Wooden Poles

Treated wooden poles for rural and urban electrification, telephone networks.

Thanks to our different partners in South Africa and around the world, we can produce and supply approximately 50,000 poles of various lengths and diameters per month.

Certificates: ISO 9001:2008, SANS 754: 2010

All our plants are certified to ISO 9001:2008. Copies of the certificates are available on request.

Wind drying of eucalyptus poles

Treatment capacity

Our total capacity from our treatment stations in Kwazulu-Natal in South Africa is about 50,000 poles per month, spread across different sizes.

Our main plant is less than 100 km from Durban harbour, ensuring optimal delivery time and minimal road transport costs and hazards.

Most of our export contracts include transport to the harbour and coordination of sea-freight and road transport to the final destination.

From Mauritania to the Comoros, our poles are installed across the entire African continent.

References:

South Africa

TELKOM SA (overhead telephone lines)
ESKOM (overhead power lines)
Contractors & construction companies for overhead lines

Mozambique

EDM (overhead power lines)
TDM (overhead telephone lines)

Zimbabwe

ZESA (overhead power lines)
PTC (overhead telephone lines)

Botswana

BPC (overhead power lines)
BTC (overhead telephone lines)

Angola

Overhead power lines
Overhead telephone lines

Kenya

KPLC, Overhead power lines

Kuwait

Boodai Trading Company (overhead power lines)

West Africa

Senegal, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Gambia

Namibia

Nampower (overhead power lines)
Various electrical contractors

Swaziland

Swaziland Electricity Board
Swaziland Post and Telecommunications Authority

Malawi , Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya

Overhead power lines
Overhead telephone lines

Sri Lanka

CEB (overhead power lines)
Telecoms (overhead telephone lines)

Argentina

EDESUR (overhead power lines)
Telecoms (overhead telephone lines)

Sudan

Power Company (Energy)

Indian Ocean

Comores, Mayotte, Madagascar

Technical specifications:

All our poles are treated according and comply with South African Bureau of Standards (SANS) SANS 754:2010 specification. All our plants are in conformity with SANS 754.

Herewith a brief description of the SANS standards:

Origin and species of the trees

Most our wooden poles are currently of South African origin. The most popular species used in South Africa for transmission, telecommunications and agricultural applications are:

Grandis (Saligna),
Grandis/Saligna Hybrids

For those who require it, we are also able to supply pine poles (from the Northern Hemisphere), for countries that have such requirements.

Eucalyptus forest in South Africa

Pine poles from the north

Aerial view of a treatment plant

Strength

All transmission and telephone poles are tested according to the South African Bureau of Standards (SANS) specification SANS 754:2010 or NF C 67-100 French standards.

Freedom of defects

The maximum permissible defects are also defined by the SANS 745:2010 and include defects such as : sapwood decay, gum veins, gum pockets, insect damage, ring shakes, spirality, spiral grain, post-treatment defects, mechanical damage, crook and sweep and taper.

Preservative treatment

The SANS 745:2010 standard address the following aspects: moisture content, the process, the preservative, retention and penetration of the preservative.

The average moisture content may not exceed 25% and no single pole should exceed 28% at the time of treatment.
The preservative may be Creosote or CCA that complies with the SANS specifications.
Retention requirement is a minimum of 115 kg/m³ for Creosote and 16 kg/m3 for CCA for Eucalyptus species.
The minimum depth of solid penetration depends on the hazard class and is 15mm for poles in direct contact with the ground (H4 class).

In practice, the retention and penetration values are considerably higher.

Inspections, methods of testing and marking

These methods and procedure are clearly outlined in the SANS 754:2010. Information such as the treating plant, last two digits of the year, hazard class, strength class, length and size, kiln / air dry and unique pole number indicated on every pole. Additional customized information can also be included in the marking.