Transmission Pole Purchasing Guide

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Composite Power Group is the sales contact for Valmont Utility® across Canada.  Our sales engagement extends through:

 Valmont Utility®

Steel structures for transmission, distribution and substation applications

Valmont Shakespeare

Composite structures for transmission, distribution and substations

Solutions that we can offer include

Distribution poles in steel or composite

Transmission poles in steel or composite

Composite substation safety fences

In today’s post, we want to talk about how to buy a steel transmission or distribution pole, specifically tapered, tubular structures. Tapered, tubular steel poles are generally priced based on three factors;

  1. Weight - The amount of steel being used

  2. Complexity - The amount of fabrication time required to build

  3. Optimization - POLES DESIGNED TO OPTIMIZE FREIGHT AND INSTALLATION

 While “standard class” steel poles do exist (that can be specified based on height and class alone), many of the applications that we are asked to quote require a custom steel pole. There are three ways to figure this out​:

  1. Customer designs and provides weights for “Budget” level quote (No Complexity)​

  2. Pole Height and Class can get a better budget quote (No complexity)​

  3. Valmont generates a design, determine the weight and complexity and issue a firm quote​

 We can only get a firm and final quote if Valmont engineers the pole​. Why does Valmont need to engineer?  What about customer designed poles?​

  • If a customer comes with a full set of “Shop Drawings” ​

    • May not fit or work with the manufacturers’ production processes

    • May not be correct (liability)​ – at the end of the day, it is the pole supplier that will be asked to stamp their shop drawings. Valmont ensures that all designs are done in accordance with the most up to date industry best practices and design standards.

​What can an engineer or customer do to provide the perfect information for an RFQ? 

  • The Perfect RFQ​:

    • PLS files (.LCA and .BAK)​ – Valmont can input customer designs into their proprietary design software to produce an optimized detailed designs quickly and efficiently,

    • Steel pole specification​ with customer prescribing project details, fabrication and quality requirements,

    • Steel pole drawings showing attachment details​ and hole locations,

    • List of structures​ so that we know the quantity of poles and specific pole identifiers.

PLS - Power Line Systems is the industry standard line design engineering program used world-wide for transmission lines.

  • Second Best​:

    • Loading trees​ showing detailed design loads – same as above, but now Valmont needs to build the structure models from the ground up – thus increasing the amount of time required to engineer and quote the poles.

    • Steel pole specification​,

    • Steel pole drawings showing details​,

    • List of structures​. 

  • Budgetary quotations can be produced based on:

    • Approximate pole weights provided by the line designer. Poles can then be budget quoted on a per kg basis. This method generally works well provided the structures are not overly complex,

    • Pole height and class can be used to provide a budget quote, but this makes no allowance for complexity or customization

 What should be the take-away from all of this information?

  • The engineers at Valmont are the industry experts in detailed steel pole design. They can help transmission line designers realize their line design needs.

  • Valmont’s engineers can help provide budget level pricing if provided some basic information about the poles. Optimized quotes can be produced if complete specification information is provided

  • It pays to provide complete information. With Valmont’s engineering expertise and scale providing complete information allows Valmont to optimize designs to provide the most cost effective structures

 Contact your local Composite Power Group representative for more information.