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.

INTRODUCTION

Traditional materials such as wood, steel, and concrete are commonly used to construct
electrical transmission and distribution poles. However, the shortage of wooden poles, their
short life expectancy, and various environmental concerns have promoted hydro-electric utility
companies to search for a cost-effective alternative. Wooden poles are continuously exposed
to weather, fungi, woodpeckers, etc., which result in a very significant deterioration of their
load bearing capacity with the time. The service life of wooden poles is approximately 20 years
[1]. Any extension of this service life requires continuous inspection and follow-up care. In a
number of European countries, concrete poles are used. The main disadvantage of concrete
poles is their weight, which drastically increases transportation and erection costs. Chemical
influences on the concrete surfaces due to environmental impact can also affect their long term
performance. As in the case of other concrete structures, concrete poles are subject to
corrosion of the steel reinforcement, resulting in further strength deterioration and expensive
maintenance. Steel is the most common material for the construction of transmission poles in
North America. These poles, however, are very expensive. Corrosion protection is of primary
concern in steel poles which must be painted or galvanized, a process which does not always
1
guarantee long term protection. Generally, traditional poles made of wood, concrete, or steel
are subject to deterioration under environmental attacks. Regular maintenance is essential to
prolonging serviceability of these poles.

On the other hand, Glass Fiber-Reinforced Plastic (GFRP) poles are lightweight and
corrosion resistant. Being lightweight is a major advantage of GFRP poles making them
suitable for transportation and installation in mountain terrains and marshes. Although the
initial cost of GFRP poles may be higher than traditional poles, the long term benefits these
poles provide, make their selection attractive. The use of GFRP poles is not new. A number of
companies are already involved in the production of such poles. Research in this area,
however, is limited.

In 1988, Bell initiated its own investigation of GFRP poles, and conducted an
experimental program at the Centre de Recherche du Reseau Exterior (CERRE) [2]. The
specimens were tapered with hollow cross section and were manufactured by centrifugal
casting. The test results indicated that GFRP poles could safely resist loads comparable to
those of wooden poles. The behavior of these GFRP poles was found to be truly elastic even
for large deflections.

An experimental investigation was also conducted by Shakespeare Inc. on filament

wound GFRP poles in 1993 [3]. Class 4 GFRP poles were tested at the national test labs of
Engineering Data Management (EDM) in Colorado, USA. The tests were successful as each
pole met or exceeded the strength requirement specified for wooden poles.

The research program at the University of Manitoba, Canada, was to:

a) develop a theoretical model for determining the ultimate strength and performance of
GFRP poles;

b) evaluate the developed theoretical model through a series of small and full-scale
testing; and

c) develop design guidelines for the use of GFRP.

To-date, twelve small scale specimens (2.5 m long) and twelve full-scale specimens (6.25
m long) have been tested under cantilever bending load up to failure. This paper presents the
results from the full-scale tests.

EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM

Specimens and Test Setup

The poles were fabricated through the filament winding wet process at the ISIS-Faroex
Filament Winding Research Facility. E-glass fibers and vinylester resin (DERAKANE 470-300)
were used for manufacturing these poles. The material properties and strength for both the
fiber and the resin were provided by the manufacturer [4] and are presented in Table (1).

2
 Table 1: Properties of E-Glass and Vinylester resin
Properties E-Glass Vinylester resin
(DERAKANE 470-300)
Tensile modulus (GPa) 72.4 3.58
Poisson’s ratio 0.2 0.3
Tensile Strength (MPa) 2400 85
Shear Modulus (GPa) 30 1.38
Density (gm/cm3) 2.54 1.08
The specimens were tapered hollow sections, 6250 mm in length. The inner diameters
at the base and at the top were 416 mm and 305 mm, respectively. The wall thickness for each
specimen varied depending on the number of layers, which ranged from 4 to 8, in two layer
increments, giving a total thickness of between 2.75 mm and 5.5 mm at the base. Three fiber
angles with respect to the longitudinal axis of the pole were used: 5/-5, 10/-10, and 20/-20.
Hoop winding was also employed in ten of the specimens with different ratios, while only two
of the specimens were fabricated without hoop winding. The fiber volume fraction was
measured during the manufacturing process by determining the weight of fiber and resin used
and transforming those weights into volume fractions. The configurations as well as the fiber
volume fraction for the tested specimens are listed in Table (2).

