≠ EDICT ± OF GOVERNMENT In order to promote public education and public safety, equal justice for all, a better informed citizenry, the rule of law, world trade and world peace, this legal document is hereby made available on a noncommercial basis, as it is the right of all humans to know and speak the laws that govern them. EAS 322 (2002) (English): Wood poles and blocks for power and telecommunication lines — Specification EAS 322:2002 ICS 79.040 EAST AFRICAN STANDARD Wood poles and blocks for power and telecommunication lines — Specification EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY © EAC 2002 First Edition 2002 EAS 322:2002 Foreword Development of the East African Standards has been necessitated by the need for harmonising requirements governing quality of products and services in East Africa. It is envisaged that through harmonised standardisation, trade barriers which are encountered when goods and services are exchanged within the Community will be removed. In order to achieve this objective, the Partner States in the Community through their National Bureaux of Standards, have established an East African Standards Committee. The Committee is composed of representatives of the National Standards Bodies in Partner States, together with the representatives from the private sectors and consumer organisations. Draft East African Standards are circulated to stakeholders through the National Standards Bodies in the Partner States. The comments received are discussed and incorporated before finalisation of standards, in accordance with the procedures of the Community. East African Standards are subject to review, to keep pace with technological advances. Users of the East African Standards are therefore expected to ensure that they always have the latest versions of the standards they are implementing. © East African Community 2002 — All rights reserved* East African Community P O Box 1096 Arusha Tanzania Tel: 255 27 2504253/8 Fax: 255-27-2504481/2504255 E-Mail: [email protected] Web: www.each.org *(cid:211) 2002 EAC — All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for EAC Partner States’ NSBs. ©EAC 2002 — All rights reserved Contents 1 Scope...................................................................................................................................1 2 Normative references............................................................................................................1 3 Definitions.............................................................................................................................1 4 Felling...................................................................................................................................1 5 Materials requirements..........................................................................................................1 6 Dimensions and permitted tolerances....................................................................................3 7 Manufacturing requirements..................................................................................................4 8 Stacking and preparation of poles at depots..........................................................................5 9 Moisture content....................................................................................................................5 10 Poles preservation................................................................................................................5 11 Marking and labelling............................................................................................................6 Annex A Stayblocks and brace blocks..............................................................................................8 ©EAC 2002 — All rights reserved 1 EAS 322:2002 Introduction One of the important factors involved in the design and economical use of wood poles for the support of aerial communication and power lines is the value of the maximum fibre strength for the different species of timber used for wood poles. The fibre strength is affected by the amount of seasoning the wood poles have received. The growth characteristics of timber and their freedom from decay and other defects are of importance in the determination of the mechanical strength of the poles for assessing the safe loads in service. In this respect, the attention of pole users is drawn to the difficulty of defining and working to precise requirements on all aspects of a natural product such as timber. Some properties have of necessity been specified in general terms only. It is therefore recommended that the supervision of seasoning tests and of preservation processes and the acceptance of poles should be assigned only to qualified and experienced inspectors. In the preparation of this East African Standard, assistance was drawn from the following: BS 1990-1:1984, Wood poles for overhead power and telecommunication lines published by British Standards Institution. ANSI 05.1:979, Specifications and dimensions for wood polespublished by American