Utility structures like transmission and lighting poles are essential constructions throughout the country. They support hardware for electrical power, telephones, and other utilities above the ground. Using the right materials for power transmission poles makes all the difference in each structure’s cost, longevity, and installation and maintenance needs.
Learn more about the benefits of choosing structural steel over other materials to build power transmission poles, as well as the different types of structural steel available from Delta Steel.
Benefits of Structural Steel for Utility Structures
By using structural steel instead of concrete or treated wood, utility power transmission pole builders and communities benefit in the following ways:
- Increased Longevity: Structural steel configurations can last for decades with minimal maintenance.
- Design Flexibility: Structural steel is stronger than wood while remaining lightweight enough to accommodate various designs, such as those that can handle larger, heavier loads and longer spans. In addition to reducing the total number of poles that need to be purchased and installed, structural steel can also be pre-drilled according to custom framing and hardware requirements.
- Aesthetics: Steel transmission poles resist corrosion and only require periodic cleaning and inspection to maintain their pristine appearance.
- Environmental Friendliness: Utility poles made of structural steel won’t be damaged by animals, fire, or rot. As a result, they lead to far fewer catastrophic failures compared to wood poles. On top of this, most structural steel utility poles are made from recycled steel and can be recycled at the end of their useful life.
- Cost-Effectiveness: Due to the longer lifespan, lower maintenance demands, and fewer replacement costs over time, structural steel transmission poles are more cost-effective over the material’s entire life cycle than alternative materials.
Popular Grades of Structural Steel for Utility Structures
Delta Steel offers four main types of structural steel materials for transmission poles. They are categorized as follows according to their ASTM compliance.
ASTM A572 Structural Steel
ASTM A572 is a very commonly used structural steel. It’s a strong, low-alloy columbium-vanadium metal that can be used in a wide array of general construction applications. Builders can choose between five different yield strength grades: 42, 50, 55, 60, or 65 ksi (kilopounds per square inch).
ASTM A871-65 Structural Steel
ASTM A871-65 structural steel is another popular high-strength, low-alloy option. The material has good resistance to atmospheric corrosion. Both sheets and plates are commonly used to build transmission and lighting poles.
ASTM A588 Structural Steel
ASTM A588 offers excellent weathering ability even without painting, as it has an inbuilt corrosion resistance that gets stronger over time. It offers the same degree of strength as carbon steel but weighs significantly less.
ASTM A709 Structural Steel
ASTM A709 structural steel is composed of iron, carbon, manganese, and other elements. Its makeup gives it excellent resistance to environmental conditions, a great strength-to-weight ratio, and excellent weldability. In addition to steel transmission poles, ASTM A709 steel is frequently used to construct bridges.
Structural Steel Supply by Delta Steel
Sturdy, reliable, and low-maintenance power transmission poles are essential to keeping customers connected. By building them from high-quality ASTM structural steel grades, companies can install extremely durable poles that don’t have a high maintenance cost, stay functional for decades, and enable easy utility expansion.
At Delta Steel, we supply our clients with multiple steel alloy grades for power transmission poles and other projects. Depending on your specific needs, our team provides high-quality plate burning, drilling, cutting, forming, and other fabrication services. We carry an extensive inventory of beams, plates, angles, bars, pipes, and sheets made from a range of metals.
To get started on your order, request a quote today.