Gathered via handheld or mounted unit, additional data provides context, insights, and efficiencies to utility systems, operations, maintenance, procurement, and more.
THROW AWAY
THE HAMMER
Utility poles carry expensive, often critical components and require regular inspections for degradation and potential failure — current inspection methods are time-consuming, invasive, often subjective in their results, and offer unclear information for joint-use considerations.
Regular and thorough data-driven utility pole inspections are critical. Neglecting maintenance leads to catastrophic outcomes, emphasizing the need for utility companies, contractors, manufacturers, and regulators to adopt new, more stringent inspection protocols to ensure public service and crew safety.
Utility Pole Facts
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Approximately ~150-180 million wooden utility poles in-service in the USA.
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Average service life is between 30-50 years depending on climate, maintenance, and material.
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Poles without a metal cap tend to collect water and rot down.
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The most affected areas of poles are at-and-below ground level.
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Poles are still tested by “sounding” with a hammer
Sounding
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Labor intensive
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Repetitive / strain
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Logistically inefficient
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Subjective results
Boring
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Delayed analysis
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Off-site transit of material
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Destructive process
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Needs filler material
Excavation
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Destabilizing equipment
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Precision means slow-going
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Machinery discouraged
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Still subjective results
SUBJECTIVE
= THE PAST
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Legacy assessments are subjective, inaccurate, and require significant manual-labor
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Restricted to visible sections, with critical top + underground inaccessible
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Physical destruction occurs during legacy inspection via blunt force, boring devices, and chemical fillers
OBJECTIVE
= THE FUTURE
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Traceable, repeatable accurate data with minimal training
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Inspections possible anywhere accessible to the sensors
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Non-destructive analysis provides faster results, longer asset life
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Data-collection with machine-learning increases confidence
How Does Work?
1.Power up
2.Calibrate
3.Scan
4.Data Sync
5.Evaluate
6.Predict
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Scans take <1 minute
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Real-Time Data Availability
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Tomographic (CT) Scan-capable
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Integrated (ML) Data Analytics
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2-Hour Operator-Training
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18-inch Underground-capable
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GIS Integration-capable
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