Paper number 1201

GLASS FIBER-REINFORCED PLASTIC POLES FOR TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION LINES: AN EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION

D. Polyzois, S. Ibrahim, V. Burachynsky, and S. K. Hassan

Department of Civil and Geological Engineering, University of Manitoba,
Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2,Canada

Summary

An extensive research project is currently being carried out at the University of Manitoba, Canada, to develop lightweight glass fiber-reinforced plastic (GFRP) poles for use in transmission and distribution lines. In this paper, results from tests involving full-scale tapered GFRP poles with hollow a circular cross-section subjected to cantilever bending are presented. The filament winding process was employed to produce those poles using vinylester resin reinforced with E-glass fibers. Twelve bending tests were conducted on full-scale poles up to failure. Test parameters included fiber orientation and number of layers. Extensive theoretical work preceded the test program and a theoretical model was developed. The results to-date indicate that the developed theoretical model can predict quite well the ultimate capacity and behavior performance of GFRP poles.

Keywords

transmission and distribution poles, filament winding, fiber-reinforced plastics.