Summary

A telecommunication pole is one of the most important network infrastructures used to carry overhead telecommunication lines.

In wooden poles, as support of communication lines, the following circumstances are present:

The wood, when the antiseptic efficiency of the preservative treatment has decreased below the threshold, is subjected to the attack of biological agents that cause its destruction.

Healthy wood of poles must preserve the mechanical strength that line security requires.

The heavy cost of wooden poles as well as of pole replacement requires conservation to extend the life of the poles, while paying sufficient attention to worker safety and the expected lifetime of the poles. This can be achieved by means of different systems such as reimpregnation, lowering, recover and reclassification.

Another material used in common utility poles is concrete. These poles are planted into the ground, but in some cases, they lean or are overturned by forces such as strong wind. This phenomenon is mainly due to a foundation failure. Recommendation ITU-T L.88 deals with integrity testing for telecommunication pole foundation.