Back in 2011, RS recognized that there were no full-scale test methods that truly represented a forest fire moving through a utility right-of-way (ROW). As a result, RS contracted with a fire expert to design a propane-fueled test with a heat flux and exposure duration to simulate exposure to a severe to extreme fire event. After the fire exposure, the pole is subjected to a full-scale vertical bend test to quantify any loss of strength. The test is applicable to all pole material types with or without an industry fire mitigation solution.

This presentation explains what happens to composite materials when exposed to fire, details the performance of RS composite poles and wood poles in the fire test and the subsequent strength test results, shows a video of an RS composite pole in an actual controlled forest fire as well as introduces a composite Fire Shield™ solution that can be used on existing wood poles to defend against fire damage.