WAPA Wood Pole Specification - 2024

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION FOR

WESTERN AREA POWER ADMINISTRATION (WAPA)

O&M PURCHASE OF WOOD POLES

GENERAL:

Furnish and deliver wood poles as stated in these technical specifications. Materials shall be of the type and grade most suitable for the application and shall conform to industry standards and practices. All materials shall be free from defects, of recent manufacture and unused.

Referenced Documents:

-American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Standards latest edition, Specifications and Dimensions for Wood Poles.

-American Wood Protection Association (AWPA) Standards latest editions.

MATERIAL:

1. Specifications and Dimensions: ANSI 05.1, except as follows:

a. Spiral Grain: The maximum twist of grain that is permitted is 1/2 twist in any 18-feet of length.

b. Sweep: Shall be measured from the butt of the pole.

c. Inner Bark: All inner bark shall be removed.

2. Class: Shall be Class H1, 1, or 2 unless specified otherwise on the purchase order.

Maximum top circumference of 40, 39, 38 inches, respectively.

3. Specie: Only Pacific Coast Douglas Fir (Fir) poles shall be permitted.

INCISING:

Incising of Fir poles may be required to meet the penetration or checking requirements of the preservative treatment. The pattern and depth of incising of the pole shall be at the option the Contractor. Incising shall be accomplished in a manner which will not unduly damage the surface of the pole by splintering, raising the wood fibers from the surface, gouging, or loosening the sapwood from the heartwood.

THROUGH-BORING:

The ground line area of the Fir poles shall be through bored before treatment in accordance with WAPA Standard Drawing 41 6106. Ground line shall be determined per ANSI O5.1.

POLE PREPARATION:

1. Pole Anti-Splitting Devices: Shall be placed in pole tops before treatment and be equal to "Star Lock" which is manufactured by the Bayne Company. South 4333 Locust Road, Spokane, WA 99206.

2. Marking Disc Recesses: Shall be placed on the pole face and butt before treatment.

Recesses on the face shall be placed approximately 12 feet from the butt on poles 55-feet and shorter, 14-feet from the butt on poles between 60-feet and 75-feet, and 16-feet from the butt on poles 80-feet and longer. The recesses shall have flat bottoms, a minimum 2-inch diameter, and a depth of 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch at the recess periphery.

3. Roofing: Poles shall be roofed 15-degrees from horizontal before treatment.

SEASONING:

Seasoning of Fir poles shall be by the Boulton drying method or a combination of Boulton drying with air seasoning or kiln drying in accordance with ANSI O5.1.

1. The Boulton drying solution temperature shall be kept between 180-degrees Fahrenheit and 220-degrees Fahrenheit for not less than 24-hours to remove any incipient decay. The average moisture content using the oven-drying method of AWPA in the 0.5- to 1.5-inch zone at mid-length shall not exceed 18-percent after Boultonizing and prior to pressure treatment.

2. Air seasoning of Fir shall not exceed 2 years.

3. For kiln drying on Fir, the maximum dry bulb temperature shall be increased gradually and shall not exceed 160-degrees Fahrenheit and 190-degrees Fahrenheit, respectively.

The maximum wet bulb temperature shall not exceed 50-degrees Fahrenheit, with the exception that during the first 24 hours, there is no limitation on wet bulb depression.

PRESERVATIVE TREATMENT:

1. Preservative for Fir shall meet the following:

a. DCOI (4,5-Dichloro-2-n-Octyl-4-Isothiazolin-3-One) meeting the requirements of AWPA P39. The petroleum shall be hydrocarbon solvent, Type A only, meeting the requirements of AWPA Hydrocarbon Solvent Standard, Type A (HSA).

b. Pentachlorophenol meeting the requirements of AWPA P35. The petroleum shall be hydrocarbon solvent, Type A only, meeting the requirements of AWPA HSA. After February of 2027, Pentachlorophenol will no longer be allowed in accordance with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), docket EPA-HQ-OPP-2014-0653.

c. Copper Naphthenate meeting the requirements of AWPA P36. The petroleum shall be hydrocarbon solvent, Type A only, meeting the requirements of AWPA HSA.

2. Treatment:

a. Fir poles shall be full length pressure-treated by an empty-cell process in accordance with AWPA U1 (latest edition), Use Category 4C, Commodity Specification D: Poles.

