Telegraph Pole Materials

The majority of telegraph poles around the world are made from wood, especially from trees with trunks that are long and straight.

Trees commonly used for making telegraph poles include Southern yellow pine (especially in USA), Douglas-fir, Jack pine, lodgepole pine, western red cedar, Pacific silver fir.

When the telegraph pole is cut to size it is usually treated to combat the effects of weather, fungi, going rotten and to stop insects such as wasps burrowing and nesting inside the wood.

In years gone by telegraph poles were treated with creosote, but recent concerns about the environment have led to developments in telegraph pole treatments.

With treatments the average telegraph pole needs to be inspected and retreated to maintain their integrety as they decay after about 25 to 50 years, depending on the type of soil they are placed in and the local weather conditions.

For instance, if the local climate sees extreme seasons, freezing in winter and hot in summer, the wood of the telegraph pole will be exposed to various conditions - water seeping in during winter can freeze, expand and crack the wood while hot summer temperatures can cause the wood the expand and contract during the day and night.

Some countries use steel or concrete for making telegraph poles, or steel with concrete like the Australian Stobie Pole, which is made from two steal strust forming a tall, thin triangle with concrete between the struts to give them stability and strength.