Development of a Novel Fiber-Reinforced Composite Utility Pole

Abstract

The objective of the project outlined in this thesis is to develop a novel utility pole with comparable performance to commercially available fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) poles. The novel pole is made of 3D E-glass-fabric-epoxy composite reinforced with wood dowels, referred to as wood dowel-reinforced 3D hybrid composite (WC3DFRP). The compressive and flexural properties of WC3DFRP are evaluated. Two WC3DFRP and two 2D FRP poles are fabricated using hand layup method. The poles are tested as per the standard and their responses are compared. Additionally, robust finite element models are developed in the LS-DYNA environment and calibrated based on the experimental results. Finally, a simplified analytical calculation method is developed so practicing engineers could determine the stiffness of WC3DFRP poles accurately and quickly. The results demonstrate the superiority of the developed 3D pole over the conventional 2D poles. Additionally, numerical simulation results agree with the experimental results very closely.