +1 meter (3 feet), BUT they hit the ground level mark (here its always labeled, where ground level should be) at 2 meter (6,25ft) to distripution poles and in transmission its 3 (9,5ft) meters, even the pole is 22m (67ft) long, dunno why, should ask our foreman, cause it "breaks" the regulations ive taught at shool.. :o

[lashdawg]

chicken wing, on 17 October 2010 - 05:47 PM, said:

DLINEMAN, on 30 January 2010 - 07:06 PM, said:

Just was wondering what the oldest pole you'll have change out.I change out a 1939,40-7 the other day.The pole was still solid in the ground and fair shape on top.Still good enough to climb.

We changed out a 40-5 that was from 1928 and I didn't have to but I chose to climb it just to strip it so I could say I climbed a 1928 pole. The thing would have stood for a while but we needed to put a 50-2 in for a 3 phase riser.

OK, for the unedumacated, what does a 40-5 or 50-2 stand for? I'm assuming the 40 and 50 are the heights of the pole, but can you go into detail?

[wood stabber]

Thought you was a Lineman,,,,,

So you can say you learned something today, it's the class of the pole. Example: a 45/4 ,45/1,55/2,55/4,,, a class 1 pole will be fatter at the top than a 4 and so on,,,

Points for someone(ape or grunt) who can tell me how they determine the class of poles,,,,,

[lashdawg]

wood stabber, on 20 October 2010 - 04:16 PM, said:

Thought you was a Lineman,,,,,

So you can say you learned something today, it's the class of the pole. Example: a 45/4 ,45/1,55/2,55/4,,, a class 1 pole will be fatter at the top than a 4 and so on,,,

Points for someone(ape or grunt) who can tell me how they determine the class of poles,,,,,

He speaks.

Yeah, I'm a lineman, but I don't know everything. The guy who says he does is a liar. I thought it might be the class, but I didn't know for sure, and thank you wood stabber for the clarification.

I know of the classes, but I don't know the specifics on each. For example, I couldn't walk up to a pole and say, "That's a class x pole." Unless we're talking about a class 1 pole, it's kinda hard to mistake those!

Here's another question regarding this same thing, when you say a 45' pole, is that 45' total or just 45' above ground?

[strange052]

Lash, pole measurement is the whole length, not just above ground

I found this on pole sizing...Google is your friend.
http://www.sizes.com...utilitypole.htm

Quote

Utility poles are divided into ten classes, from 1 to 10. The classes' definition specifies a minimum circumference that depends on the species of tree and the length of the pole. This circumference is measured 6 feet from the butt of the pole. There is also a minimum top circumference that is the same for all species and lengths.
For example, a class 1 pole has a minimum top circumference of 27 inches. If it is 25 feet long and cedar (most utility poles are cedar), the circumference measured 6 feet from the bottom must be at least 43.5 inches.
The higher the class number, the skinnier the pole. Pole lengths start at 16 feet and increase by 2-foot steps to 22 feet, then by fives from 25 feet to 90 feet. A 90-foot class 1 western red cedar pole weighs about 6,600 pounds. A 16-foot pole weighs only about 700.
Standards (from ANSI) severely limit or exclude various types of damage, including bird holes and insect boring, and describe ways of specifying the pole's straightness.

http://en.wikipedia....ki/Utility_pole

Quote

In the United States, utility poles are marked with information concerning the manufacturer, pole height, ANSI strength class, wood species, original preservative, and year manufactured[10] (vintage) in accordance with ANSI standard 05.1-2002;[11] this is called branding, as it is usually burned into the surface. Although the position of the brand is determined by ANSI specification, it is essentially just below "eye level" after installation. A general rule of thumb for understanding a pole's brand is the manufacturer's name or logo at the top with a 2-digit date beneath (sometimes preceded by a month).

Below the date is a 2-character wood species abbreviation and 1 to 3 character preservative. Some wood species may be: "SP" for southern pine, "WC" for western cedar, and "DF" for Douglas fir; common preservative abbreviations are "C" for creosote, "P" for pentachlorophenol, and "SK" for chromated copper arsenate (originally referred to Salts type K). The next line of the brand is usually the pole's ANSI Class, used to determine maximum load; this number ranges from 10 to H6 with a smaller number meaning higher strength. The pole's height (from butt to top) in 5 foot increments is usually to the right of the class separated by a hyphen, although it is not uncommon for older brands to have the height on a separate line. The pole brand is sometimes an aluminum tag nailed in place

[Punisher_FIN]

i knew you guys your own system for this

ours is simple, the pole strenght is simply determined in the blueprints, which tell how thick it needs to be at top and only one tree is used for poles here, so its always very static how much stress they can take ;)