Let’s take a look at some of the key materials used, how they differ, and which might be the best long-term solution for utilities looking to keep pace with increasing demand.
Wood utility poles can be made of many materials, though woods like southern pine are common. However, this isn’t the only material that contributes to the final product – chromated copper arsenic (CCA) is often used to treat wooden utility poles to prevent termite infection and overall decay.
Still, even with these measures – which can have adverse effects on the environment to begin with – wood utility poles are certainly not permanent installations. An Electric Power Research study estimated that wood utility poles can last up to 50 years, though 30 to 40 years of true service life is more common.
Steel utility poles can be manufactured to the same dimensions as wooden poles but require no harsh chemical treatments. They’re often galvanized to protect them from corrosion and other harsh elements. It’s been estimated that steel utility poles can exhibit service lives of 50-80 years.
While wood is generally considered a green material, the actual impact of wood utility poles on our shared environment is greater than you might imagine.
In addition to their treatment with CCA, the harvesting and manufacturing of wood utility poles can actually release more greenhouse gases and aerosols than that of steel utility poles. Electricity is required to produce CCA in the first place, and shorter lifetimes mean more truck rolls, more emissions, and more destruction of the habitats of potentially endangered species.
Steel utility poles, on the other hand, exhibit far less environmental impact. Though steel production and galvanization is not without environmental impact whatsoever, it is generally lesser, and the longer lifespans of steel utility poles also leads to key energy savings.
In addition to the environmental benefits, steel utility poles also exhibit:
A study commissioned by the Steel Market Development Institute and conducted by SCS Global Services sought to analyze the performance of 45-foot-tall, Class 2/Grade B steel utility poles and wood utility poles in the southeastern U.S. over the course of a 40-year horizon.
As the study outlines, “two different scenarios were compared – one in which wood poles were taken out of service as a result of pole failure and continued to be replaced by Class 2 wood poles, and the other in which wood poles taken out of service due to pole failure were replaced by galvanized steel utility poles.”
The study confirmed the general belief that steel utility poles, over the totality of their service life, exhibit a much smaller environmental impact than their wood utility pole counterparts, which were assumed to need replacement every 40 years. The steel utility poles were assumed to have an 80-year service life.
The study’s key findings were that:
The demand for energy has asked a lot of utility companies, and that means saving money wherever possible. By choosing more cost-effective steel utility poles, utilities can not only save resources and money, but lower their environmental impact and install solutions set to last much longer than wood utility poles.
To learn more about AZZ’s role in the galvanization of steel utility poles, contact us today.
AZZ is pleased to exhibit for the first time at FABTECH Canada, taking place in Toronto from June 11-13.
