Page 35 - McWane Poles Sales Manual 2024

Sales Manual • 2024
35
Covered Copper Wire to help prevent copper theft.
Completed Pole Line
Use attachments, transformers and service drops.
However, all wood poles, especially wood poles
with unbalanced loads will bend and warp over
time.
The solution is a metal, wood pole equivalent.
Avista’s standard metal pole is made from
hardened steel, and when the time came to
order these poles, our steel pole manufacturer
was experiencing a significant back log. A new
solution of a ductile iron pole was then selected.
The ductile iron is easier for the crew to drill, is
slightly less expensive than hardened steel and the
manufacturer was able to expedite the order to
keep the project on schedule.
The crews used a vacuum truck to excavate the
pole holes. This method allows minimal disturbance
of soil at the pole location.
A creative grounding solution was also needed as
Avista’s typical ground and ground left deterant are
attached to the wood pole. The ductile iron pole
acts as the ground wire from the system neutral to
bottom of the pole and a covered copper wire was
connected to the ground rod to reduce visibility of
the copper wire and help prevent any copper wire
theft.
The end product is an overhead power line
which not only looks good but meets all of the
Avista standards and also met the unique design
challenges.