Table 2: Configuration and fiber volume fraction of full-scale specimens

Specimen Longitudinal Number Total Base Fiber Total

Number Fiber of Hoop Number of Thickness Volume Weight
Orientation Layers Layers (mm) (%) (Kg)

1 (10/-10) 0 8 5.5 49 99.40

2 (10/-10) 2 8 5.0 60 80.25
3 (10/-10) 4 8 4.5 60 68.15
4 (10/-10) 2 6 4.0 54 60.85
5 (10/-10) 2 4 2.4 60 39.00
6 (20/-20) 0 8 5.5 53 94.30
7 (20/-20) 2 8 5.0 60 81.00
8 (20/-20) 4 8 4.9 58 72.05
9 (20/-20) 2 6 4.0 57 59.40
10 (20/-20) 2 4 2.75 51 38.20
11 (5/-5) 2 6 4.6 50 62.50
12 (5/-5) 2 4 2.8 52 38.00

The fixed support for the specimens consisted of a square reinforced concrete base
measuring 800 mm wide by 1000 mm high. It was made up of two segments with a tapered
circular hole in the middle with dimensions that matched the outer diameter of the specimens.
The two segments of the base were clamped together using four dwyidag bars, as shown in
Fig. 1. To insure the stability of the portion of the specimen within the base, a GFRP tapered
sleeve, 1000 mm long, and 25 mm thick, was inserted in the specimen. The concrete base was
clamped to a rigid structural wall using four hollow square steel (HSS) sections (250 x 250x 6
mm), two on each side of the base, as shown schematically in Fig.1. Four high strength
3
dwyidag bars were used to clamp the HSS section and the concrete base to the structural wall.
To ensure full fixity of the specimen within the concrete base, the gap between each specimen
and the concrete base was filled with plaster of Paris.

The load was applied horizontally, 600 mm below the top, according to the ANSI
standard [5]. An electronic load cell was used to monitor the applied load, as shown in Fig. 1.
Loading was applied at a rate of approximately, 0.25 mm/second.

The lateral deflection of the poles at the loading position was monitored through an
electronic linear measurement transducer (LMT). The LMT was mounted on a fixed steel
column 10000 mm away from the specimen. The stroke range for each LMT is 2500 mm.

Two LMTs attached on two opposite sides of the poles, approximately, 1000 mm
above the base, were used to monitor the change in the specimen diameter, as shown in Fig.1.
These LMTs had a range of 350 mm. The difference between the readings between the two
LMTs represented the change of the specimen diameter at that height. This method allowed
continuous monitoring of the change in the diameter with loading.

Strain along the specimen near the base was monitored through 24 electrical resistance
strain gauges. The strain gauges had 5 mm gauge length and 120 ohm electrical resistance.
Three strain gauges were mounted at eight different locations, to measure strains in the
longitudinal, circumferencial and 45 degrees off-axis. Four strain gauges were located on
tension side and the other four on the compression side at heights 30, 400, 800, and 1200 mm
above the concrete base.