National Standards Institute. In reporting the results of a test made in accordance with this East African Standard, if the final value observed or calculated is to be rounded off, it shall be done in accordance with EAS 124:1999 ©EAC 2002 — All rights reserved EAST AFRICAN STANDARD EAS 322:2002 Wood poles and blocks for power and telecommunication lines — Specification 1 Scope This East African Standard specifies materials and performance requirements for solid wood poles. The poles described herein are considered as simple cantilever members subject to transverse loads only. 2 Normative references For the purposes of this East African Standard, the following references shall apply: EAS 24:2001,Glossary of terms used in timber industry EAS 324:2002,Copper/chromium/arsenic compositions for timber preservations (cid:178) Methods of timber treatment EAS 323:2002,Specification for wood preservation by means of pressure creosoting EAS 124:1999,Rounding off numerical values 3 Definitions For the purpose of this East African Standard, the definitions given in EAS 24 shall apply. 4 Felling Trees shall be sawn off as close to the ground as possible and no timber shall be removed, trimmed or cut from the butt end so as to reduce its natural size. The ends shall be sawn to give a flat section and branches shall be dressed down flush with the trunk. Bark shall be removed as soon as practicable after felling except for eucalyptus, which requires a longer seasoning time. 5 Materials requirements 5.1 Species Poles shall be made from the following species and will have a minimum fibre strengths of 39 Mpa: Trade name Botanical name a) Redwood or scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) b) Corsican pine (Pinus nigra) Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) Dunkeld (hybrid)larch (Larix eurolepis) European larch (Larix decidua) European spruce (Picea abies) Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensi) East African pencil cedar (Juniperus procera) Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus saligna or Eucalyptus grandis) NOTE The preferred dressed sizes of poles should be as given in Table 1 and Table 2. 5.2 Grading 5.2.1 Prohibited defects a) Cross-breaks (cracks); ©EAC 2002All rights reserved 1 EAS 322:2002 b) Decay, except as permitted for firm red heart in 5.2.2(a), defective butts in 5.2.3(d) and decayed knots in 5.2.3(f); c) Dead streaks, except as permitted in 5.2.3(f); d) Hollow butts or tops, except as permitted under hollow pith centers; e) Marine borer damage; f) Holes, open or plugged, except holes for test purposes, which shall be plugged; g) Nails, spikes and other metal not specifically authorized by the purchaser. 5.2.2 Permitted defects a) Firm red heart — Firm red heart not accompanied by softening or other disintegration (decay) of the wood is permitted. b) Hollow pith centres — Hollow pith centres in the tops or butts and in knots are permitted in poles that are to be given full-length treatment. c) Sapstain — Sapstain that is not accompanied by softening or other disintegration (decay) of the wood is permitted. d) Scars — Turpentine acid face scars are permitted anywhere on the pole surface. 5.2.3 Limited defects a) Bark inclusions — Depressions containing bark inclusions shall be not more than 50 mm in depth measured from the surface of the pole. b) Compression wood — The outer 25 mm of all poles shall be free from compression wood visible on either end. c) Dead streaks— A single, sound dead streak is permitted in East African pencil cedar, provided the greatest width of the streak is less than 25 % of the circumference of the pole at the point of measurement. d) Defective butts — Hollowing in the butt caused by “splinter pulling” in felling the tree is permitted, provided that the area of such hollow is less than 10 % of the butt area. Also hollow heart does not occur closer than 50 mm to the side surface and provided that the depth of the hollow does not exceed 600 mm, measured from the butt surface. e) Insect damage — Insect damage, consisting of holes 1.5 mm or less in diameter, or surface scorning or channeling is permitted provided there is no active infestation and the strength of the pole is not affected by the degree of damage. f) Knots — At any cross section along the length of a pole no knot with a diameter measured at right angles to the length of the pole, which is greater than 1/5 of the circumference shall be permitted. Also the sum of knot diameters at the cross section shall not exceed 1/4 of the circumference of the pole. NOTE The limitations of knots are based on past practice and satisfactory performance. g) Scars (cat face) — No pole shall have a scar or turpentine cat face located within 600 mm of the groundline. Other sound scars are permitted elsewhere on the pole surface, provided they are smoothly trimmed and do not interfere with the cutting of any grain, and provided that i) the circumference at any point on trimmed surface located between the butt and 600 mm below the groundline is not less than the minimum circumference specified