The study of strength and stiffness of vibrated reinforced concrete poles for power line supports

Abstract Recently, the use of reinforced concrete poles as supports for overhead power lines has attracted significant interest. In the design of power lines, the application of modern technologies enables cost reduction for construction and maintenance, increases the service life, and enhances the reliability of structural elements. Design documentation has been developed for the production of vibrated prestressed reinforced concrete poles for power lines. The results of bending tests conducted on a series of full-scale specimens reinforced with prestressed rebars are presented. Based on the full-scale tests, the compliance of the poles produced according to the developed design documentation with the controlled load requirements has been determined. The proposed structural solutions for the poles meet the current Ukrainian standards for deformability, crack resistance, and strength. Computer modelling of the tested elements was performed. An analysis of the numerical study results for poles with lengths of 9.5 and 10.5 meters demonstrated that the proposed modeling approach allows for the investigation of the stress-strain state in cross-sections and along the length of the product. Moreover, it enables the identification of critical sections of the element without full-scale testing.