Purchasing Management Association

of Oklahoma Electric Cooperatives

June 23, 2004
Martin Rollins, P.E.
H. M. Rollins Company, Inc.
Gulfport, Mississippi,
On Behalf of the
North American Wood Pole Council

Pole Strength
The ANSI O5.1 Pole Standard
Concerns Raised by OAEC
Pole Strengths
Juvenile Wood
Stress Profiles

ANSI O5.1 - Basics

Is Not Considered a Design Standard but Is the
Customary Reference Used for Wood Pole
Strengths
Strength Values for MOR in Bending and
Equivalent Class Loads
Strength in Simple Cantilever Loading
Cautions for Guyed or Braced Structures and
Structures Where the Point of Maximum Stress is
Above the Groundline

Basis of Issues Raised

Rapidly Grown Trees Less Dense Wood
Juvenile Wood
Issue Has Been Around for Many Decades Plantation Timber
ANSI Added Growth Ring Requirement in Butt

ANSI Fiber Stress Values Had Not Changed Since

the 1963 Edition
Additional Testing on Transmission Poles Was
Conducted in the Early 1980s
Recent 2000 Tests
Are ANSI Values Still Good?

ANSI O5.1 - 2002

Reevaluated the Entire Dataset of Full Scale
Break Tests - Including Recent Data
Concluded the Table 1 Values Were Still
Valid Estimates of Mean Strength of Poles
Recommended Reduced Design Value for
Upper Portion of Poles 6000 psi SYP

How Are Strengths

Determined?

Strength Values Based on Full-Size

Break Tests

2 ft

ANSI O5.1 Class Loads

L
Moment Capacity = L x D (ft-lb)

Class
Class
Class
Class
Class

1
2
3
4
5

4,500 lb
3,700 lb
3,000 lb
2,400 lb
1,900 lb

Will Poles Today Still Meet

These Class Loads?
Yes!!!
Two Sets of Recent Data

Penta and CCA Treated

Southern Pine Pole Break Test
20 - 35 foot Class 5
March 28, 1996

Pole #

Circ. @ 6'

Circ. @ Top

Ultimate
Load Pounds

1P
1C
2P
2C
3P
3C
4P
4C
5P
5C
6P
6C
7P
7C
8P
8C
9P
9C
10P
10C

30.25
30
30
30.75
30
30.25
30.25
30
30
30.25
30
30
30
30.5
30
30.5
30
30.5
30.5
30.25

21.75
21.75
22.5
24.5
22.5
23.5
23.25
23.25
23.5
23.5
22.25
22.25
24
22.25
24
23.25
23
21.75
22.5
22.75

2250
2760
2130
2500
2900
2410
1750
2560
2600
1630
2390
2940
2300
2420
2530
2830
2400
1870
2500
2520

AVERAGES
ANSI Class Load

2409.5
1900

Failure
Location
from Butt
11'
10'
6'
6'
6'
6'
9'
12'
6'
14'
6.5'
8'
15'
6'
6'
15'
8'
8'
9'
6'

Stress
Observed
Based on
Stress At
ANSI
Groundline Dimensions PSI
PSI
8318
9440
10460
11580
8073
8937
8798
10489
10991
12167
8909
10112
6469
7342
9702
10741
9854
10909
6026
6839
9058
10028
11142
12335
8717
9650
8728
10154
9589
10615
10207
11874
9096
10070
6744
7846
9016
10489
9316
10573
8961

10109
8000 ANSI Table 1 Fiber Stress Value

RESULTS OF BREAKING TESTS OF PILING

MEETING POLE SPECIFICATIONS - 2000

Year 2000 Tests

Old ASTM Tests

Observed
Number Groundline
Stress
of Tests
97
9787
143

Avg.
Adjusted to Rings
Min. ANSI
per
Dimensions Inch
10981
9.4
10190
13.6

For the poles tested in 2000 the rings per inch

in the butt varied from a minimum of 4 to a
maximum of 18
This does not indicate any significant
change from the 1960's data to the 2000
data.

What About Juvenile Wood?

Juvenile Wood
Generally First 10 Growth Rings from Pith
Therefore, Every Pole Top is Largely Juvenile
Wood
No Clear Demarcation
Has Lower Density and Therefore Lower Strength
Some Other Cellular Differences
Should It Be an Issue in Normal Cantilever
Loading?

Should Juvenile Wood Be an

Issue?
No, If Proper Design Practices
Are Followed

Data Needed to Answer

Strength of Juvenile Wood
Stress Profile in Poles Under Expected
Load Conditions

How Strong Is Juvenile Wood?