The load cell, the LMTs, and the strain gauges were connected to a computer
controlled 32 channel Data Acquisition System to monitor and record all data. Visual
observations were also made during the test. The load was applied until complete failure of the
specimen occurred.
600 mm

LMT

Applied Load
Load cell
Specimen
R.C. Structural Wall
5650 mm

LMT LMT
1000 mm 1000 mm

LMT

HSS

Fig. (1): Schematic drawing of the full-scale test setup

4
Test Results

A summary of all test results is shown in Table (3). The equivalent wooden pole class is
also shown in this table. It should be noted that specimen 2 failed prematurely inside the
concrete base because no internal stiffener was used for that specimen. Two specimens (4, and
11) satisfied the requirement of class 1 pole, according to Ref.(5), by carrying an ultimate load
equal to or exceeding 20 KN (4500 lb). The top displacement of those two specimens was less
than 10% of the free height of the pole. Specimens 4, and 11 consisted of only 6 layers and
weighed about 60 kg. Specimen 9, which also consisted of 6 layers but had a fiber orientation
of 20o, failed at ultimate load 18.9 KN. This is less by 5% of that required for class 1, so this
specimen was classified as class 2 pole. Five specimens (1, 3, 6, 7, and 8) exceeded the class 1
requirement and were classified in the heavier categories (H2 and H3). The maximum lateral
displacement of pole was less than 12.7%.

Table (3): Performance of full-scale GFRP poles

Specimen Weight Ultimate Top Equivalent Displacement Load/

Number (Kg) Capacity Displacement Wooden As % of Free Weight
(KN) (mm) Pole Class Height (KN/Kg)
1 99.40 34.2 486 H3 9.7 0.34
2 80.25 See Note
3 68.15 30.1 608 H2 12 0.44
4 60.85 20.8 430 1 8.6 0.34
5 39.00 7.55 240 6 4.8 0.19
6 94.30 30.4 431 H2 8.6 0.32
7 81.00 36.4 634 H3 12.7 0.47
8 72.05 28.1 593 H2 11.9 0.39
9 59.40 18.9 416 2 8.3 0.32
10 38.20 6.9 252 6 5.0 0.18
11 62.50 20 403 1 8.1 0.32
12 38.00 8.8 278 5 5.6 0.23
Note: This specimen failed prematurely due to the lack of internal stiffener within the concrete base.
Since each specimen had a different weight and a different carrying capacity, the load
capacity-to-weight ratio (KN/Kg) was used to compare the performance of different
specimens. Specimen 7, which consisting of 8 layers (6 longitudinal layers and 2
circumferencial layers), had the highest performance ratio of approximately 0.47 KN/Kg.
Specimens 3, and 8, which consisting of 8 layers (4 longitudinal layers and 4 circumferencial
layers), had a load-to-weight ratio of 0.4 KN/Kg. Specimens 1, and 6, consisting of 8-
longitudinal layer without any circumferencial ones, did not perform as well as the other 8-
layer pole group and had a value of 0.32 KN/Kg.

5
 A significant drop in performance ratio was observed when the number of layers was
reduced to 6 or 4 layers. This was due to the high reduction in the wall thickness which in
turn reduced the buckling load significantly, much more than the reduction the weight of the
specimen. As shown Table 3, the weight ratio for specimen 4 was approximately, 0.34 KN/Kg.
This is almost the same value as that specimen 1 that had 8 longitudinal layers without
circumferencial layers. This indicate the importance of including circumferencial layers to
achieve the same performance of pole having larger number of layers but with only longitudinal
fibers.

Based on the dimensions of a class 1 wooden poles of total height 6.1 m (20 ft) the
load capacity-to-weight ratio is 0.095 KN/Kg. The load-to-weight ratio for an equivalent class
1 GFRP pole (specimen 4 or 11) is 0.3 KN/Kg. This means that GFRP poles are more efficient
than wooden poles and are approximately only one third of the weight of equivalent wooden
poles.

All specimens with circumferencial layers (with the exception of specimen 2), failed by
local buckling on the compression side of the specimens at a height which varied from 200 mm
to 800 mm above the concrete base, as shown in Fig.2. Specimen 1, which had no
circumferencial winding, also failed by local buckling on the compression side 200 m above the
base and failure was combined with excessive splitting, and delamination of the fibers.

Fig.2: Local buckling failure mode

6
 The failure mechanism of specimen 6 is shown Fig.3. A diagonal crack extending to a
height between 200 mm to 1200 mm above the base developed on the compression side.

