GB2401142A

GB2401142A - Method of reinforcing a utility pole

Info

Publication number: GB2401142A
Application number: GB0409569A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Brendan Loughran; Mark Lunny
Original assignee: DANLOR UTILITIES Ltd
Current assignee: DANLOR UTILITIES Ltd
Priority date: 2003-04-29
Filing date: 2004-04-29
Publication date: 2004-11-03
Anticipated expiration: 2024-04-29
Also published as: IE20040296A1; GB0409569D0; GB2401142B

Abstract

A method of reinforcing a utility pole 10 which comprises a below ground portion 16 and an above ground portion 14 is provided. The method comprises the steps of locating at least one reinforcing member 24 extending between the above ground portion 14 and the below ground portion 16 adjacent or within the above ground portion 14 and adjacent or within the below ground portion 16 and securing the reinforcing member 24 or members at least adjacent or within the above ground portion 14. The locating step may comprise creating openings 18, 20, which may be channels 18 or bores 20, in the above ground 14 and below ground 16 portions of the pole 10 for receiving the reinforcing member 24 or members. The reinforcing member 24 or members may be secured to the pole 10 by at least one U shaped fastener 30. Circumferential or helical grooves 26 may be formed in the above ground portion 14 of the pole 10 for receiving reinforcing elements 32 which clamp the reinforcing members 24 against the pole 10. The reinforcing member 24 or members may be secured by adhesive.

Description

2401 142 Method of Reinforcing a Utility Pole The present invention is

concerned with a method of reinforcing, preferably in situ, a utility pole or the like, in particular a utility pole formed from wood or other material which is prone to degradation from, for example, rot, fungus, or similar environmental factors.

At present, utility poles, by which is primarily intended to mean telegraph poles and the like, which conventionally carry telecommunication or power lines, are expected to have a relatively long working life, in the order of decades, and therefore experience prolonged exposure to the environment, in addition to regular fungal and insecticidal attack. Therefore, such utility poles are generally impregnated with creosote or the like, in order to improve their resistance to the above-mentioned factors, thereby extending their useful service life. However, the uniform and sufficient application of such treatments is difficult to achieve, and as a result a large number of such utility poles suffer degradation to the point of requiring significant repair, or indeed replacement.

At present such repair takes the form of the application of heavy duty bracing to 2 0 the base of the utility pole, which process is both cumbersome, time consuming, and will often result in a reduction of the flexibility of the utility pole which may therefore suffer catastrophic failure when exposed to high loading such as may be experienced in the presence of high winds.

2 5 In addition, it is becoming increasingly necessary to carry out upgrade works on existing stretches of such power and/or telecommunication lines, in order to replace the old cables with cables of greater cross sectional area, and therefore greater mass, in response to a need for greater power/information carrying capacity. However, the existing utility poles, even if undamaged by rot or the 3 0 like, may not have sufficient load carrying capacity to carry the requisite power/telecom cables. Such utility poles, especially when damaged/weakened, À À. .

À e :::: .e À .: _ À then have to be replaced with stronger units, in order to carry the increased loads.

This type of upgrade work will typically be required in built-up or urban areas, where the demand for improved telecommunications systems is the greatest.

However, it is in such areas that the cost of replacing utility poles is the greatest, due to the presence of concrete footpaths or the like, which have to be dug up in order to facilitate the replacement or repair of the poles.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method of reinforcing a utility pole, which does not involve significant excavation about the pole, and which can therefore be carried out with minimum disruption.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method of reinforcing a utility pole which does not adversely affect the flexibility of the utility pole, once repaired.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of reinforcing, in situ, a pole for carrying telephone, electricity and the like services, the pole comprising, in situ, an upper portion located above ground, and a lower portion located below ground, the method comprising the steps of; 2 0 locating at least one reinforcing member extending between the upper portion and the lower portion, the or each reinforcing member being adjacent or within the upper portion and adjacent or within the lower portion; and securing the at least one reinforcing member at least adjacent or within the upper portion.

Preferably, the method comprises, in the locating step, creating at least one upper opening, selected from a channel or a bore, preferably a channel, in the upper portion, and in the lower portion a corresponding at least one lower opening in communication with the lower opening, the lower opening being selected from a 3 0 channel or a bore, preferably a bore, for receiving the reinforcing member, and : : ' . e. : . À À À . : ...

positioning the reinforcing member to extend between the upper opening and the lower opening.

