page_title: Utility pole
section_title: Pole brandings
hierarchical_section_title: Utility pole / Markings / Pole brandings
caption_attribution_description: English: The markings of a British Telecom post near Gairnshiel Bridge in Aberdeenshire, Scotland (taken in December 2004).
context_page_description: A utility pole is a column or post used to support overhead power lines and various other public utilities, such as electrical cable, fiber optic cable, and related equipment such as transformers and street lights. It can be referred to as a transmission pole, telephone pole, telecommunication pole, power pole, hydro pole, telegraph pole, or telegraph post, depending on its application. A Stobie pole is a multi-purpose pole made of two steel joists held apart by a slab of concrete in the middle, generally found in South Australia.
  Electrical wires and cables are routed overhead on utility poles as an inexpensive way to keep them insulated from the ground and out of the way of people and vehicles. Utility poles can be made of wood, metal, concrete, or composites like fiberglass. They are used for two different types of power lines: subtransmission lines, which carry higher voltage power between substations, and distribution lines, which distribute lower voltage power to customers.
  The first poles were used in 1843 by telegraph pioneer William Fothergill Cooke, who used them on a line along the Great Western Railway.
context_section_description: British Telecom posts are usually marked with the following information:
  'BT' - to mark it as a British Telecom UK Pole (This can also be PO (Post Office) or GPO (General Post Office) depending on the age of the pole)
  a horizontal line marking 3 metres from the bottom of the pole
  the pole length and size (e.g. 9L implies a 9 metres long, light pole)
  Other poles in use are 7, 10, 11, 13 and 15 metre, as well as 'M' (Medium) and 'S' (Stout)
  the year of treatment and therefore generally the year of installation (e.g. the pole in the picture was treated in 2003)
  the batch and type of wood used
  A date of the last official inspection
  An alphanumeric designation e.g. DP 242 where DP is an acronym for Distribution Point
  If relevant, a red D plate meaning 'Dangerous' and indicating that the pole was structurally unsafe to climb or due to its proximity to other hazards
  The date on the pole is applied by the manufacturer and refers to the date the pole was "preserved" (treated to withstand the elements).
  In the United States, utility poles are marked with information concerning the manufacturer, pole height, ANSI strength class, wood species, original preservative, and year manufactured (vintage) in accordance with ANSI standard O5.1.2008. This is called branding, as it is usually burned into the surface; the resulting mark is sometimes called the "birth mark". Although the position of the brand is determined by ANSI specification, it is essentially just below "eye level" after installation. A rule of thumb for understanding a pole's brand is the manufacturer's name or logo at the top with a two-digit date beneath (sometimes preceded by a month).
  Below the date is a two-character wood species abbreviation and one- to three-character preservative. Some wood species may be marked "SP" for southern pine, "WC" for western cedar, or "DF" for Douglas fir. Common preservative abbreviations are "C" for creosote, "P" for pentachlorophenol, and "SK" for chromated copper arsenate (originally referred to salts type K). The next line of the brand is usually the pole's ANSI class, used to determine maximum load; this number ranges from 10 to H6 with a smaller number meaning higher strength. The pole's height (from butt to top) in 5-foot increments is usually to the right of the class separated by a hyphen, although it is not uncommon for older brands to have the height on a separate line. The pole brand is sometimes an aluminum tag nailed in place.
  Before the practice of branding, many utilities would set a 2- to 4-digit date nail into the pole upon installation. The use of date nails went out of favor during World War II due to war shortages but is still used by a few utilities. These nails are considered valuable to collectors, with older dates being more valuable, and unique markings such as the utilities' name also increasing the value. However, regardless of the value to collectors, all attachments on a utility pole are the property of the utility company, and unauthorized removal is a misdemeanor or felony.
caption: Markings on a BT post
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