Light weight
ORNL describes composite poles as significantly lighter than wood, which eases transport and installation. Snohomish County PUD caps a 45-foot Class 2 FRP pole at 550 pounds.
All guides
Guide
Fiberglass utility poles: a guide to composite FRP poles
Fiberglass utility poles, also called composite or FRP (fiber-reinforced polymer) poles, are hollow tubes of glass fiber bound in resin. They weigh much less than wood, are made of non-conductive materials, and resist rot, insects and corrosion. They are fire resistant but not fireproof. ASCE Manual of Practice No. 104 and an ANSI/ACMA specification guide their design and use.
What composite poles are and how they are made
Glass fiber carries the load; resin holds it in place.
A composite combines two or more materials that perform better together. In a utility pole, continuous glass fibers carry the load and a resin, such as polyester or polyurethane, binds them. Unlike solid wood, composite poles are typically hollow tubes, and utility specifications such as Snohomish County PUD’s call for round, tapered poles.
An Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) review describes two common processes. Filament winding wraps resin-wet fibers under tension around a rotating mandrel; it can make tapered tubes but runs in batches. Pultrusion pulls fibers and fabric through a heated die in a continuous process; it is fast but makes a constant cross-section. ORNL notes that modular poles are filament wound, while single-piece poles and crossarms are pultruded.
Modular and single-piece poles
Modular poles can ship with sections nested one inside another, to be assembled on site into a pole of a set length and class. In a Southern California Edison (SCE) deployment described in T&D World, two workers could lift a 15-foot module by hand. Some buyers require one piece: Snohomish County PUD’s FRP specification requires poles 50 feet and shorter to be single piece.
Ultraviolet (UV) light is the main weathering concern. ORNL reports that the first composite poles, installed in Hawaii in the early 1960s, were replaced after UV exposure frayed their surface fibers. Current specifications call for UV inhibitors in the resin and a UV-resistant coating.
Properties that matter to buyers
Non-conductive
Glass fiber and resin are both non-conductive. Grounding runs in a separate ground wire, which ORNL notes can sit inside the hollow pole.
Rot, insects, corrosion
Per ORNL, composite poles resist rot and corrosion, need no chemical preservative, and are immune to insects and woodpeckers.
Fire
Fire resistant, not fireproof. ORNL lists poor fire resistance among composites’ drawbacks in one section and, in another, calls them fire resistant, with a fire-retardant coat improving performance. SCE uses composite poles with an added composite fire shield and reports they self-extinguish once a flame is removed.
Deflection
Composites bend more under load than steel or concrete. ORNL suggests this is one reason they are not widely used above 230 kV. The 2019 edition of ASCE MOP 104 addresses deflection.
Service life
The US Department of Energy (DOE) cites an estimated average service life of about 80 years. ORNL cautions that long-term field data are still limited.
Standards and guidance
There is no single dimension standard like ANSI O5.1 for wood, so read these together.
| Document | What it covers | Status |
|---|---|---|
| ASCE MOP 104, Recommended Practice for Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Products for Overhead Utility Line Structures | Testing, design, installation and asset management of FRP poles and crossarms, including deflection, strength equivalency, foundations and field inspection | Second edition, 2019 (first edition 2003) |
| ANSI/ACMA/UCSC-FRP Composite Utility Poles-1-2018, Standard Specification for FRP Composite Utility Poles | Design, materials, manufacturing, quality control, installation and inspection of direct-embedded FRP poles; excludes crossarms and other components | Released 2019; ACMA invited participants to revise it in February 2025 |
| ANSI C136.20, Fiber-Reinforced Composite (FRC) Lighting Poles | Roadway and area lighting poles, including breakaway poles | 2012 edition, reaffirmed 2021 |
| ASTM D4923, Reinforced Thermosetting Plastic Poles | Former ASTM pole specification | Withdrawn with no replacement; some utility specs still cite it |
| ANSI O5.1, Wood Poles | Strength reference when composite poles are bought as wood-class equivalents | Snohomish County PUD applies the NESC 0.65 wood factor to these loads |
ORNL lists a lack of product standardization and limited field experience among the barriers to wider use, so utility material specifications often fill the gaps.
Where composite poles fit
Coastal and corrosive sites
The first composite poles went into Hawaii because wood and steel poles were degrading and corroding in warm, moist, salty air. Composites do not rust.
Wildfire-prone areas
As part of its wildfire work, SCE replaces traditional wood poles with fire-resistant poles: shielded composite or intumescent-wrapped wood. Specify a fire-resistant product; composite alone is not fireproof.
Wetlands and hard-to-reach sites
Light weight and hand-carried modules help where heavy equipment is hard to bring in. For swampy soil, Ameren adds 2 feet of embedment and a bearing plate at the bottom of the pole.
Storm hardening
Ameren’s construction standards use composite “storm” and “super storm” structures for storm hardening.
Composites are not widely used on lines above 230 kV, per ORNL, and some loads exceed what a product can carry: Ameren’s standard flags certain heavy configurations as beyond composite pole limits.
Installing composite poles
The ANSI/ACMA specification covers direct-embedded poles. Ameren’s distribution standard shows how one utility sets them:
- Burial depth starts at 10 percent of pole length plus 2 feet for tangent poles, rising to plus 3.5, 5 and 6.5 feet as line angles grow.
- Poor or swampy soil adds 2 feet, with a bearing plate under the pole.
