MDI Monitoring on Polywater® Foaming and Non-foaming Urethane Products
Polywater® urethane products are designed and tested with exposure limits minimal to the end user.
UPR-NF Provides Performance at the Extreme
Polywater® UPR™ Saves Customer Time and Money with Remote Pole Repairs
Extreme Cracks Due to Weather and Environment
A large oil and gas facility in northern Alberta had more than 60 severely cracked wooden utility poles that were further damaged by woodpecker foraging. The poles either needed to be replaced or repaired to limit further damage and loss of mechanical integrity. Due to their remote location, the logistical costs of moving new poles to the site were too high to justify replacement. The maintenance crew decided to repair the existing wooden utility poles. The company needed a product that could fill the voids and halt the damage from pests and moisture. So, they reached out to Polywater to inquire about a product solution that could fill the cracks while preventing further damage to their utility poles.
Extending the Life of the Poles with Polywater UPR-NF
Long, deep splits in the 60-foot poles required a repair product that could stay in place in the voids to protect the interior of the poles over the long term. After testing at Polywater’s lab and in the field, Polywater recommended its Utility Pole Repair (UPR-NF) “No Flow” Utility Pole Repair product for the application. UPR-NF is formulated to thicken immediately to reduce product waste through cracks, voids, and large cavities. The heat generated during UPR’s curing phase is high enough to kill many of the microbes responsible for potential wood rot in poles. Using UPR-NF also prevents further physical deterioration to the interior of the Class 1 poles, reducing the risk of mechanical failure. Filling voids, prevention of rot and, improved mechanical integrity all contribute to extend the physical and economic lifetime of damaged utility poles.
A Cost-Effective and Efficient Solution
The on-site crew finished the pole repairs in August 2019. A cost/benefit assessment showed significant savings by using Polywater’s UPR-NF compared to installing new poles. The company was able to restore its damaged utility poles for a fraction of the cost of their replacement. The cost of a 60-foot Class 1 pole was estimated at $6,800 CAD ($5,130 USD), resulting in an approximate savings per pole of $6,050 CAD ($4,560 USD). The labor costs generated by the fast UPR repairs were substantially lower than for the more time-consuming installation of new poles. Additional savings were realized with the elimination of the costs transporting new poles to the remote area. For a detailed overview of the pole damage, UPR-NF use case, ambient working conditions, and a cost comparison of repair versus replacement, click here.