A Full-Scale Crash Test for a Transmission Wood Pole

A vehicle veering off the road has the potential to crash into an overhead transmission pole, compromising the operation and delivery of electric utility services. Although many full-scale crash tests have been developed to meet transportation-related needs, there are few crash tests for distribution-class poles, which compared with transmission-class poles are typically narrower and lower to the ground. In this study, the first full-scale test was developed for transmission-class poles. To fully understand the impact of a vehicle crashing into a transmission pole, a full-scale crash test using a popular passenger vehicle was conducted on a transmission-class (H6) wood pole. The vehicle traveled at 36 mph, and the center of its front bumper directly collided with the pole. Results showed that the crash exerted a large impact force on the transmission pole, which, in turn, led to a transient pole deflection—an effect that is not typically accounted for in the design of roadside transmission poles. However, the force of impact dissipates quickly such that the wood pole can withstand the impact without significant structural damage. The test setup and photographs are presented together with an estimate of the impact force on the pole during the crash event. These results provide guidance to engineers designing transmission poles in terms of ensuring that the latter can withstand the impact of a vehicle and remain safely in operation following a collision event.