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utility poles are relied upon to distribute power and communication to the public. Some years ago the posts that hold the miles of wires that allow us to receive electricity and communicate by telephone were mostly made from hard woods that were treated to protect them against the elements. Nowadays the huge masts are also made from concrete and steel. For ecological purposes the concrete mast is the better of the two but this pole is expensive to produce. On the other hand producing steel releases chemicals and gases into the atmosphere, so manufacturing a steel pole may cost less but the ecological effect is negative. But steel remains unaffected by the elements so that does make it a common choice. A pole comes in many different sizes. A mast can be as short as sixteen feet or as tall as ninety feet. A scale is used to determine the circumference of the pole and this scale is known as the `class` scale. At around twenty seven inches circumference the largest pole is the class one. Our utilities are essential but providing those utilities is costly. Therefore some companies decide to share the masts. If a pole is shared then the firms can divide the pole maintenance costs, a joint use pole can be cost effective. However, a high voltage power line may be especially designed for that purpose and as such will remain a single use pole. Any pole has to comply with certain standards. Certain types of tree can never be felled in order to provide a pole and at least twenty five trees that are native to the U. S. cannot be felled to create a mast. A steel pole must comply with the National Electrical Safety Code Grade B standard. Utility poles are marked with some information. This information includes the date that the pole was erected, the wood that was used to make it (where necessary) and any other relevant information. McWane ductile iron utility poles are durable, eco-friendly poles are a groundbreaking alternative to conventional distribution poles.(http://www.mcwanepoles.com)
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