Composite Utility Poles

Our composite structures are uniquely suited to withstand the harshest environments while providing a low maintenance, long life asset. FRP is a durable, safe and environmentally friendly material with an expected 80-year design life in its application as a composite utility pole.

One of the great advantages of FRP infrastructure is its reduced ongoing maintenance requirements compared to steel and timber. This is often expressed as the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of a structure.

Being 50%+ lighter than traditional poles, FRP utility poles are safer to handle, transport and install leading to improved health and safety for workers during installation, reduced wear and tear on equipment with improved transport efficiencies and potentially lower transportation costs. Being light weight has the added bonus of being easier to transport into remote locations that would normally be hard to access.

Our uniquely pultruded Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) utility poles are safer than a traditional steel, concrete or timber pole because they are made from materials that are non conductive, reducing the risk associated with shock or electrocution, especially during installation. This makes FRP utility poles the clear choice for areas with high electrical activity such as near transformers or high voltage power lines and substations.

Existing equipment and processes are fully compatible with FRP installation so there’s no need to upgrade or expand existing assets. Long-term, lighter equipment can be utilised to install utility poles which translates to reduced future capital expenditure. Onsite fitting and installation are no different to traditional timber poles with the ability to drill fixtures in-field, ensuring a quality fit every time.
For further information download our Wagners CFT Utility Pole Brochure.

The manufacturing process of utility poles at Wagners CFT starts with our unique pullwinding – where the glass is pulled through the die. We use a resin injection process before the material is pulled through the heating die, where the resin is cured, producing a product that is fully solid. At the end it is cut off by a saw to the length required.

The pole processing team then sprays the poles with a fluoropolymer coating and are baked to cure the paint. After that, the end caps are put on and any required product information is stencilled on the pole and then it is ready to be delivered for installation.

At Wagners CFT, we utilise a pull winding process called ‘pultrusion’ to manufacture our FRP structural profiles. These profiles mirror the geometry of traditional circular and square hollow sections, but are composed of fibreglass reinforcements and vinyl ester resins. FRP is an exceptional material that surpasses steel in strength while meeting all stiffness criteria.

Our FRP structural profiles boast an impressive Elastic Modulus of 40 (E40), significantly higher than that of our competitors. Furthermore, with an unrivalled glass content of 76%, our pultruded FRP structural profiles rank among the strongest in the world. We have established a reliable network of primary raw material suppliers globally, ensuring we produce the most robust FRP structural profiles for our customers while maximising cost efficiency.

Wagners CFT has produced more than a million FRP electrical crossarms for network operators over the past 20 years. Building on our reputation of quality, safety and reliability, the collective characteristics of Wagners CFT fibreglass poles for the utility industry will further enhance and maximise network security and resilience for asset owners and customers into the future.

Wagners CFT are also able to help with providing electrical cross arms and light poles.