Editing Utility pole (section)

===Pole materials===
Most utility poles are made of wood, pressure-treated with some type of [[Wood preservation|preservative]] for protection against rot, fungi and insects. [[Southern yellow pine]] is the most widely used species in the United States; however, many species of long straight trees are used to make utility poles, including [[Douglas fir]], [[jack pine]], [[Pinus contorta|lodgepole pine]], [[Thuja plicata|western red cedar]], and [[Abies amabilis|Pacific silver fir]].

Traditionally, the preservative used was [[creosote]], but due to environmental concerns, alternatives such as [[pentachlorophenol]], copper [[naphthenic acid|naphthenate]] and [[borate]]s are becoming widespread in the United States. In the United States, standards for wood preservative materials and wood preservation processes, along with test criteria, are set by [[American National Standards Institute|ANSI]], [[ASTM International|ASTM]], and [[Wood preservation#American Wood Protection Association|American Wood Protection Association]] (AWPA) specifications. Despite the preservatives, wood poles decay and have a life of approximately 25 to 50 years depending on climate and soil conditions, therefore requiring regular inspection and remedial preservative treatments.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pmcpole.com/cms/AWPA_poleMaintenance_paper.pdf|title=PMCPOLE.COM|website=www.pmcpole.com|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715094205/http://www.pmcpole.com/cms/AWPA_poleMaintenance_paper.pdf|archive-date=2011-07-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pmcpole.com/cms/groundlineTreatmentSP.pdf|title=PMCPOLE.COM|website=www.pmcpole.com|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090114191254/http://www.pmcpole.com/cms/groundlineTreatmentSP.pdf|archive-date=2009-01-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pmcpole.com/cms/rus_bulletin_1730B_121.pdf|title=PMCPOLE.COM|website=www.pmcpole.com|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090114191256/http://www.pmcpole.com/cms/rus_bulletin_1730B_121.pdf|archive-date=2009-01-14}}</ref> [[Woodpecker]] damage to wood poles is the most significant cause of pole deterioration in some parts of the U.S.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Harness |first1=Rick |title=Raptor Electrocutions and Distribution Pole Types |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315140750/http://volgabirds.ru/user_files/ikar/TechBulletin_0ct_00.pdf |website=Volga Birds |publisher=North American Wood Pole Coalition |access-date=16 April 2025}}</ref>

Other common utility pole materials are aluminum, steel and concrete, with composites (such as [[fiberglass]]{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}) also becoming more prevalent.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Rasheed |first1=Rizwan |last2=Javed |first2=Hajra |last3=Rizwan |first3=Asfra |last4=Afzaal |first4=Muhammad |last5=Ahmad |first5=Sajid Rashid |date=April 2023 |title=Eco-sustainability analysis of precast-concrete utility poles manufacturing–A case study from Pakistan |url=|journal=Heliyon |volume=9 |issue=4 |pages=e14976 |doi=10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14976 |doi-access=free |issn=2405-8440 |pmc=10121627 |pmid=37095914|bibcode=2023Heliy...914976R }}</ref> One particular [[patent]]ed utility pole variant used in Australia is the [[Stobie pole]], made up of two vertical steel posts with a slab of concrete between them.