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Fiberglass poles - use in transmission lines.

Technical-Economic advantage
Claiton Homrich Ismael Gonçalves Leonardo Câmara
Engineer Eletrotecnical Eletrotecnical
AES Sul AES Sul AES Sul

Abstract—Sustainability and Innovation, key words to de-

scribe what AES Sul has founded to solve their problems with
reduction of time, costs and resources for construction of trans-
mission lines.
The FRP (FIBERGLASS REINFORCED POLYESTER),
which is designed to replace wood, steel and concrete in building
structures for 69 KV proving to be an effective alternative.
The insertion of 69kV FRP structures showed a considerable
reduction in the final work cost resulting in approximately 25%
below if compare the cost necessary to install steel structures.
The reduction in costs is basically consequence to the small
size of the structures, requiring less volume of excavation and
backfill, once it is installed directly on the ground. In view of no
excavation necessity and no concrete use.
The structures also satisfy the improvements on the aesthetic
conception, theme with great topical interest, reducing then its
visual impact and also the environmental impact and sustainable.

Index terms--efficiency, innovation, sustainability, viability.

I. INTRODUCTION

T RADITIONALLY, the most influential factor that affected

the decision to design the transmission line is cost-
effective. Currently, combined with cost reduction, it becomes
increasingly important to reduce the visual impact of the pro-
ject, because the environmental agencies and regulatory agen-
cies are becoming quite demand to release of building permits
Within this new context, AES Sul studied the feasibility of
inserting new technologies related to the transmission line 69
kV and 138 kV in their standard of materials and services for
transmission lines, seeking to reduce costs and time, while
maintaining its reliability. The result of this study was the use
of 69kV FRP structures in rural transmission lines.
II. DEVELOPMENT
The design of the transmission line was based on the criteria
of the Brazilian standard NBR 5422 - Design Overhead Trans-
mission and Sub-transmission Lines of Electric Power, and the
design of FRP poles, manufactured by the Petrofisa Ltda, was
calculated according to the load requested in the project, as
shown in Figure 1.
The transmission line used for the study, has an extension of
55,000 meters, voltage 69 kV, single-phase circuit with hori-
zontal configuration, 1 ACSR conductor LINNET 336.4 kcm
per phase, 2 cable arrester HS 3/8 " and porcelain insulators. To
build the transmission line were used 205 suspension structures
and 43 anchor structures.
LP84 - AES Congress on Innovation, Technical Excellence and Sustainable Practices
Fig.1. Design of the FRP structure.
The regions, where this study was done for installation of
these structures, are characterized mostly by fields, farms and
rocky terrain, where all parameters satisfy the necessity of the
operation area of AES Sul.
The same load conditions of conductors and the lightning
arrester, as well as the same speed and wind pressure and same
pay-back period was used compared with an equivalent steel
structure transmission line.
A. Prototype
The next step was to build a prototype for installation in
AES Sul transmission lines. After the manufacturing of sup-
porter, and performed the inspection and monitoring of the
factory acceptance test, ensure the success in compare to the
study by the designer, and performing all tests requested by
Brazilian standards.
The installation was positive, both by assembly facilities as
well as acceptance by maintenance crews of AES Sul, giving
confidence to follow the project using FRP poles in AES Sul
transmission lines.
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B. Design of new transmission lines project

Considering an H-type structure with two poles, cross arm
and draught proofing, with a single pole foundation, similar to
wooden pole, associating technical economic advantages of
fiberglass structures with lattice structures.
C. Pole tests
C1. Routine bending test
The routine bend test was performed, reaching the limit es-
tablished by the project, as shown in Figures 2 to 5.

Fig. 4. Pole on the minimum braking load – side view..

Figura 2 – Start of the test.

Fig. 3. Dynamometer with a minimum breaking load. Fig. 5. Pole on the minumum braking load – side view

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C.2 Cable-stayed pole

The routine bending test was performed, using the coupling
rod on poles, simulating field characteristics, as shown in Fig-
ures 6 to 9.

Fig. 8. Pole on 1190 daN bending load..

Fig. 6. Pole on 858 daN bending load.

Fig. 9. Dynamometer recording the load 2246 daN in bending test.

C.3 Pole test after burn

Test was performed on the entire pole after the burn of base
region (fire situation) according to the following conditions, as
shown in Figures 10 to 13:
− The flame (yellow) should be applied continuously for
1 minute;
− After the withdrawal of the flame, it must be extin-
guished within 30 seconds;
Fig. 7. Pole on minimum breaking load (2300daN).
− Perform the bending test after the burn.
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Fig. 13. Bending test after the burn

Fig. 10. Start of the pole burn in the base region.

C.4 hoisting structure simulation
The 20-meters-hoisting was simulated to the complete
structure (approximate 2000 kg). The assembly time was 3
hours (2 people), and hoisting time was 3 minutes shown in
Figures 14 to 17.

Fig. 11. Base region shortly after the withdrawal of the flame.

Fig. 14. Assembly of the lied structure.

Fig. 12. Base region 15 seconds after the withdrawal of the flame.

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Fig. 17. Hoisted structure.

Fig. 15. Start of the hoist.

