Development of glass fiber reinforced plastic poles for transmission and distribution lines

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 networks. In this paper, results from tests involving full-scale tapered GFRP poles with a hollow circular cross section subjected to cantilever bending are presented. The filament winding process was employed to produce the poles using polyester resin reinforced with E-glass fibers. Cantilever bending tests were conducted on twelve 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 for evaluating the failure load. The results to date indicate that the developed theoretical model can predict quite well the ultimate capacity and behavior performance of GFRP poles. This theoretical model was used in this investigation to determine the optimum cross-sectional dimensions for 6.1 m (20 ft) and 18.3 m (60 ft) Class 1 GFRP poles.