Preferably, the method comprises the further step of; adhering the at least one reinforcing member in the lower opening by means of an adhesive, subsequent to the locating step.

Preferably, the method comprises, in the locating step, directing at least one lower opening inwardly away from a surface of the lower portion of the pole to form the 1 0 bore.

Preferably, the method comprises, in the securing step, mechanically securing the reinforcing member adjacent or within the upper portion.

Preferably, the method comprises, in the securing step, providing the mechanical securing means as at least one substantially U-shaped fastener having a pair of legs, and passing the pair of legs, one on either side of the reinforcing member, into the upper portion, in order to clamp the reinforcing member between the fastener and the pole.

Preferably, the method comprises, in the securing step, creating a pair of through apertures in the upper portion for receiving the pair of legs, passing the pair of legs through the apertures such that a free end of each leg projects beyond the respective aperture, and connecting locking means at or adjacent the free end of 2 5 each leg in order to clamp and maintain the fastener in place.

Preferably, the method comprises, in the locating step, locating at least one pair of substantially opposed, preferably substantially diametrically opposed, reinforcing members, the at least one pair of reinforcing members comprising first and second 3 0 reinforcing members, adjacent or within the upper portion and adjacent or within the lower portion; Àe: À.2 and in the securing step, directing the pair of through apertures to exit the upper portion one on either side of the second reinforcing member, and connecting a tie between the pair of legs such as to clamp the second reinforcing member between the tie and the pole and the first reinforcing member between the fastener and the pole.

Preferably, the method comprises the further steps of; forming at least one groove, preferably at least one circumferentially extending groove, in the surface of the upper portion, prior to the securing step; and fixing a reinforcing element within the groove, the reinforcing element being laid over the or each reinforcing member in order to clamp the or each reinforcing member between the reinforcing element and the pole.

Preferably, the method comprises, in the groove forming step, forming the groove as a helix about at least some of the upper portion.

Preferably, the method comprises, in the groove forming step, extending the groove substantially radially inwardly of the pole, such as to form a hole, and fixating the reinforcing element within the hole, or passing the reinforcing 2 0 element through the hole to be fixated to the surface of the upper portion.

Preferably, the method comprises, in the groove forming step, forming at least a pair of grooves in the surface of the upper portion, the pair of grooves extending in opposite directions around the upper portion a sufficient distance such that the 2 5 pair of grooves intersect at least once.

Preferably, the method comprises the step of providing the reinforcing element as a flexible braid.

3 0 Preferably, the method comprises the further step of; À À.

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:::: Àe.: I. . bonding the reinforcing member in the upper opening with an adhesive or the like, subsequent to the locating step.

Preferably, the method comprises the further step of; bonding the reinforcing element in the groove with an adhesive or the like, subsequent to the locating step.

Preferably, the method comprises providing the adhesive as a curable resin.

Preferably, the method comprises providing the or each reinforcing member with helical protrusions on at least a portion of the reinforcing member located, in situ, adjacent or within the lower portion.

Preferably, the method comprises, in the locating step, creating the or each upper opening and the or each corresponding lower opening of substantially equal length.

Preferably, the method comprises, in the locating step, providing a plurality of upper openings circumferentially spaced around the upper portion, and providing 2 0 a corresponding plurality of lower openings within the lower portion; and in the securing step, securing one reinforcing member within each co- operating and communicating pair of upper openings and lower openings.

Preferably, the method comprises, in the locating step, extending the or each 2 5 upper opening substantially longitudinally along at least some of the upper portion.

Preferably, the to any preceding claim in which the or each reinforcing member is of elongate cylindrical form.

Àe:- À I. À. : À À À À . . À - À . .

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According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a utility pole whenever reinforced by a method according to the first aspect of the invention.

As used herein, the term "pole" is intended to mean a support pole used for carrying power or telecommunication lines or the like, which poles are driven into the ground in order to secure same in place, and in particular such poles formed from materials which are susceptible to environmental decay or the like, especially wooden utility poles.

As used herein, the term "opening" is intended to mean a cavity, recess, slot, channel, bore, or any other void capable of receiving an object partially or wholly therein, and may be formed in a surface of an object, or may extend, from the surface, internally of the object.

As used herein, the term "circumferentially" is intended to mean extending around the circumference of an object, in particular a pole, whether to form a continuous or closed circular path, or alternatively a curvilinear, in particular helical, path around the pole.

