Problematic Poles

By Kurtis Magargee COO, Light Pole Systems, Inc.

How To Identify Rusted and Damaged Light Poles Before It’s Too Late

Light Pole Systems, Inc. was founded in 2014 with the goal of making problem solving products for the exterior lighting maintenance industry. Taking the problems we experienced replacing stolen wire and repairing/replacing rusted poles, we started with our Universal Locking Hand Hole Cover and Pole Repair Kit. The following information came from our time repairing and replacing poles, inspecting poles for customers like CBRE, LAUSD, and IHG, and what we hear from our customers in the field today.

Light poles are commonly overlooked when upgrading or repairing parking lot fixtures. Many technicians are focused on their task working to finish the job as efficiently as possible, or contractors don’t have their own crane, so the poles are not top of mind. This is a disservice to their customers and opens the contractor to the liability of a rusted pole. Whether or not the damage or rust had anything to do with the new fixture or lamp, if a pole falls, the last contractor on site is going to be held accountable. The simple solution it to at least take a look at the condition of the pole and report it to the property manager or owner. Here, we will discuss the common indicators of a rusted pole and how to identify potential problems.

There are many common indicators to look for when identifying a potential rusted pole. Only steel poles rust. The same logic applies to aluminum and fiberglass poles; however, they corrode and deteriorate much more slowly, so most of our focus will be on steel poles.

The location of a pole can accelerate rusting. A rusted pole needs to be tested to determine if it is still structurally sound.

Poles located in shrubbery are susceptible to rusting. This pole was stabilized using a pole repair kit.

Look for poles in locations that can be impacted by irrigation, like along walkways, near grass, or surrounded by bushes in planters. City parks with a lot of dog traffic will see higher rates of rust due the acidic properties of dog urine or reclaimed water used for irrigation.

Poles set in planters and low footings can have dirt build up around the base, which will cause early rusting. Look for poles moving in the wind, either due to vibration or from loose or missing hardware. Some vibration is normal, but excessive vibrations will cause cracks at the base.

Common install issues can cause early rust. Look under the base plate for dry-pack concrete; there should be an air gap under the base plate allowing the pole to breathe. Dry-pack concrete under the pole base is one of the most common factors causing poles to rust pre-maturely. Water will get into the best sealed poles from condensation, and it needs a way to get out. The anchor bolts and hardware are plenty strong enough to support the load of the pole and do not need concrete underneath. Most engineers are trained to automatically add non-shrink grout under columns when designing a structure like a building, and this mistakenly gets pulled over to light poles.

When looking at the poles themselves, be sure to lift the base cover. Poles are often painted and look great 8” from the base; however, they might have rusted holes at the base. Check the pole bases for cracks, commonly found just above the weld seam, specifically in the corners of square poles. Look at the top of the pole – missing pole caps will let in excess water and debris, even bird nests. Check the hand hole – the same applies to missing hand hole covers. Finally, check the anchor hardware for rust and tight nuts. Most of this hardware is galvanized and is fine, but captured water and debris will rust the bolts under the base plate and between the leveling and top nut.

Lifting the base cover reveals significant rusting, which must be addressed.

The integrity of this pole has been compromised. It needs to be repaired or replaced before changing the light fixture.

In addition to rust, vehicle impacts are another common source of structural damage. Poles set on footings flush to the ground and poles in high truck traffic areas like distribution centers or near trash enclosures are commonly hit. Structural damage to the pole should be examined to determine if intervention is needed.

The ideal time to identify a rusted or damaged pole and repair/replace it is before you begin installing new lighting fixtures. In future articles, we will discuss how to inspect the poles, common repairs, and how to incorporate pole repair/ replacement into a LED retrofit. We will supplement these discussions with case studies of repairs using traditional methods and new repair techniques.

HOW TO IDENTIFY A DAMAGED POLE