Potential for Using Below Ground Barriers on Utility Poles: An Update

摘要

The effect of barriers on wood moisture content was investigated in both posts and poles in laboratory and field trials. Moisture contents in pole sections stored in soil or water under laboratory conditions tended to increase more rapidly in non-barrier treated poles, but eventually moisture contents of poles with and without barriers reached similar levels. Posts with and without barriers exposed under field conditions tended to wet during the rainy season but dry during the summer suggesting thatthe barriers did not adversely alter moisture conditions in these smaller materials; however, moisture contents in pole sections with barriers tended to remain elevated during the dry season. The altered moisture contents do not mean that barriers have negative effects, but rather they highlight the need to inspect poles with barriers at different locations than would be typical for poles without barriers.