Extending the life of Wood Utility Poles

The photo below is a comparison of the internal conditions of two Douglas fir utility poles.  Both poles were manufactured and put in service in the early 1970’s.  Both poles were originally treated with the preservative Pentachlorophenol, also known as ‘Penta’.  The photos, however, show the current internal conditions of the poles, and highlight the importance of remedial treatments during the in-service life of the poles.

The photo on the left shows a pole properly treated with MITC-Fume in 2005.  The wood grain is apparent in the shavings taken from the original fume hole, indicating healthy, decay-free wood.  The photo on the right is taken of a fume hole bored in 2005, but never fumigated. The grain of the wood isn’t obvious and the wood displays characteristics of decay.

Alamon’s use of internal fumigants is effective in combating this decay, thereby greatly extending the  life of in-service wood utility poles.  We invite all utility pole owners to call Alamon at 800-252-8838 to talk about  how we can help you inspect and extend the life of your in-service poles.