Contractor Sees a Positive Outcome for SURELINE® Trial
SURELINE® distribution power poles
Supply of electricity for a new rural sub division at Marshall Mount, south west of Wollongong, has provided an opportunity for BlueScope Steel and Integral Energy to conduct a long term evaluation of the SURELINE® steel pole system. The trial of three new standings and four replacement poles includes testing of two SURELINE® steel distribution poles deliberately installed without their comprehensive in ground corrosion protection system.
Brothers Pat and Barney Greenfield have over 20 years of electrical experience in the engineering, industrial control, commercial and residential fields.
Their company, Greenfield Electrical Services is a Level 1 and Level 2 service provider carrying out work for Integral Energy, Country Energy and the RTA in the Illawarra, Goulburn, Crookwell and Blue Mountains regions and down to the Victorian border.
The new subdivision at Marshall Mount is serviced by an extremely steep access road which would have made the pole installation task much more challenging and expensive had other heavier pole types been used.
On weight alone the SURELINE® solution provides a major benefit, with a metre for metre advantage of 40 to 60 per cent over timber or concrete alternatives.
This achieves savings in transport and handling costs even on level ground and can help to create a safer working environment on hilly terrain.
"Much of our work has been on timber poles, but the bad bushfires in Sydney over the summer of 2001/2002 have brought about a dramatic change in the rural areas," Pat Greenfield said.
From his perspective the trial has been a success.
"The sub division installation was the first time our company had worked with SURELINE® poles," he said. "The lighter weight of the steel poles and the versatility of the SURELINE® system are two big factors in their favour, especially on the steep terrain at Marshall Mount."
"As contractors we are responsible for ordering any poles we need, then arranging for their delivery to site. With the SURELINE® poles you are dealing with a lighter material where the diameter of the individual poles doesn’t change along their length, so they are easier to stack together as a load."
"A lot of these sites are remote, so there are considerable transport costs involved and then the big trucks can’t go into a paddock. That’s not a problem with the SURELINE® poles because you can just put a sling around them and drag them to where you need them."
Pat Greenfield said dealing with manufactured poles of identical dimensions provided advantages in all stages of pole fitout and installation.
"The main thing with the SURELINE® poles is that they are strong, lighter than alternatives and they have been engineered so that they can handle additional attachments once they have been erected."
"There’s flexibility in dressing the poles because you can change the configuration to suit the engineering standards of whichever electricity authority is involved."
"Anyone who has worked as a linesman or has done network construction would have no problems working with the SURELINE® system. There is a simple instruction manual and you’d pick it up in five minutes," said Pat Greenfield.
Drilling the poles and applying the bitumastic groundline corrosion protection sleeve to the poles selected by Integral Energy presented no challenges.
"Because the poles are engineered and their shapes are precise, you can stand them vertically and confirm their positioning with a spirit level or a plumb bob, rather than having to step back and use more elaborate and time consuming methods," Pat Greenfield said.
"Once the poles were erected we had questions from residents about why we used steel poles instead of timber. When we explained about the shortage of old growth timber and the potential benefits in a bushfire environment, they were very receptive to the idea."
"There’s also a feeling that these are better looking poles and that they will stay that way throughout their long lifespan, unlike timber poles which can crack and even shed sections."
Landowner Peter Smith confirmed that viewpoint and added his own endorsement: "For every steel pole that goes up there’s one less tree that has to come down," he said. “And that’s got to be a good thing."
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