SYP Juvenile Wood Strength

4000 psi in Early Years
10,000 psi by Year 10
ANSI Table 1 Value 8000 psi

Larson P.R., D.E.Kretschmann, A.Clark III, J.G. Isebrands, 2001. Formation and propertiew of Juvenile Wood in Southern Pines: A synopsis
Forest Products Lab FPL GTR 129

4.417 9

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
15

R
0.363
0.366
0.328
0.380
0.473
0.475
0.559
0.592
0.705
0.849
1.000

E
MOR
0.188 4200
0.191 4240
0.190 3800
0.226 4400
0.323 5470
0.334 5490
0.417 6470
0.461 6848
0.587 8160
0.727 9820
1 11570

MOE
0.289
0.294
0.293
0.349
0.498
0.514
0.642
0.71
0.904
1.12
1.541

R'
0.248
0.302
0.356
0.409
0.463
0.517
0.570
0.624
0.678
0.731
1.000

Strength profile

1.200
y = 0.0001x 2 + 0.0537x + 0.1944
1.000
R2 = 0.9493
M OR (% of m ature )

AGE

0.800

A=

0.0001

B=

0.0537

C=

0.1944

IF

0.600

GR =
0.400
y = 0.0012x 2 + 0.0469x + 0.0484
R2 = 0.9751

0.200

4 rpi

R=

sigma =

1.5408
12326.4 17827.06

0.000
0

10

15

20

AGE

fb=.0001*(GR*R)^2+.0537*GR*R+.1944

EI E m R 2 10 GR R 9 .3810

GR R 1.2 10

Specific Gravity- Loblolly Pine

based on 100 tree sample by Zoble et al (1972)
10
0.385
15
0.409
20
0.425
25
0.438
30
0.449
40
0.466

( 540.A
45. B 4. C) E m

3
R
GR

What Are Expected Stresses?

Working Load
4 lb.
Transverse
Wind

.50
ICE

Heavy Loading District

Two Load Conditions

Simple Transverse Cantilever Load
Fault Conditions that Impose a Moment at
the Pole Top

Typical Coop Design

40 Foot Poles
280 Foot Span
3 - 4/0 Conductors
1 4/0 Neutral
2 1.5 Inch Telecom/Cable Underbuild

Actual Stress Profile for Grade C 40 Foot Class 3 Example Under Standard
NESC Heavy Loading District - 0.5 Inch Ice
45.0
40.0

Pole Location -- (Feet)

35.0
30.0
25.0
Series1

20.0
15.0
10.0
5.0
0.0
0

200

400

600

800

1000

Stress -- (psi)

1200

1400

1600

1800

Stress Profile for Grade C 40 Foot Class 3 - 3-Phase 4/0, 280 Foot Span, With Two 1.5
Inch Communication Conductors and 1.5 Inch Radial Ice
45.0

P o le L o c a tio n -- (F e e t)

40.0
35.0
30.0
25.0
Series1

20.0
15.0
10.0
5.0
0.0
0

1000

2000

3000

Stress -- (psi)

4000

5000

6000

Juvenile Wood Not an Issue in

Simple Cantilever Load
Situation

What About Fault Conditions

What if One Conductor Fails?

Eccentric Load Analysis

Broken Conductor on Single Conductor Side
Oklahoma is Heavy Loading District
Ice Thickness - in.
Verical Load per Phase Equals Weight per Foot Times Span
Outside Conductor Offset-In.
44
Inside Conductor Offset - In.
15
Eccentric Moment Applied at Crossarm - ft. lbs.
Stress in Pole at Crossarm Location - psi
Stress in Crossarm - 0.5 Inch Ice
Stress n Pole with 1.5 Inches of Ice
Stress in Pole with 2.5 Inches of Ice
Eight Year Old Juvenile Wood Strength - psi
Recommended ANSI Design Value in Upper Half of Pole - psi

0.5
233

1148
332
1166
1581
3821
6800
6000

Appears Eccentric Load Alone Should Not Cause Failure and

Crossarm Will Fail Before Pole

Stress in 40 Foot Class 4 Pole at Crossarm Location Due to Eccentric Load Caused By Failure of One
Conductor with 0.5 Inches of Ice
8000

S tre s s o r S tre n g th V a lu e s - p s i

7000

6000

5000

Juvenile Wood Strength

4000

Stress

3000

2000

1000

0
0

0.5

1.5

2.5

Radial Distance From Pith - inches

3.5

Stress in 40 Foot Class 4 Pole at Crossarm Location Due to Eccentric Load Caused
By Failure of One Conductor With 2.5 Inches of Radial Ice
8000

S tre s s o r S tre n g th V a lu e - p s i

7000

6000

5000

Juvenile Wood Strength

4000

Stress
3000

2000

1000

0
0

0.5

1.5

2.5

Radial Distance from Pith Center - inches

3.5

Juvenile Wood Should Not Be

and Issue

Conclusions
Todays ANSI Pole Is Expected to Meet Class
Load Strengths
Significant Juvenile Wood is Present in Every Pole
Top Always Has Been
Under Normal NESC Load Conditions Stress in
Upper Portion of Poles is Low
ANSI Has Provisions Controlling Growth Rate
Recommends Reduced Design Value in Upper
Portion of Pole Accounts for Juvenile Wood
Deviation from ANSI or RUS Specifications Will
Add Cost Without Any Quantifiable Benefit

Questions?

Thank You for the

Opportunity to Meet With You!