at 1.5 m from the butt for the class and length of the pole (see Table 1 and Table 2) and ii) the depth of the trimmed scar is not more than 50 mm, if the diameter is 250 mm or less, or 1/5 the pole diameter at the location of the scar if the diameter is more than 250 mm. 2 ©EAC 2002 — All rights reserved EAS 322:2002 h) Shakes — Shakes in the butt surface which are not closer than 50 mm to the side surface of the pole are permitted, provided they do not extend to the groundline. Shakes or a combination of connected shakes which are closer than 50 mm to the side surface of the pole are permitted provided they do not extend further than 600 mm from the butt surface and do not have an opening wider than 3mm. Shakes in the top surface are permitted in poles that are to be given full length preservative treatment provided that the diameter of the shake is not greater than 50 % the diameter of the top of the pole. i) Sweep — Pole shall be free from short crooks. A pole may have sweep in one plane and in one direction, provided that, a straight line joining the surface of the pole at the groundline and the edge of the pole at the top in 90 % or more of the inspected lot, shall not be distant from the surface of the pole at any point by more than 25 mm for each 1.5 m of length between these points (see Figure 1). In the rest of the inspected lot (i.e. 10 %), the poles may have a maximum deviation of 25 mm for each 1.5 m of length measured as above. Figure 1 — Measurement of sweep in one plane and one direction j) Slope of grain — Spiral grain shall not exceed a slope of 1 in 6. k) Slits and checks — In the top, a slit or a combination of two single checks; each check terminating at the pith centre and separated by not less than 1/6 of the circumference, having one or both portions located in a vertical plane with 30(cid:176) of the top bolt hole shall not extend downward along the pole more than 150 mm and in the butt, a slit or combination of two single checks shall not extend upward along the pole more than 600 mm. All other combination of checks or a split shall not extend downward along the pole more than 300 mm. 6 Dimensions and permitted tolerances 6.1 Size of poles This East African Standard shall be applicable to preferred dressed sizes of poles as given in Table 1 and Table 2. NOTE All circumferences and diameters are applicable to debarked and seasoned or dry poles. 6.2 Diameters Many nominally round poles have a natural elliptical cross section; the diameter measurements of such poles shall be of the minor axes 6.3 Length Length shall be measured between the extreme ends of the pole or in case of a pole with a sweep (see 5.2.3(i)); length shall be measured to the short end of the slope. 6.4 Tolerances Poles shall be not more than 75 mm shorter or 150 mm longer than the nominal length (see 7.2). 6.5 Classification The true diameter class shall be determined by measuring the diameter at 1.5 m from the butt end. This dimension will determine the true class of a pole, provided that its top diameter (measured at the minimum length point) is large enough. ©EAC 2002 — All rights reserved 3 EAS 322:2002 Table 1— Preferred dimensions of poles for power distributions Pole class Pole length Min. pole top Max. pole top Min. dia 1.5 m Groundline diameter dia from butt Distance from the butt m mm mm mm m * 9 150 175 200 1.5 Light 10 150 180 210 1.8 11 170 190 220 1.8 12 180 200 240 2.0 13 200 220 250 2.2 9 170 190 230 1.5 Medium 10 180 200 240 1.8 11 190 210 250 1.8 12 195 220 260 2.0 13 200 230 270 2.2 14 210 240 280 2.2 9 190 240 285 1.5 Stout 10 190 245 295 1.8 11 195 250 305 1.8 12 200 250 320 2.0 13 210 255 330 2.2 14 220 260 340 2.2 * The figures in this column are intended for use only when a definition of groundline is necessary in order to apply requirements relating to scars, straightness, etc. Table 2 — Preferred dimensions of poles for aerial telecommunications Pole class Pole length Pole top diameter Min. dia 1.5m from Groundline Min. Max. butt distance from the butt * m mm mm m 6 90 120 120 1.2 Light 7 90 120 130 1.2 7.5 90 120 135 1.3 7 120 140 150 1.2 Medium 7.5 120 140 155 1.3 8 120 140 160 1.5 9 130 150 175 1.5 Stout 10 130 150 185 1.5 11 130 150 195 1.9 * The figures in this column are intended for use only when a definition of groundline is necessary in order to apply requirements relating to scars, straightness, etc. 7 Manufacturing requirements 7.1 General Outer bark shall be removed from all poles and inner bark shall not be permitted. All poles shall be round with no excessive removal of the sapwood. 7.2 Taper The taper in a pole from top to the butt shall not exceed 10 mm per meter of the length of a pole. 7.3 Cut of ends The butts of the poles shall be cut perpendicular to the central axis with a tolerance of 50 mm across the sawn surface. The top of the pole shall be cut with an inverted "V" section, each side of the "V" having a 30° slope to the pole axis or flat top cut; 90°± 5° perpendicular to the central axis and shall be bound with anti-cracking plate. 4 ©EAC 2002 — All rights reserved