CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION GUIDELINES SPECIFIC FIELD PROCEDURES Abstract ‘Tae puro of hte gu tpprseche to henson of da oionconstruton ‘Thre separate papers, which cover the bases of pole Inlay ovrbead tn ndergrond ine consrchon, are presented me gels ony. Fy are ot tended to Be plete chek, bat rae to et fort toma tppronthes ved by ndiadel sages Comments fo 1Sfrore or enlarge hen geet arenved, Outline ‘The following field inspection procedures were prepared bya panel of engineers in Kentucky. A. Inspection of pole installations - Don Schaefer, Jackson Purchase Electric Corporation, Paducah, Kentucky. B, Overhead new member extensions and single phase construction inspection - Dudley Bottom, Jr., Shelby REC, Shelbyille, Kentucky. . URD inspection - Jim Krampe, Green River Electric Corporation, Owensboro, Kentucky. Introduction ‘This project was started in 1987 because there were no guidelines available, other than REA spec books and certification requirements. As a result the inspection ‘process was inconsistent and often incomplete. ‘The first step in developing the guidelines was to address the methodology, in a paper published by the IEEE in 1989. INSPECTION OF POLE INSTALLATIONS Inspecting new pole installations starts with determining the proper specifications and a visual inspection prior 10 the pole being set in the ground. Once a pole is set in the ‘ground itis difficult to inspect, and the buried part cannot be properly inspected. ‘Quality Control - Pole Purchasing ‘Two acceptable methods of pole procurement available: Independent Inspection and the Wood Quality Control Program. Since REA no longer approves independent inspection agencies or treating plants, each utility has the responsibility to select the procurement method. p2-1 sndeat inspection method is selected, the inspector, inspection agency, or acceptable suppliers who hhave treated poles instock, must also be selected. All poles are inspected under the independent pole inspection Process. With the Wood Quality Control Program (WQC), a ‘minimum of 20% of all timber products are inspected at the plant and another 5% are inspected at the uilty pole yard. ‘WOC concentrates on plant inspections and random sample pole inspections to assure compliance with specifications. Whea poles are recsived, they should be inspected for ‘compliance with the specifications as well as physical ‘damage during transit. Ifan independent pole inspector is i ‘pole and the end of timbers. should be checked forthe inspector’ stamp. Random test borings should be taken to see ifthe poles are sound and have been treated properly. Afier the borings are taken, the hole shall be plugged with a treated plug to assure structural integrity. A pole should be rejected if it has: cross-breaks, dead streaks, open or unplugged holes, hollow butts or tops. (except hollow pith centers and butt defects caused by felling of the trees), inadequate pole dimensions, metal objects in the wood, improper drilling of h improper or no gain, excessive pole handling damage, excessive spiral grain, excessi inadequate treatment, or other defici ‘umber of problems occur, the inspector, the pole supplier and REA shall be contacted. Each pole shall have a brand with the following information: 4, Manufacturer’s mark and plant location 2. Year of manufacture 3. Length and class 4. Species, preservative code and retention ‘The bottom of the brand shall be 10 feet from the bottom of the pole, If the pole is $5 feet or longer, the bottom of the brand shall be 14 feet from the bottom of the pole. ‘Knowledge of these dimensions is useful in determining the setting depth of an installed pole.‘Role Staking Pole strength calculations are essential to proper Hine design. Because staking engincers are busy and seldom hhave time to calculate each installation, the design criteria should be provided for them. When inspecting lines, the loading on each pole should be examined using the design rteria. One ofthe most common staking errors is uplift on a pole. ‘A pol shall not be left i am uplift condition unless it has ‘been designed for uplift loading. Poles should not be placed close to the roadway, unless absolutely necessary. Poles placed next to roadways create a visual obstruction to traffic and are likely to be damaged. Poles are hit on the outside of curves more often than the inside, so if possible place them on the inside, ‘When other utilities request contact, the primary concerns are with initial pole loading and clearances, However, the ‘combined loading on the pole shall also be checked prior to approving the joint-use installation. When inspecting, any pole installation, the total loading should be checked. Constenction Poles shall be set atthe proper depth to attain the strength ‘required for line construction. When a pole hole is drilled, the size of the bole should be as small as practical for that size pole. An oversized hole will make it more difficult to {amp and attain stability of the pole. Proper tamping is very important. Backfill should slope away from the pole. A poole shal be set extra deep if placed on a bank or at the edge ofa ditch. The setting depth required will depend on the angle ofthe slope or the depth of unstable soll the distance above grade with the design determine the proper setting depth. ‘A pole should be aligned and should not deviate more than the width of 1/2 of the pole. All poles shall be plumb except for angle poles and deadend poles. Angle poles, guyed or unguyed, and deadend poles should be raked. The seagested rakes Lto2inchesfor every 1 feet of pole. ‘Any sweep of the poles should be inal (in-line) direction. ‘The ground wire shall be mounted on the same side as the ‘neutral and in the opposite quadrant ofthe climbing space. It shall also be 2 inches from any hardware and stapled to the pole every 2 feet, except for the bottom and top 8 feet, where the requirement is every 6 inches. CCrossarms shall be mounted so they are square with the pole and adequately braced to support the loads applied. ‘The crossarms should also be at a 90-degree angle from the ‘conductor. Pole steps shall not be installed within 8 feet of the ground. No structure should allow climbing by untrained persons. 2-2 All switch handles, controls, meters, cabinets and ‘equipment shall be locked to prevent unauthorized access. References: REA Bulletin 161-4, Pole Inspection and Maintenance, REA Bulletin 50-24, REA Specification for Quality Control and Inspection of Timber Products. REA Bulletin 160-2, Engineering and Operations Manual Distribution Line Design (mechanical). REA Bulletin 50-18, REA Specification for Wood Poles, Stubs and Anchor National Electrical Safety Code, Table 261-3A, 1990. ANSI 05.1 - 1979, American National Standards Institue. “Making Sure Coop Utility Poles Stay Standing”, Rural Electrification, by Robert Gibson, 1988. Lightning Protection Manual, NRECA Research Project a2 OVERHEAD NEW MEMBER EXTENSIONS AND SINGLE PHASE CONSTRUCTION INSPECTIONS. Introduction ‘The general public tends to be active in the proximity of facilities involved in overhead home extensions and single phase construction. Due to this high level of public ‘exposure, the inspection is performed in a manner that addresses the most critical safety items first and progresses,