Steel poles stand up to woodpeckers and other pests that frequently damage wood poles. Steel poles are at least 30 percent lighter than their wood counterparts, allowing for reduced transportation, handling and installation costs. Steel distribution poles do not require pre-shipment inspections, and need little lead time. Because they are engineered in a controlled manufacturing environment, each steel pole is uniformly consistent in quality and strength. It s now the company s material of choice.
Crews use cherry pickers for maintenance of steel poles.
If climbing is necessary, an optional, removable climbing safety step that fits into pre-drilled holes is available from steel pole manufacturers. Crews at Arizona Public Service needed no special training to work with steel poles. The conductivity of a steel pole eliminates the need to install a copper ground wire, which increases lineman safety. In addition to being lighter and easier to handle, they eliminate the need for tightening hardware and for periodic rot and woodpecker inspections. Because they are engineered in a controlled manufacturing environment, each steel pole is uniformly consistent in quality and strength.