Reliability Assessment of Transmission Poles

The structural reliability of round wood and fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite transmission poles is investigated. Numerical reliabilities at ultimate loads for 20 poles are computed and compared. The main inference from this limited study is that FRP poles showed higher structural reliability than wood poles; the average reliability index of FRP poles is more than three times that of wood. It is suggested that composite poles offer better long-term performance, resilience and reliability when used in hurricane-prone and other highload areas.