ATIS: Standards Committee O5

Brief History

ANSI Accredited Standards Committee (ASC) O5 on Specifications and Dimensions for Wood Poles was organized in 1924 by the Bell Telephone System and the U.S. Independent Telephone Association's American Standards Associations (ASA) Telephone Group. ATIS, then ECSA, accepted sponsorship and Secretariat responsibility for ASC O5 in 1985.

This Committee creates standards for wood poles, crossarms and braces, and glue laminated timber for utility structures. Wood poles continue to be the least expensive method to provide telecommunications services (telephone & cable) to rural areas of the United States. There are approximately 100 million wood poles in use nationwide; 45 percent are owned by the telecommunications industry.

In the years that we have sponsored and been the Secretariat for ASC O5, representatives from ATIS member companies, who are subject matter experts, have greatly influenced the standards development program of ASC O5 through active leadership. A representative from an ATIS member company led the effort to develop the Crossarm Standard (ANSI O5.3-1989).

Two voting representatives on Committee O5 are member companies of ATIS. They actively participate in the standards development program and provide leadership in the technical subcommittees. In addition, they actively participate on the standards drafting teams and provide technical editorial support for the Secretariat of ASC O5.

Programs

Accredited Standards Committee O5 (ASC O5) is responsible for developing standards for a portion of the telecommunication outside plant including wood poles and crossarms. ASC O5 membership consists of a balance from three perspectives within the industry: wood pole producers, pole users and general interest.

In general, there are continuing projects/programs to increase the longevity of the poles and to reduce the costs for poles and crossarms to the telecommunications industry.

Cost reduction through standards is possible through higher stress tolerance, non-destructive testing of poles, and new wood resources, such as acceptance of foreign species of wood. These issues are under study by the fiber stress subcommittee, non-destructive testing task force, and a task group on procedures for acceptance of foreign species. Guidelines will be developed on deep incising and radial drilling of wood poles designed to extend the life of the poles.

During 2007, a three-year task force to obtain circumference measurements from poles during the manufacturing process was finalized. With the cooperation of pole manufacturers from the major pole producing sections of the country, data were obtained on over 23,000 poles. These pole dimension data were used to complete a derivation of fiber strength values that is a refinement to the values to be published in the revision of ANSI O5.1-2002: Wood Poles – Specifications and Dimensions.

The 2006-2007 review effort completed by the Fiber Stress Subcommittee resulted in proposed language for the standard that more clearly addresses the maximum stress point above groundline, the fiber stress height effect, and multi-pole structures. The revision of ANSI O5.1-2002 currently is in the balloting process and should result in the publication of a revision of ANSI O5.1-2002 before the end of the year.

The other major focus during 2007 was an evaluation of test data received from the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) for several species of tropical hardwood poles from Brazil. One interesting potential benefit to the tropical species is that no preservative treatment will be required. A special meeting of the Foreign Species task force and representatives from the tropical hardwood proponents was held mid-year and it was decided to initiate activity to create a new ASC O5 standard that only addresses tropical hardwood species. ASC O5 has issued a letter to the industry that states the range of fiber strength values that are contained in the pole break test data can be used against the tropical hardwood species for those interested in using such hardwoods for pole use.