"FromTheRafters" wrote in message
...
trader_4 explained on 4/28/2020 :
On Tuesday, April 28, 2020 at 8:37:11 AM UTC-4, FromTheRafters wrote:
trader_4 brought next idea :
On Monday, April 27, 2020 at 8:21:55 PM UTC-4, FromTheRafters wrote:
trader_4 used his or her keyboard to write :
I've noticed that many wooden electric poles here have recently been
updated with a steel channel, double u shaped, about ten inches wide,
extending from some level in the ground up the side of the pole to
about 5 ft high. It's stamped out of one piece, but if you imagine
two pieces of steel channel about 5" wide laid side by side,
vertically along the pole, it's like that. They are held in place
by two heavy metal bands that go around the pole. The top has a
sheet metal cover over it, nailed in place. They had crews here
last summer digging around the poles. I also noticed that the poles
have new steel screw plugs, about 3/4", maybe two feet above ground
level. There is no wire or anything running into or out of it. I
can't figure out what this is all about, but I'm wondering did they
do test boring to find out which
poles have termites or something? And the mysterious channels could
be
a delivery vehicle for insecticide, where they put stuff in the
channel
at the top and it dispenses? Whatever it is, maybe one pole out of
six or so has it added. I thought it might be to add some kind of
crash protection, but then some are on the side facing the direction
of traffic, others are on the opposite side and it doesn't seem
likely
that it would really do anything for that. Anyone see similar or
have ideas?

https://www.borderstates.com/UserFil.../OSMO00001.pdf

Yes, that's it, thank you. So it's a truss designed to add strength
and
extend the life of poles that are deteriorating. This is something
new
here, never saw them before.

I couldn't visualize the double U description, but the rest of what you
described sounded like a splint for mending bones straight or
immobilizing a joint. We call them 'telephone poles' around here, but I
think officially they are 'utility poles' so I looked up 'utility pole
splint' and got lucky with that photograph there. It looks something
like the metal used for guardrails being repurposed.

That's definitely what it is. Only difference these are spray painted
brown and have a little cap/hood nailed over the top. Not sure what the
idea to that is, keep rain out? But it's open at the bottom and 5 ft+
into the ground, so it would not seem to matter.

Maybe the cap is to keep critters out.

But no cap at the bottom doesn't.