III. DESCRIPTION OF MATERIALS

A. Structures
With the insertion of this new concept of FRP structures for
transmission lines, we have a saving in materials and also ser-
vices. The steel structures were replaced by fiber poles.
Two of advantages to use these structures are transportation
and installation, as they are made of fiberglass and sectional,
using a small truck the parts can be moved anywhere.

Fig. 16. Hoisted structure. Fig. 18. Load of poles.

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For this transmission line, would be quite complex the in-

stallation of steel structures due to difficulty of access by con-
crete delivery trucks.

Fig. 22. Fixed model.

Fig. 19. Sectioning os the poles.

Fig. 20. Sectioning os the poles.

The activities take place directly at the workplace, which Fig. 23. Fixed model.
may install and assemble the entire structure with a small
crane, as seen in Figures 18 to 20.
The union between the modules is made with the expansive
sleeve and inner link plate of the walls, so that the parts do not
suffer from vibration effects since this system does not transfer
the effort to the pin, turning the two walls in a single fiber piece
shown in Figures 21 to 26.

Fig.. 24 Fixed model.

Fig. 21. Fixed model.

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B. Foundations
In this project was observed a difference practically in all
items of the structures foundation, such as excavation, con-
crete, backfill, steel armor, reused moulds, soil deposit, flexi-
ble conduit; no item listed above is used in the foundations of
FRP structures.
For all structures, the foundations follow basically the pat-
tern used for the wooden structures, which at the base of poles
is fixed two pieces of wood to length of 2.00 meters, as seen in
figures 27 and 28.
These parts are installed horizontally into each pit, and in
different depths, of 45 cm to the first piece and 65 cm to the
second, from the ground level.

Fig. 25. Fixed model.

Fig. 26. Assembly of the structure after completed connections. Fig. 27. Foundation project.

For this transmission line was used 496 fiber poles, totaling
248 structures, of which no steel needed in foundations.
The material saving was not envisioned in this item, there
was an increase by 11%, but the assembly had about 3% reduc-
tion, just by reducing weight and ease of transport.
The major differential of reduction for this item was in the
foundation, by 84% reduction, which can be seen in table 1.

TABLE 1
COMPARASION OF VALUES.

Fig. 28. Installation of foundation.

C. Execution time
Another significant item for using this type of structure is
the time to install the foundations, which for a similar transmis-
sion line last 7 months on average. Using FRP structures, it was
performed 3 months on average, just for the facility of in-
stalling the foundation and assembly, as seen in Table 2.

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TABLE 2 E. Sustainability
SCHEDULE OF EXECUTION;
This project had a significant reduction of all materials and
services used comparatively in foundations of the steel struc-
ture. No use of mineral resources such as steel and concrete,
and also preserve the integrity of soil, minimizing the excava-
tions. Table 3 shows the result of reduction of these resources.

TABLE 3
COMPARATIVE

D. Environmental and visual impact

The requirements of regulatory and environmental agencies
force to adapt to new concepts in environmental preservation
and in the case of urban areas, also the visual impact, as shown IV. CONCLUSIONS
in figure 29. The conclusion that could be taken from this project was the
financial savings with the change of traditional steel structures
in rural transmission lines by the new concept of FRP struc-
tures.
Yet, the facility of installation and assembly, being installed
in places of difficult access for heavy equipment, reducing
execution time
After the conclusion of this project, there was an increase of
approximately 17% in material items, due to the greater num-
ber of structures, insulators and double ground wire, and reduc-
tion of approximately 48% of the service items, resulting in a
global savings approximately 25% and reduction of execution
time of approximately 37.5%.
After all these considerations, the lower visual impact and
sustainable, facility of installation and maintenance, shorter
execution time and less investment compared with the installa-
tion of metal structures, all objectives of this new concept of
69kV-FRP structures under the AES Sul were successfully
achieved, as shown in Figure 30.

Fig. 29. FRP structure

Based on this, through the installation of FRP structures,

there was a reduction in cutting vegetation around the place to
assembly the FRP structures compared with the installation of
steel structures, facilitating the release of environmental licens-
es and consequently decreasing the final schedule.
Fig. 30. Transmission line with FRP.

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V. REFERENCES

Standards:
[1] Associação Brasileira de Normas Técnicas – Projeto de Linhas Aéreas
de Transmissão e Subtransmissão deEnergia Elétrica – NBR 5422 – Brasil.

Books:
[2] Labegalini, P. R.; Labegalini, J. A.; Fuchs, R. D.; Almeida, M. T. “Pro-
jetos Mecânicos das Linhas Aérea.
[3] Marinucci, G. Materiais Compósitos Poliméricos. Ed. Artliber, 2011.
[4] Carvalho, A. Tosfac - Total Strain Failure Criterion. Ed. Artsim, 2009.
[5] Abmaco. Compósitos I – Materiais, Aplicações, Desempenho e Tendên-
cias. Ed. SLEA, 2008.
[6] Abmaco. Compósitos II – Processos. Ed. SLEA, 2009.
[7] Abmaco. Compósitos III – Processos. Ed. SLEA, 2010.

LP84 - AES Congress on Innovation, Technical Excellence and Sustainable Practices