Centrifugal concrete poles for transmission lines reinforced with prestressed FRP rebar

Abstract

Reinforced with steel rebar concrete centrifuged conical poles for power transmission poles receive corrosion damage to steel reinforcement during operation. These damages can lead to the failure of structures. Complete replacement of both longitudinal and transverse steel reinforcement by composite one is a way to increase the reliability and durability of such structures. This method also allows the use of cost-effective concretes with a low cement content. The research results have shown the viability of such solutions, but the use of composite reinforcement requires its prestressing. This article discusses the Russian practice of testing concrete centrifuged conical poles for strength, crack resistance and rigidity. A brief description of the prototypes and methods of their testing is given. The main results of bending tests of full-scale test samples are presented in the form of diagrams of their deformation. Analysis of the results showed that the test samples of poles are correspond to requirements of Russian norms for deformability, crack resistance and strength. According to the results the studied centrifugal concrete poles with prestressed longitudinal GFRP rebars and transverse spiral GFRP rebars are like traditional ones with steel reinforcement (in standardized strength, crack resistance and deflection values) and, therefore, can be used in building construction.