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Ground Tester Section Criteria is important to decide. The electrical grounding component of an electrical facility can be easily overlooked. It doesn’t appear to have an active role. It isn’t moving, doesn’t emit light or sound, or provide data. It’s largely out of sight. But the electrical ground is in fact dynamic. It gets challenged and stressed like any other part of the electrical system. It can deteriorate and lose effectiveness. It should be checked,...
Evaluating pole selection for increased protection
BY BUTCH BERNHARDT, North American Wood Pole Council
The number of wildland fires reached record levels in many states in 2014, prompting questions about what poles perform more efficiently in fires: steel or wood. Research from a bulletin entitled, “The Performance of Distribution Utility Poles in Wildland Fire Hazard Areas”, published by the North American Wood Pole Council and authored by independent engineer Stephen T. Smith, P.E., contains some surprising answers on pole evaluation for increased wildfire protection.
• Over the past decade, an average of 68,000 wildfires has burned eight million acres of land each year across the United States. Losses from wildfires have averaged more than $1.3 billion annually since 2003.
• Wildfires expose utility poles to temperatures from 932 degrees to 2,192 degrees Fahrenheit. At these temperatures, fires can consume structures, cars and, in some cases, even melt roadways.
