Power, telephone services and data connections require cables or wires to travel across. With billions of people in the world wanting to be connected, this translates into literally millions upon millions of feet of cables strung across the globe. This grid is enormous. In 1844, under the direction of the U.S. Government, a man named Samuel Morse was to build one of the first long-distance communication lines. A telegraph route. He first attempted to run the cables underground, but his plan was quickly riddled with problems. He realized the most effective way was to place the cables overhead along utility poles. The same concept is still in effect today.
How many power lines do you run across everyday? You almost cannot go anywhere without seeing cables running overhead. Many consider these lines and supporting utility poles to be visual pollution, corrupting the beauty of the world around them. This is the reason cables are placed underground in many subdivisions and residential areas. It is much more cost effective and efficient for lines to be strung overhead, thus underground placement is avoided where possible.
There are many different types of utility poles in place. The majority of poles are made of wood. The reason behind using wood is its cost. It simply is the cheapest choice. However, wood does present many problems. These utility poles generally only last for twenty-five to fifty years. They rot. The can snap under the pressure of heavy winds. They fall victim to woodpeckers and other pests. Preservative treatments are done to the wood in order to prevent such problems, but these treatments cannot fix everything. Maintenance and replacement checks are often underway along wooden pole routes. Many companies offer other types of utility poles. On the market there are poles made from fiberglass, steel, concrete and iron.
These are much more expensive than wood, but offer greater benefits in strength and durability. Iron utility poles last more than seventy five years, offer low maintenance, are made from recycled materials and can even be recycled after their lifespan. Iron may become a great contender with wood. With recent developments in technology, the price of these corrosion resistant poles has been coming down. To keep track of all the utility poles and wire segments on the grid, codes are inscribed on each post. These codes provide information to companies about where the pole is located and what types of wire it is supporting.
Author Resource:-
(http://www.mcwanepoles.com/) is the best place to buy utility poles.
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