Structural Assessment of Fiber-reinforced Polymer Composite Electric Poles

Engineers are increasingly tasked with designing and operating structures that incorporate the philosophy of resiliency across a variety of critical infrastructure sectors. Electric distribution and transmission systems are examples of the critical infrastructure sectors. The majority of existing electrical poles supporting electric distribution systems in the United States are made out of wood. It is estimated that up to 3.6 million existing electric wood poles have to be replaced every year. One of the primary hardening strategies is upgrading wooden electric poles and supporting structures with stronger materials that withstand hurricane-force winds. This paper presents finite element analysis of fiber-reinforced polymer composite poles including parametric studies on geometric characteristics, fiber orientation, number of layers, and lamina thickness.