- Backfill is compacted 1-inch-minus rock or larger. Clean rock is never used.
- Poles arrive pre-drilled for standard framing, with an internal ground wire. Nonstandard holes go to the manufacturer before fabrication.
Your own standards govern, but the lesson holds: settle framing, grounding and embedment before ordering. ORNL notes that installation can be quicker and needs only light-duty equipment.
Composite vs wood utility poles
General differences, from public guidance. Your engineer’s design governs.
| Factor | Composite (FRP) | Treated wood |
|---|---|---|
| Material | Glass fiber in resin, hollow tube | Natural timber, solid, preservative-treated |
| Weight | Much lighter than wood | Heavier; varies by species and class |
| Rot, insects, woodpeckers | Resists rot; immune to insects and woodpeckers | Subject to decay and woodpecker damage |
| Fire | Fire resistant, not fireproof; shielded versions available | Combustible; intumescent wraps are one option |
| Main weathering concern | UV exposure, handled by resin and coating | Decay at the groundline |
| Strength rating | Often specified as wood-class equivalents (ANSI O5.1 basis) | ANSI O5.1 classes |
| Estimated average service life (DOE) | About 80 years; limited long-term data | 30 to 50 years, with wide variation |
| Key documents | ASCE MOP 104, ANSI/ACMA FRP pole specification | ANSI O5.1 |
Buying composite poles on Sourcewell Contract #060326-BIDR
A competitively solicited cooperative contract, free for eligible public agencies to use.
BIDR Technologies holds Sourcewell Contract #060326-BIDR, “Utility Poles with Related Equipment, Supplies, and Services,” through August 5, 2030. Sourcewell’s utility pole solicitation (#11229) lists one awarded contract: BIDR’s. The catalog includes composite/FRP poles from 25 to 70 feet in 5-foot steps, Classes 1 to 5, plus fiberglass crossarms and markers, with delivery, installation and pole loading analysis available. See the utility pole contract page.
To buy, register your agency with Sourcewell (free for government and education entities), request a quote, then finalize with the contract number and your agency’s Sourcewell account number. The cooperative contracts guide explains the process; the pole materials and wood pole guides compare options.
What to put in a composite pole quote request
- Length, class and the wood-equivalence basis
- Single-piece or modular
- Fire-resistant version, if needed
- Pre-drilled framing and grounding
- Quantity, delivery address and need-by date
You get a written quote at contract pricing with a delivery timeline. Request composite pole pricing.
Questions buyers ask
Are fiberglass, composite and FRP utility poles the same thing?
In practice, yes. ORNL uses composite, fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) and fiberglass interchangeably for these poles: glass fibers in a resin matrix, formed into a hollow tube. Lighting standards use a fourth name, since ANSI C136.20 calls them fiber-reinforced composite (FRC) poles. The BIDR Technologies catalog lists them as composite/FRP.
Are composite utility poles fireproof?
No. ORNL describes them as fire resistant but not fireproof, and lists fire performance as a drawback in its review. Fire-resistant versions exist: SCE uses composite poles with a composite fire shield that self-extinguish once a flame is removed. If wildfire matters, specify a fire-resistant product and ask for test data.
How long do fiberglass utility poles last?
DOE cites an estimated average service life of about 80 years. ORNL notes that long-term data are limited because composite poles have a short history, and that early poles in Hawaii were replaced after UV damage. Snohomish County PUD’s specification requires an 80-year in-service life without fiber blooming.
Can a composite pole carry the same load as a wood pole of the same class?
It can be specified that way. Snohomish County PUD requires FRP poles to match ANSI O5.1 wood pole strengths, reduced by the NESC 0.65 wood strength factor. ASCE MOP 104 covers strength equivalency and deflection, so have your engineer check both.
Get contract pricing on composite poles
Send lengths, classes, fire and framing needs, and delivery site for a written quote at Sourcewell contract pricing. Call 321-576-3147 or email [email protected].
Sources
- Assessment of Commercial Composite Power Pole Performance, ORNL/TM-2021/2068 (2021), Oak Ridge National Laboratory
- Utility Pole Maintenance and Upgrades, Resilience Investment Guide (2024), US Department of Energy, Grid Deployment Office
- New ASCE Manual of Practice Offers Best Practices for Use of Fiber-Reinforced Polymers for Utility Lines (MOP 104, second edition, 2019), Informed Infrastructure
- ACMA Releases Standard Specification for Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites Utility Poles (2019), American Composites Manufacturers Association
- ACMA Announces Invitation To Revise Its Utility Pole Standard (2025), American Composites Manufacturers Association
- ANSI C136.20-2012 (R2021), Roadway and Area Lighting Equipment, Fiber-Reinforced Composite (FRC) Lighting Poles, ANSI Webstore
- NEMA Publishes Standard for Fiber-Reinforced Composite (FRC) Lighting Poles (2013), EC&M
- ASTM D4923-01, Standard Specification for Reinforced Thermosetting Plastic Poles (Withdrawn 2010), ASTM International
- Material Standard 1001408.1, Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Transmission and Distribution Poles, Snohomish County PUD
- Distribution Construction Standards: Poles, Ameren
- SCE Reduces Faults, Lowers Risk of Wildfire Ignitions (2024), T&D World
- Composite Poles Support the Circuit of the Future (2008), T&D World
- Solicitation #11229, Utility Poles, Sourcewell
- How cooperative purchasing works, Sourcewell