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Environment

Urethane Resin Key to Utility Pole

July 19, 2004 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 82, Issue 29

KNOCK ON WOOD
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Credit: COURTESY OF REICHHOLD
This pigmented composite utility pole weighs one-third less than wood and won't delaminate.
Credit: COURTESY OF REICHHOLD
This pigmented composite utility pole weighs one-third less than wood and won't delaminate.

Where wooden utility poles are costly or scarce, utilities are turning to poles made from fiberglass and resin composites. Using a urethane hybrid resin system from Reichhold, Powertrusion International has developed poles that it claims are durable and economic substitutes for the wooden varieties. The two companies say their tests show that the poles are flame resistant. While the San Diego fires of 2003 destroyed other utility poles, a Powertrusion pole survived.

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