While wood poles are subject to stringent standards of treatment, inspection and emplacement, over time their anti-decay treatment dissipates and they begin to deteriorate. If not properly inspected, maintained or replaced, they will become a hazard to both the Utility and the Public.
The National Electrical Safety Code and Utility standards often stipulate a timeline of when poles should to be inspected. Periodic and thorough inspections of wooden poles following, NESC code guidelines, is vital for maximizing pole life. The information provided can prove vital in determining the condition of the structure or to ascertain if it is due for repair, modification or upgrade and to determine what maintenance/repair procedures are required.
QRS Integrity Inspections provide this important information to the Client. Inspectors look for potential problems with the electrical services, guy wires, animal guards, structural damage to the pole from outside sources, and wood decay issues with the pole. The most common problem found is groundline decay.
Groundline decay can be brought about by three main sources: Bacterial decomposition, Fungal growth, and colonization of Wood boring Insects.
Inspection
An initial visual inspection will be made on all poles from the ground line to the poletop to determine the overall condition of the pole. This visual inspection will include a review of the pole structure itself and of any attachments to the pole for conditions that might jeopardize reliability and/or may be in need of replacement, repair or minor follow-up. After the visual inspection, the pole inspector will perform a sounding and may do further testing of the pole if they suspect internal deterioration or decay is present.
Utilities acknowledge that a modest increase in service life can cause a major improvement in their bottom line. Modest management improvements can also produce significant capital expenditure benefits.
It is relatively easy to see that from a customer satisfaction point of view, it is better to prevent a service outage from a structure failure, than to respond to a service outage. The difficulty is in knowing which poles should have priority for treatment or maintenance.
While wood poles are subject to stringent standards of treatment, inspection and emplacement, over time their anti-decay treatment dissipates and they begin to deteriorate. If not properly inspected, maintained or replaced, they will become a hazard to both the Utility and the Public.
Inspection
Phone: (509) 927-8527