In January of 2016, there were more than 36,000 double poles in the state of Maryland alone. That was according to a report on utility pole attachments published by the Public Service Commission of Maryland. The report resulted from a workgroup...
Topics:
Utility Asset Management,
Pole Transfers
One of the most prevalent issues facing utility pole owners is aging pole transfers, but they don’t have to be a constant struggle.
Timely pole transfers rely on clear communications and good relationships between the pole owner and the attachers. A...
Topics:
Regulatory,
Utility Asset Management,
Pole Transfers
There are many reasons that cause double wood, which is the existence of two poles where only one should be.
Regardless of the cause, double wood represents potential hazards or violations, and a hassle for utility pole owners and municipalities...
Topics:
Pole Transfers
Call it double wood, double utility poles, or just a double headache for your joint use department, neglecting to remove an old pole when a new one has been installed right next door—or in the attacher's case, transfer off of a pole in a timely...
Topics:
Regulatory,
Pole Transfers
Double wood has long been an unsightly issue for municipalities. Double poles look messy and degrade the look of city streets that residents would rather see clean and orderly. They are unsightly, impede views, clutter landscapes, and can...
Topics:
Utility Asset Management,
Pole Transfers
While many unexpected issues can be discovered during utility pole inspections, among the most common is double wood. For whatever reason—incomplete pole transfers, where you have two poles where there should only be one, is not a problem you need...
Topics:
Utility Asset Management,
Pole Transfers
In the world of joint use management, there is always another task on your to-do list. If it is not requests to attach, it is requests to disconnect. If poles do not need maintenance, they need replacement.As you may guess, each of these actions...
Topics:
Regulatory,
Utility Asset Management,
Joint Use Asset Management,
Pole Transfers
As fall’s crisp days begin in most places in the U.S. and the celebratory among us start thinking about overstuffed birds, starchy vegetables, and miles of sweet treats, we have been thinking of a joint use recipe that is very popular year round: ...
Topics:
Regulatory,
Utility Asset Management,
Joint Use Asset Management,
Pole Transfers
Backlogs – a buildup of overdue and incomplete joint use and other work requests – come in all varieties, from pole transfer backlogs to pileups of permits to attach, from unremedied NESC violations to mountains of detach notices. Think this could...
Topics:
Regulatory,
Utility Asset Management,
Joint Use Asset Management,
Pole Transfers
As we previously discussed, it is possible for a company to assume ownership of "bad" utility poles. These "bad" assets are poles that have been decommissioned but are still standing alongside their replacements. This generally happens as a result...
Topics:
Regulatory,
Utility Asset Management,
Joint Use Asset Management,
Pole Transfers
Pole transfer requests are business as usual for attachers and utility pole owners. A pole is damaged, ages beyond its usefulness or is upgraded from wood to another material. Pole owners move their equipment to a new pole and request attachers do...
Topics:
Regulatory,
Utility Asset Management,
Joint Use Asset Management,
Pole Transfers
Pole transfers are an unavoidable part of the joint use universe. This business-as-usual task requires resource allocation, time, thought and consistent record-keeping to keep track of what has been requested, how much time has elapsed, what...
Topics:
Regulatory,
Utility Asset Management,
Joint Use Asset Management,
Pole Transfers
Utility poles are hardly immortal. They age beyond useful life. They rot and are damaged by elements, human activity and nature. Pole owners decide to replace them with structures made of new and different materials, such as swapping a wooden pole...
Topics:
Regulatory,
Utility Asset Management,
Joint Use Asset Management,
Pole Transfers
At Alden, we are declaring November “Forget doing it yourself and get help!” month with a series of blogs dedicated to why using third-party administration (TPA) to solve some of your joint use issues might be a good idea. What is third-party...
Topics:
Joint Use Asset Management,
Pole Transfers
While there are dozens of issues and violations in the joint use world, there are a few we see so often we consider them problems of interest: repeat offenses to which no utility pole owner is immune. This blog is the second in a series detailing...
Topics:
Regulatory,
Utility Asset Management,
Pole Transfers
Picture this: Two poles stand where only one should be. You may call it “double wood,” but utility pole owners and municipalities alike call it a danger and a hassle. It even has the potential to be an Ordinance violation.
The removal of double wood...
Topics:
Utility Asset Management,
Pole Transfers
Double wood is an issue we have tackled before. A couple of times, in fact. Double poles, often the result of transfer backlogs, can lead to bigger problems, so we would like to revisit.
Double wood or poles can cause a number of problems and should...
Topics:
Utility Asset Management,
Pole Transfers
According to a study conducted in New York State, among 1,134 non-standard conditions discovered during 2,023 utility pole inspections, a full five percent of poles in violation were in the midst of an uncompleted transfer.[1] We have already...
Topics:
Utility Asset Management,
Pole Transfers
The utility pole to utility pole attachment transfer process generally goes something like this: A utility pole is damaged, by any number of forces. Dry rot may have impaired its structure. A woodpecker may have made it her home. A car might have...
Topics:
Utility Asset Management,
Pole Transfers
As a utility pole owner, one of the challenges you regularly face is coordinating pole transfers. The pole owner must coordinate with each attacher on the pole being replaced to ensure they remove equipment from the old pole and transfer it to...
Topics:
Pole Transfers
Managing joint use utility poles is no easy task – just ask a joint use administrator. There are so many details to track, from pole attachment details to NESC or rot/strength inspection data, contract information, attachment permits to...
Topics:
Utility Asset Management,
Pole Transfers
Utility pole transfers occur for a number of reasons. A pole can be damaged in a storm or a vehicular accident can occur which necessitates a new pole to be put in its place. A pole can be discovered to have rot or decay due to age and need to be...
Topics:
Pole Transfers
Utility poles, much like the trees they are made from, are subject to rot and decay. Even with preservative treatments that are used to protect them against environmental factors, the life a pole ranges from only 25-50 years (depending on its...
Topics:
Utility Asset Management,
Joint Use Asset Management,
Pole Transfers
