In this short article, we run through the alternatives to Pentachlorophenol wood preservative and how you can use them in conjunction with a full barrier system to prevent decay and increase pole life by +20 years from the start.
Utility companies have a large number of assets spread over a large area. These assets require regular inspection, maintenance, repair and replacement. The effective management of assets is key to maintaining safety and network reliability while ensuring financial stability and reducing long-term costs.
In our current era, we are faced with several critical environmental challenges. Identifying the areas in which we can minimise our impact on the environment is fundamental to ecological success.
As regulations surrounding wood preservatives such as Creosote tighten, and environmental standards evolve, incorporating innovative products such as the Polesaver Rot-Guard™ into utility infrastructure offers a practical path forward, ensuring compliance and sustainability
Polesaver dual barrier technology sleeves are a proven and independently tested product. With 25 years of volume use and over 20 years of independent field test data Polesaver is a proven and highly cost-effective means of increasing pole life.
Because the most vulnerable section of a wooden utility pole lies at and just below the ground line, we can protect this area with a barrier product. Barrier products work in conjunction with the preservative treatment to increase the service life of the pole by eliminating or reducing the factors necessary for wood decay to occur whilst reducing or preventing loss of wood preservative.
Many alternatives exist to prolong pole life compared to a standard treated wooden pole. In this article, we’ll be exploring the available options and giving an overview of their effects on safety, maintenance and overall environmental impact.
Wooden utility poles are exposed to many different conditions along their length, from widely varying weather conditions above ground to cool damp and stable conditions deep in the ground.
Termite attack of wooden utility poles can be a severe problem when the right conditions exist for termites to thrive. Termites can do a lot of damage to wooden poles very quickly, and this nearly always cause pole failure. The most effective way of inhibiting attack is by using multiple methods of prevention together, including chemical treatments and barriers.
Core rot is the decay of the strongest part of a wooden utility pole, the core. It typically accounts for around 60 to 70% of wooden pole failures and can occur at any time during in the utility poles life. Core rot normally occurs due to air or insect-borne brown rot fungal spores entering the unprotected core of the pole through cracks
The choice of which utility pole to use depends on balancing cost, environmental impact, and material performance. This article discusses the benefits and disadvantages of the main utility pole materials available. By considering the full lifecycle costs and environmental impacts, utilities can make informed decisions that align with both economic and ecological goals
Polesaver manufactures and supplies guaranteed products that are proven to maximise utility pole lifespan. With millions of Rot-Guard™ sleeves supplied to date, our patented ground-line barrier sleeves have been proven in volume use since 1994.
*Polesaver uses long term independent test data on the effectiveness of barrier sleeves and fire protection fabric to reach all the conclusions given on this website (test data available on request). Based on this data, Polesaver believes longer life, maintenance of strength over time, improved safety and reliability, extended inspection periods and reduced maintenance requirements are reasonable claims. This is subject to Polesaver products being correctly applied as per our instructions and used on correctly preservative treated (for long term in-ground use - Use Class 4 or higher) wooden utility poles that are free of decay at the time of sleeve application. The claims made, real or implied are not warranties. It is the responsibility of the user to evaluate and satisfy themselves that the performance of the product meets their specific safety, reliability, extended inspection, repair and any other performance or cost-benefit criteria before using Polesaver sleeves or fire protection fabric.
