It’s Time to Stop Drilling Holes in Poles!
By Ian Flatley
No matter where you go in the world, electricity distribution companies continue to rely on the humble power pole to deliver power to the bulk of their customers.
It has proven to be an excellent tool for the task. Power poles are affordable, sturdy, yet surprisingly flexible, and relatively easy to transport and install. A good quality power pole has a lifespan of many decades when properly maintained and able to avoid damage.
Regular testing is required to monitor the strength and integrity of power poles, which vary greatly in quality and strength, based on the nature of the wood used and the conditions the tree faced over its lifespan prior to being harvested, as well as the conditions experienced and how it is maintained once in place..
Unfortunately, the electricity industry continues to rely on outdated and often unreliable methods for pole testing. These methods are not only time-consuming but can also compromise the structural integrity of the poles themselves, potentially leading to further deterioration and safety hazards.
Traditional Pole Testing Methods are of Limited Use
Around the world utilities companies continue to use a range of testing methods that are invasive, damaging and subjective.
Drilling and Sounding: This involves drilling holes into the poles to inspect their internal condition and using a hammer to test the soundness of the wood. While these methods can provide some insights, they are invasive and can introduce new weaknesses by creating entry points for moisture, fungal decay and pests.
Visual Inspections: These are often limited to surface-level assessments and can miss internal decay or damage that is not visible externally. Subjective judgement of inspectors, which can produce inconsistent results and potentially overlook critical issues.
These techniques continue to be widely used in the industry despite the existence of more modern testing methods which can improve the efficiency of pole maintenance, reduce costs, and enhance the reliability of electricity infrastructure.
Non-invasive Testing, Real-time Results
When you are managing thousands of poles, on which the reliability of power provision to your customers and communities depends, there are three crucial things your pole testing efforts should involve:
Non-invasive Testing: Pole testing methods which assess the condition of poles without causing damage during testing, preserving the structural integrity of the pole.
Objective Results: Replacing subjective assessments with testing which gives objective, consistent and reliable results and enables confident decision-making.
Insights, in Real-time: Data collection is one thing, but the value comes with the insights that are available. Pole testing results should be available in real-time and give asset owners feedback on the health of poles, enabling confident budgeting and more efficient prioritization and maintenance planning.
As one of the founders and directors of Groundline Engineering and THOR Poletest, I have seen first-hand the challenges of testing utility poles around the world. I have also seen the devastating consequences when poles fail. While some damage is caused by natural disasters, far too many impacts are created by, or made worse by, poor pole maintenance, and this is entirely preventable.
THOR Poletest ® is an innovation created from the team at Groundline and has been developed specifically to address these challenges, but this post is not meant to be a sales pitch for THOR. If you are responsible for the provision of power in a safe and reliable way, I am asking you to ask yourself this:
Are we using the best method to help achieve our objectives? Modern technologies are here and being used around the world. Is it time to change what you have always done?
New Technologies Save Money
THOR utilizes non-destructive seismic methods to assess pole integrity without drilling, so avoids the introduction of new weaknesses or rot risks discussed above.
Pole testing with THOR takes less than a minute per pole, enabling 60 - 70 poles to be tested per day.
With field engineers using a network-connected digital device to gather pole-testing data, operators receive immediate feedback on the health status of poles. GIS data records the exact location of each pole, and the THOR pole portal provides full transparency, offering detailed data on pole test results, and maintenance needs. This facilitates better planning and management of pole maintenance and replacement programs.
By accurately identifying poles that need replacement, THOR has been shown to reduce unnecessary pole replacements by approximately 30%, leading to significant cost savings. We have deployed THOR all over the world and it has been shown to outperform traditional methods in numerous independent trials.
Most importantly, the system helps utilities meet regulatory obligations and enhance the safety and reliability of their infrastructure. With many of the world’s utility poles now in place for 50 years or more, experiencing more frequent weather extremes, efficient pole testing is crucial to avoid costly pole failures and to help manage an orderly replacement program.
It’s time for the electricity industry to move away from outdated pole testing methods and embrace modern, non-invasive technologies. By deploying technologies such as THOR Poletest, utility lines companies can better manage their pole assets and allow the industry to make its investments in electricity distribution infrastructure go further.
Find out more about THOR Poletest and get in touch if you’d like to talk about using THOR in your network.
