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TIMBER POLE DESIGN

AS/NZS 7000:2010 – Appendix F

Henry Hawes
FIEAust, RPEQ, CPEng.
Consultant

hhawes@bigpond.com

Timber Pole & X-arm Design Standards

• Before the first C(b)1 in 1962 most utilities had
internal or government design regulations or used
earlier CSIRO work on timber design by Boyd.
• Most utilities have used C(b)1.
• The first limit states version of C(b)1 was produced in
1999 to bring it into line with other design standards.
• AS/NZS 4676 :2000 provided timber pole design
provisions and AS1720.1 used for crossarm design.

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AS/NZS 7000:2010
• Timber pole design clauses Appendix F based
on provisions in AS/NZS 4676:2000.
• Added in Torsional strength and pole-top
deflection comments.
• Major current issue is AS/NZS 7000 is
‘informative’ and AS/NZS 4676 is ‘normative’
but this is being addressed.

Timber pole strengths

• Limited historical research in Australia.

– J.D. Boyd led studies by the Pole Strength Joint
Research Committee, as well as some other
studies.
– Variations in testing methods can cause variations
in observed strength.

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Timber strength properties

• Where do the strengths come from?

– Small clear specimens – Main (old and new)
– Full-size beam tests – Early Work
– Clamped Cantilever – Some (Overseas)
– Free cantilever – Recent, few
– Pull-down – Rare
– 4-point cantilever – More recent, ENA sponsored
and NZ pine poles

Testing pine at the concrete pole plant in Orange.

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Testing pine and TSB Pull-Down at Grafton.

Testing Hardwood at Grafton

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Section 8 – Load Tests

– COV for recent round timber poles full scale

load tests has been in range of 10-20%

NZS3603 & AS1720.1

• Generally pine poles in NZ are proof loaded

• If using NZS 3603 there are a few subtle
differences to AS 1720.1 and AS/NZS 7000.
– Peeling factor & Slenderness factor in Section 7
– Not as many ‘k’ factors in Section 3 equations

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Serviceability Limit State (RH/3)

Limit State Design

Cl. 6.3.1
φRn > effect of loads ( Wn + ΣγxX)

where
X = the applied loads pertinent to each loading condition
γx = load factors which take into account variability of loads,
importance of structure, stringing, maintenance and safety etc.
Wn = wind load based on selected return period wind or a specified
design wind pressure
φ = the strength reduction factor which takes into account
variability of material, workmanship etc.
Rn = the nominal strength of the component

Strength Reduction Factor For Timber

Table 6.2

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Characteristic Properties of Timber

• Clause F3:
– Australian East Coast Australian Hardwoods are
either S1 or S2, Tasmania has minimum S4 and
WA doesn’t really use local hardwood poles any
more.
– Slash Pine is S5
– Radiata is normally S6
– Pines tend to vary significantly with location and
elevation, hardwoods not as much.
– The design assumes poles sourced to AS3818.11

Characteristic Properties of Timber

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Characteristic Properties of Timber

Clause F4.1
Capacity Factor φ

• use 0.9 unless the supplier is proof or in-grade testing and you
are confident in the properties.

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Load Duration k1

Load Duration k1
• Table F4:
– Use k1 = 1 for wind load combinations and 0.57 for
permanent loads like transformers and other high
resultant compressive loads.
– Wind and bending combinations may need further
assessment, but normally 0.8 would be used.
– If structure is under significant permanent load
and is deflection sensitive, be sure to use the
characteristic Young’s Modulus (see clause F5.6)
and creep factors from AS1720.1 or NZS3603.

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Degradation factor, kd

Degradation factor, kd

• For most poles Table F5 gives kd = 0.85 and for

average service life of poles
• Taken from the equations derived for the
“Timber Service Life Design Guide”
(www.timber.org.au).
• Equates to about 55% loss of diameter from
the centre out.

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Shaving Factor, k21

Shaving Factor k21

• Strength of round timber can be reduced
when it is machined into cylindrical form as
the extreme fibres are shortened.
• Table F7 gives values for this case, however
it does not apply to de-barked poles and
“dressing”. Therefore in most cases is 1.
• NZS3603 does apply a factor of 0.9 in
bending or tension for machine peeling (de-
barking) of pine, but this is not included in
AS/NZS7000.

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Immaturity Factor, k20

Accounts for a decrease in fibre strength for younger

timber.

Processing Factor k22

• Steaming under pressure to remove moisture and
break cells for improved treatment of hard-to-dry
timber can reduce pole strength.
• Not known to be done in Australia, best to check
with manufacturer. If not done k22 = 1.

Note: Steaming under vacuum has been used to

improve treatment fixation time and does not
cause a strength reduction.

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Capacity in bending φM
• Clause F5.1 - Calculation for moment
capacity at the critical section:

φM=φ
φ.k1.k20.k21.k22.kd.f’b.Z

– Where Z = π.dp3 / 32 and dp is the diameter at

the critical cross-section ( 200 below GL).

Capacity in bending vs. Tip Load

• To convert from a bending moment

capacity to a tip load capacity is simple.
• Divide the moment capacity by the distance
from the critical section to the tip.
• Make sure it is specified whether you are
using a tip load position at the very tip, or
at 300mm or 600mm below the tip

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Shear capacity φV

• Practically never an issue, even in combined load

checks.
• Simple formula from Clause F5.2 if required.
φV=φφ.k1.k20.k22.kd.f’S.As

Compressive Strength φNc

• Clause F5.3:
φNc = φ.k1.k12.k20.k21.k22.kd.f’c.Ac
– The stability factor k12 is a function of the
slenderness factor (Cl. 3.3.3 of AS1720.1), which in
AS/NZS7000 and AS4676 is 1.15L/dp where L is the
distance between effective restraints and dp is the
mid-length diameter between those restraints.
– In NZS3603 the slenderness factor is just L/dp and
k8 (equivalent to k12) uses a slightly different
formula, but the results are similar.
– kd should be the same as for shear.

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Combined Actions
• Clause F5.4:
(M*/φ φM) + (N*c/φ φNc) ≤ 1
– This combination will govern most designs,
even if there is only cable weights, fittings and
pole self weight in compression.
– Combined bending and tension not normally
an issue because the tension capacity is very
large.

Torsion capacity φT

• Clause F5.5
φ T = φ.k1.k20.k22.kd.f’s.ZT
– kd can be the same as for bending
– ZT = π.dp3 / 16
• Note torsion capacity for a timber pole is
normally very high, where the pole is likely to
rotate in the ground before it fails in torsion.
• Must consider where pole has rigid foundations

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Pole Selection
– From design load combinations determine critical
load case eg.
φRn > Wn + 1.1 Gs +1.25 Gc +1.25 Ft

– Determine limit state overturning moment

– Determine ultimate pole tip load
– The tip load is then compared to a list of limit
states design tip capacities for a pre-determined
range of poles characterized by their tip capacity,
strength grade and length and the appropriate
pole is selected.

Additional Considerations

• Design of cross-arms should be as for sawn

timber from the detailed procedures of either
AS1720.1 or NZS3603.

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Additional Considerations
• Timber poles are regularly inspected, and
allowed to degrade in strength to a set level at
which time they are replaced.
– Hence, the kd and φ factor for timber poles
• Degradation assessment of reinforced poles
needs careful consideration

Questions

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