Pole Production - Benefits of Wooden Poles

Wooden poles have lower transportation and storage costs. When stacked properly, wooden poles need less than half the storage space of steel or concrete poles. Wood also withstands handling and surface damage well. On the other hand the galvanized coating of a steel pole is very thin and can be easy damaged. Concrete poles don’t bear hits or handling well either.

Wooden poles don't need any special packaging for transportation. Wood is light and tough, which means that it is easily to haul even in rugged terrains.

Wood has higher working loads than steel or concrete. This means that fewer wood poles are needed per kilometre, which naturally means lower costs. They are also easy to plant directly into holes in the ground, whereas steel poles need a special concrete foundation and expensive collars or flanges to prevent corrosion.

Steel poles must be hoisted by cranes to foundations’ fixing bolts. Moreover, concrete poles are also heavier and they need bigger cranes for hoisting. Unlike steel poles wooden poles don't need to be earthed because wood does not conduct electricity.

It is easy to machine wooden poles according to customer’s requirements for markings and pre-drilling.

Steel and concrete poles require special attachments for accessories. No special tools are needed for wooden poles because installation is made simply by screws and bolts. Even "A" and "H" models are easily constructed on site and workers also find it easy to climb up wooden poles.

Wood has good insulating properties and is therefore a safer material than steel or concrete. Wooden poles don't require earthing and wood can diminish electric breakdowns and power arcs commonly caused by lightning.

Creosote-coated poles withstand bush fires without any serious loss of strength. Bush fires usually cause only mild charring to the surface of the poles. Bush fires cause more damage to steel poles. Fires destroy the steel pole’s galvanization leaving it prone to rapid corrosion and collapse.

Wooden poles have a service life of 40-80 years, depending on climate conditions and the pole's individual properties. The service life of a steel pole is 35-50 and it’s heavily affected by corrosion which is triggered by:

• Acid or saline soil or climate
• Scraping, denting, fire
• Sand, snow or dirt blown by the wind

Similarly, the service life of concrete poles depends heavily on climate erosion and the quality of the concrete.

Wooden poles are easy to remove and re-use. Steel poles may be re-used only after a treatment in a workshop. Re-use of concrete poles is even more complicated.

Wood poles are less expensive than steel in:

• Material costs
• Transportation
• Erection
• Installation
• Modifications on site
• Maintenance
• Total costs of the life cycle

Our poles come from sustainably managed forests. No other pole material comes from a renewable source. Wooden poles are also easy to recycle.