There are an estimated 900,000 electric utility steel transmission and distribution structures in North America alone. An increasing number of these structures are tubular steel poles. The degradation effects of corrosion can have a significant effect on the structural reliability of this important segment of our infrastructure. While the predictability of strength for a newly installed tubular steel pole is relatively easy to calculate, deterioration of these poles over time due to corrosion presents a different challenge to those calculations.
This standard is intended for use by electric utility personnel, contractors, inspectors, and those interested in the impact of corrosion on the needed strength capacity of a tubular steel pole structure used in transmission, distribution, and/or substation applications.