Fig. 3: Diagonal fracture failure mode

THEORETICAL ANALYSIS

The ANSYS program [6] was used to develop a nonlinear finite element model of
GFRP poles. The geometric boundaries of the FRP poles were defined, as the first step in the
modeling process. Eight-node quadrilateral layered shell element was used to model GFRP
poles. Detailed formulation of this element is given by Ref. [7]. The portion of the specimen,
which was embedded inside the concrete base, was also included in the model. In the current
study, a geometric nonlinear analysis was used taking into account the cross section distortion
as well as the large deflection at the top. The proposed model used to predict the ultimate
failure load, whether it was due to instability (local buckling) or material failure. Fig. 4 shows a
comparison between the experimental and the predicted ultimate loads for the tested
specimens. The average ratio of the experimental-to-theoretical ultimate load was
approximately 0.99 with a standard deviation of 12%. As evident from this figure, it is clear
that there is a strong correlation between the results obtained from the proposed model and the
experimental results.

7
 1.3
1.2
1.1
1
0.9
0.8
Ptest/PF.E.
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Specimen Number

Fig. 4: Comparison between theoretical and experimental ultimate load

CONCLUSIONS

An experimental study was employed to investigate the ultimate capacity and

performance of tapered filament wound GFRP poles subjected to cantilever bending. GFRP
poles proved to carry the same ultimate load equivalent to wooden poles. However, a
significant saving in the weight is achieved by utilizing GFRP. The load capacity-to-weight
ratio of GFRP poles is almost three times higher than the equivalent wooden poles. Maximum
load capacity-to-weight ratio was achieved by incorporating circumferencial winding along
with longitudinal fibers. Amongst the 8-layer GFRP poles, the maximum load capacity-to-
weight ratio was attained when only two circumferencial layers were combined with six
longitudinal layers. Local buckling was the most dominant mode of failure in most of the
specimens because of the high radius-to-thickness ratio of the specimens. On the other hand,
only one specimen failed due to material failure on the compression side because of the
absence of circumferencial layers in that specimen. The finite element method employed in this
investigation provided an excellent prediction of the critical buckling and material failure loads
as well as the corresponding modes of failure for thin-walled GFRP poles.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The research project in this study was sponsored by ISIS-Canada, Faroex Ltd. of
Manitoba, and The Province of Manitoba. The specimens were fabricated at the ISIS-Faroex
filament winding Research Facility and the testing was conducted at the Structural Engineering
and Construction R&D Facility at the University of Manitoba.

8
 REFERENCES

1. Vanderbuilt, M. D. and Criswell, M. E., “Reliability Analysis of Pole-Type

Transmission Structures” Computer and Structures, Vol. 6, No. 2, 1988, pp. 335-343.

2. McClure, G., Boire, L., and Carriere, J. C., “Applications of Advanced Composite
Materials in Overhead Power Lines and Telecommunications Structures” Advanced
Composite in Bridges and Structures, K.W. Neale and P. Labossiere, Editors, Canadian
Society of Civil Engineering, 1992, pp.543-549.

3. Derrick, G. L., “Fiberglass Composite Distribution and Transmission Poles”

Manufactured Distribution and Transmission Pole Structures Workshop Proceeding,
Electric Power Research Institute, July 25-26, 1996, pp. 55-61.

4. Dow Plastics Company, “Technical Product Information”, Midland, MI, 1997.

5. American National Standards Institute (ANSI), “American National Standard for Wood
Poles 05.1” Specifications and Dimensions, 22 West 42nd Street, New York, 1992.

6. ANSYS, Inc., “ANSYS User’s Manual for Revision 5.2 - Volumes I to IV” 1995,
Houston, PA.

7. Yunus, S., Kohnke, P. C., and Saigal, S. “An Efficient Through-Thickness Integration
Scheme in Unlimited Layered Doubly Curved Isoparametric Composite Shell Element”
International Journal for Numerical Methods In Engineering, Vol. 28, 1989, pp.
2777-2793.