Utility Poles

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There are approximately 160 million to 180 million wood utility poles in service in the U. S, serving as the backbone of overhead line construction, and most of these poles are pressure-treated with a wood preservative. Choosing a pole treated with an appropriate and proper wood preservative for the environment can save a utility time and money. There are a number of chemical choices available.

PGPES poles are made of Southern pine. We sell in quantities from 10 to 10,000 units. Length sizes range from 20' to 85' * Class 1 thru Class 7 * H Class available * Poles come standard treated with CCA or CCA ET, but can be treated with creosote upon request. 

Generally, distribution poles are southern pine, while wood transmission poles are made from Douglas-fir or cedar. According to surveys, 69% of poles in service are southern pine, followed by Douglas-fir (15%) and Western red cedar (13%). The most prevalent wood preservative utilized for poles in service is pentachlorophenol (penta). Approximately 63% of poles are treated with this preservative, followed by CCA (16%), creosote (16%), copper naphthenate (3%) and ammoniacal copper arsenate or ammoniacal copper zinc arsenate (1%). Approximately 16.5 million pounds of technical penta are used annually, resulting each year in the penta treatment of an estimated 2 million wood utility poles. About 4.2 million poles are treated annually with all preservatives.

Southern pine species can be treated with a variety of wood preservatives, including waterborne (treatments where the carrier for the preservative is water) and oilborne preservatives (where the carrier is oil or the treatment is creosote). Southern pine poles readily accept chemical treatment, though the trees do not generally grow as large as Douglas-fir, which is a refractory species and more difficult to treat. Another option is creasote. Once widely used for poles, creosote is now primarily used for railroad ties, except in Texas and Louisiana where creosote is still commonly used for utility poles. Creosote is a robust preservative, but most utilities generally prefer penta or CCA poles due to cost and environmental considerations. Creosote also recently underwent EPA’s re-registration process.

All wood preservatives typically utilized for utility poles are robust, with many decades of data supporting effectiveness. The cost to install poles and the need for reliable performance make utilities reluctant to change preservatives or preservative systems.