After pressure treatment, an expansion bath shall be performed for a minimum of

3-hours and/or final steaming for a minimum of 2-hours, followed by final vacuum for a minimum of 2-hours.

b. Poles shall be clean and dry to the touch at the time of delivery. Poles that bleed preservative, either at the plant or at delivery shall be rejected.

c. All borings, except through-borings, shall be plugged with tight-fitting cylindrical wood plugs that have been treated with the preservative used to treat the pole.

3. Penetration:

Penetration of preservative shall be 100-percent in the ground line bored area as shown on WAPA Standard Drawing 41 6106. The minimum penetration of preservative shall be 90-percent of sapwood in all other areas where the sapwood has a minimum thickness of 7/8-inch. If the sapwood is less than 7/8-inch thick, the pole shall be incised, and penetration of preservative shall be a minimum of 3/4-inch.

4. Retention:

The retention of preservative shall not be less than 0.60 pounds per cubic foot for Pentachlorophenol, 0.20 pounds per cubic foot for DCOI, and 0.095 pounds per cubic foot for Copper Naphthenate in the assay zone of 0.25 to 1.0 inches from the surface and in accordance with AWPA U1, Use Category 4C, Commodity Specification D: Poles.

5. Moisture Content:

The average moisture content after treatment, oven-dry basis, or toluene extraction method, of the 0.5 to 1.5-inch zone at mid-length shall not exceed 18-percent.

Poles shall be tested at random, after treatment, for moisture content. Measurements shall be made with a resistance type moisture meter equipped with insulated electrodes.

These measurements will be taken at midpoint to a depth of 1-inch for Fir. Poles having a moisture content in excess of that specified shall be rejected.

CHECKING:

After treatment, the surface dimension of any check shall not exceed a width greater than 1/2-inch for any 4-feet of continuous length with the exception of the top which must meet ANSI O5.1. If checks are separated by less than 1/4-inch, they are considered continuous.

RETREATMENT:

Pole may be retreated only once.

MARKING:

Wood poles shall be marked with two aluminum discs in accordance with ANSI O5.1. Species and preservative code shall be DFDA.20 for Douglas Fir Pole treated with DCOI. “A” designation stands for Hydrocarbon Solvent Type A. The discs shall be made of 24-gage aluminum and shall be approximately 2-inches in diameter. The discs shall be punched for nails, placed in the marking disc recesses on the pole face and butt and attached with two 2-inch aluminum twist nails.

CERTIFICATIONS:

As soon as practical after completion of treatment, provide one certified copy of the records or test results to the COR:

1. Sapwood Test: A boring shall be made after treatment at the crown of the midpoint in each pole.

2. Treatment Tests: Poles shall be inspected in accordance with AWPA M2 to assure compliance with the requirements in AWPA U1 (latest edition), Use Category 4C, Commodity Specification D: Poles. The penetration of preservative shall be tested in accordance with the requirements of AWPA Analysis Method Standards. The retention of preservative shall be tested in accordance with the requirements of AWPA Analysis Method Standards. Borings shall not be taken in through-bored or deep-incised areas.

Penetration tests shall be performed on each pole. A single boring shall be taken from each of 20 randomly selected poles to determine the retention of preservative.

Treatment test results shall show:

a. Compliance with applicable AWPA specifications.

b. Number and type of pieces per charge.

c. Specie of wood.

d. Kind of preservative used.

e. Depth of sapwood.

f. Penetration obtained.

g. Retention obtained.

h. Moisture content after treatment.

3. Preservative Tests: The preservative used in the treating of poles shall be tested in accordance with applicable AWPA specifications.

INSPECTIONS:

1. Treated poles shall be inspected in accordance with AWPA M1 and M2.

2. Pole supplier shall lay out and turn poles as required for inspection by WAPA, in accordance with AWPA M2, before and after treatment. Poles may be inspected by WAPA before and after treatment. WAPA reserves the right to witness tests and to approve the manner in which the tests are conducted. Furnish all test apparatus and instruments required.

STORAGE, HANDLING AND TRANSPORT:

In accordance with ANSI O5.1 and AWPA M4. Tools producing a penetration of more than 1-inch shall not be used. Untreated poles shall be stacked in such a way as to allow free circulation of air around each pole.

Contractor shall be responsible for notifying WAPA at least 72-hours prior to delivery of poles in order that WAPA personnel may be made available at the delivery site for the off-loading of the wood poles. The Contractor shall be responsible for providing the necessary equipment for safely off-loading of wood poles at each delivery site.