Willie Schuett
GERMAN
GERMAN_146_SYLLABUS
9L is a 9 metres long, light pole, other letters used are 'M' (Medium) and 'S' (Stout).the year
of treatment and therefore generally the year of installation (e.g.the pole in the picture was
treated in 2003)
the batch and type of wood used
A date of the last official inspection
An alphanumeric designation e.g.DP 242 where DP is an initialism of Distribution Point
If relevant, a red D plate meaning 'Dangerous' and indicating that the pole was structurally
unsafe to climb or due to its proximity to other hazards
The date on the pole is applied by the manufacturer and refers to the date the pole was
"preserved" (treated to withstand the elements).In the United States, utility poles are
marked with information concerning the manufacturer, pole height, ANSI strength class,
wood species, original preservative, and year manufactured (vintage) in accordance with
ANSI standard O5.1.2008.This is called branding, as it is usually burned into the surface; the
resulting mark is sometimes called the "birth mark".Although the position of the brand is
determined by ANSI specification, it is essentially just below "eye level" after installation.A
rule of thumb for understanding a pole's brand is the manufacturer's name or logo at the
top with a two-digit date beneath (sometimes preceded by a month).Below the date is a
two-character wood species abbreviation and one- to three-character preservative.Some
wood species may be marked "SP" for southern pine, "WC" for western cedar, or "DF" for
Douglas fir.Common preservative abbreviations are "C" for creosote, "P" for
pentachlorophenol, and "SK" for chromated copper arsenate (originally referred to salts
type K).The next line of the brand is usually the pole's ANSI class, used to determine
maximum load; this number ranges from 10 to H6 with a smaller number meaning higher
strength.The pole's height (from butt to top) in 5-foot increments is usually to the right of
the class separated by a hyphen, although it is not uncommon for older brands to have the
height on a separate line.The pole brand is sometimes an aluminum tag nailed in
place.Before the practice of branding, many utilities would set a 2- to 4-digit date nail into
the pole upon installation.The use of date nails went out of favor during World War II due to
war shortages but is still used by a few utilities.These nails are considered valuable to
collectors, with older dates being more valuable, and unique markings such as the utilities'
name also increasing the value.However, regardless of the value to collectors, all
attachments on a utility pole are the property of the utility company, and unauthorized
removal is a misdemeanor or felony.(California state law cited as example)
=== Coordinates on pole tags ===
A practice in some areas is to place poles on coordinates upon a grid.The pole at right is a
Delmarva Power pole located in a rural area of the state of Maryland in the United
States.The lower two tags are the "X" and "Y" coordinates along said grid.Just as in a
coordinate plane used in geometry, X increases as one travels east and Y increases as one
travels north.The upper two tags are specific to the sub transmission section of the pole; the
first refers to the route number, the second to the specific pole along the route.However, not
all power lines follow the road.In the British region of East Anglia, EDF Energy Networks
often add the Ordnance Survey Grid Reference coordinates of the pole or substation to the
name sign.In some areas, utility pole name plates may provide valuable coordinate
information: a poor man's GPS.== Pole route ==
A pole route (or pole line in the US) is a telephone link or electrical power line between two
or more locations by way of multiple uninsulated wires suspended between wooden utility
poles.This method of link is common especially in rural areas where burying the cables
would be expensive.Another situation in which pole routes were extensively used were on
the railways to link signal boxes.Traditionally, prior to around 1965, pole routes were built
with open wires along non-electrical operated railways; this necessitated insulation when
the wire passed over the pole, thus preventing the signal from becoming attenuated.At
electrical operated railways, pole routes were usually not built as too much jamming from
the overhead wire would occur.To accomplish this, cables were separated using spars with
insulators spaced along them; in general four insulators were used per spar.Only one such
pole route still exists on the UK rail network, in the highlands of Scotland.There was also a
long section in place between Wymondham, Norfolk and Brandon in Suffolk, United
Kingdom; however, this was de-wired and removed during March 2009.== Environmental
impact ==
Utility poles are used by birds for nesting and to rest on.Utility poles and related structures
are regarded by some to be a form of visual pollution.Many lines are placed underground
for this reason, in places of high population density or scenic beauty that justify the
expense.Architects design some pylons to be pretty, thus avoiding visual pollution.Some
chemicals used to preserve wood poles including creosote and pentachlorophenol are toxic
and have been found in the environment.The considerable improvement in weathering
resistance offered by creosote infusion has long-term drawbacks.In recent years, concerns
have been raised about the toxicity of creosote-treated wood waste, such as utility
poles.Specifically, their biodegradation can release phenolic compounds in soil, which are
considered toxic.
