Kathleen Davis, Associate Editor
The major battles in the electric industry of late seem to center on ISO vs. FERC or consumer vs. utility (after the crisis in California and the blackout of the downtown Chicago area last month). In doing so, they lose sight of another real tussle-one of the fundamental arguments of the industry: What material works best for utility poles?
It’s not a trivial argument, a lot rests on those poles-every ounce of power in the American grid to be exact. For what good is it if you have the power but no way to move it? So, finding the most economical, most reliable form of utility pole is-on a core level-important to sustaining electrical continuity.
 Money isn’t the only factor in deciding between wood and steel: This lineman shows his skills at scaling wood poles at a recent Lineman’s Rodeo. Photo courtesy of ComEd. |
Steel is the upstart in this fight, and it hasn’t made as much headway as it would like. It is, indeed, making progress though, with the American Iron and Steel Institute convening a Texas conference on the subject of steel utility poles this month. Wood, on the other hand, is the aging champion, still reigning-but often painted obsolete by its opponent. But they don’t plan on giving up too easily.
The new steel
Steel thinks it can emerge the victor, citing a lighter weight as its first major advantage over wood. Being less bulky allows steel poles to be transported easier and faster, over a bit more rough terrain. Major manufacturers of wood poles, however, claim that wood’s estimated weight is often padded by the steel camp.
In addition to differences in weight, as Duane Oliver-the construction supervisor for Arizona Public Service’s Northwest Division-points out, “You can move more poles at a time, with less stress on equipment.”
And, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute, steel poles can be pre-drilled to company specifications for all the holes needed, making site installation quicker as well.
Proponents of steel also point to reliability and consistency of material, saying that wood quality varies from tree to tree-and, therefore, from pole to pole. Steel, being a manufactured product with set specifications, claims more evenness of quality.
And then there’s the all-important area of price-with both steel and wood claiming victory. The steel contingency begins by estimating the life span of wood to be around 30 to 35 years with steel outlasting wood by another 30 to 50 years, skewing the price advantage (estimated over longevity) towards steel.
Classic wood
Wood pole activists reply that steel’s estimate about wood’s longevity is biased and low; “misstated” is a common phrase. They shoot the numbers up four decades or more for the life span of a cultivated (kept up, kept an eye on) wood utility pole. In fact, they claim that some poles in the U.S. and Canada have been in service for nearly a century, which, of course, brings cost swinging around in their favor once again.
“Recent surveys show that many more years of service are being obtained than utilities had previously assumed,” said Dean Matthews, publisher of Cedar Pole News and an official representative of the Western Red Cedar Pole Association. “A properly maintained wood pole has an actual service of at least 74 years according to the surveys. Reviews of transmission line records showed significant deterioration did not exist within the previously assumed 30 to 40 year life expectancy,” he added.
The Western Red Cedar Association estimates that approximately 100 million wood utility poles are currently in use in North America, of which the primary species include Western Red Cedar, Douglas Fir and Southern Pine. Most are Southern Pine, according to Matthews-weighing in around 70 percent. (Lodgepole Pine and Red Pine are also used, just not as frequently.) Clearly, wood is a powerhouse in the utility pole arena-no matter how many arguments about preference occur.
And, beyond the price factor and longevity issues of the utility’s viewpoint, there’s the preference of the lineman who must scale those poles. Their choice is an obvious one, really: They’d rather climb wood. With linemen, the traditional choice still reigns.
Even those in the steel camp admit to this hurdle. Citing a study conducted by Wirthlin Worldwide, the American Iron and Steel Institute believes that crewman preference for wood poles is a large factor in the continuing use of wood in the North American grid.
Duane Oliver of Arizona Public Service dealt with this bias toward the traditional wooden pole by involving his crew from the start of the utility’s steel pole usage. “They helped establish procedures and safety standards,” Oliver stated.
“Now that the guys are experienced with steel poles, they prefer them over wood. They’re comfortable working with steel,” he added.
It seems that neither side is quite ready to admit defeat on this issue; so don’t expect there to be a definitive victor any time soon.
Johanna Kirk, American Iron and Steel Institute, can be reached at 510-865-5100. The Western Red Cedar Pole Association can be contacted at 800-410-1917.