As used herein, the term "reinforcing member" is intended to mean an element which has sufficient strength such that, when secured to an object, in particular a utility pole, the pole is capable of carrying greater loads than would otherwise be possible. Such a reinforcing member may be of any suitable shape and material, 2 5 preferably a corrosion resistant material, for example stainless steel, brass, carbon fibre, aluminium, or a combination thereof, and should embody a degree of flexibility or resilience in order to be capable of reversibly deforming under high loads, thus avoiding catastrophic failure.

3 0 The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which; : .. À ': À À À À À À À . . Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of a utility pole to which a first embodiment of the method of repair of the present invention has been applied; Figure 2 illustrates a side elevation of an upper portion of the utility pole illustrated in Figure 1; Figure 3 illustrates a perspective view of a plurality of rods and interwoven braids as used in first embodiment of the method of the present invention to reinforce utility poles of the type illustrated in Figure 1; Figure 4 illustrates the upper portion of Figure 2 following the application of a gettable resin thereto; Figure 5 illustrates a perspective view of a utility pole to which an alternative embodiment of the method of repair of the present invention has been applied, in which a single reinforcing member has been secured adjacent the pole; and Figure 6 illustrates a perspective view of the utility pole of Figure 5, in which a 2 0 pair of the reinforcing members have been secured.

Referring now to Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings, there is illustrated a utility pole, generally indicated as 10, to which a first embodiment of a method of the present invention has been applied. Although not illustrated, the 2 5 degradation or rot necessitating the remedial repair or reinforcement of the pole most frequently occurs at or adjacent ground level. For the purposes of both describing and implementing the first embodiment of the method of reinforcement of the present invention, the pole 10 can be considered as having an upper portion 14 above ground 12, and a lower portion 16 disposed beneath the ground 12. The 3 0 first step in effecting reinforcement of the pole 10 is to form at least one, preferably a plurality of, upper openings in the form of slots 18 extending from 2. .' : . À À2. À.2 ground level, upwardly along the surface of the upper portion 14, preferably a distance of at least 500mm, and preferably between 500mm and 750mm, above the level of any rot (not shown) in the pole 10. The slots 18 should preferably be equidistant from one another about the circumference of the pole 10, and should in addition preferably run substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the pole 10. In addition, for most commercial wooden utility poles 10, the slots 18 should preferably have a depth of at least 15mm, and more preferably between 15mm and 25mm. It is also preferred that between four and six of the slots 18 are provided around the pole 10, although this number can of course be varied, in particular to 1 0 suit the level of reinforcement required, the size of the pole 10 being reinforced, and/or the additional loading capacity required of the pole 10.

Where each slot 18 terminates adjacent the ground 12, a lower opening in the form of a bore 20 is sunk downwardly into the lower portion 16, preferably at a 1 5 slight angle away from the surface of the pole 10, thereby being directed towards an interior of the pole 10. Each bore 20 is preferably sunk to a minimum depth of approximately 600mm, although again this depth may of course be varied if required, in particular to suit the quality of the wood or other material in which the bore 20 is being formed.

Once the corresponding plurality of bores 20 have been sunk, each is filled with an adhesive, grout, or any other suitable gettable resin 22, and a reinforcing member in the form of a rod 24 is inserted down the length of each bore 20. Each bore 20 should therefore have a diameter slightly greater, for example 5- 1 Omm 2 5 greater, than the diameter of the corresponding rod 24, in order to leave an annular space or void (not shown) around each rod 24 when inserted into the corresponding bore 20, thereby facilitating the location of a sufficient quantity of the resin 22 about the rod 24, such as to form a sufficiently strong bond with the rod 24. Each rod 24 is of a length such as to project upwardly from the ground 3 0 12, once positioned fully within the respective bore 20, a distance sufficient to enable same to be pressed into register within the corresponding slot 18. Each rod : À. : À :.-: : .. À. ' ' 24 may then be secured within the respective slot 18 by any suitable mechanical fixing means, for example a plurality of U-shaped staples 30 or the like, clamping the rod 24 between the staples 30 and the pole 10.

It will be appreciated that the bores 20 could be replace with corresponding channels (not shown) in the surface of the lower portion 16, although the creation of such channels (not shown) would be more technically involved, and therefore likely to be more costly and time consuming to achieve. It will also be appreciated that the plurality of slots 18 in the upper portion 14 could be replaced with a corresponding plurality of bores (not shown), although it would then prove difficult to position the rods 24 within such bores (not shown), due to the relatively rigid nature of the rods 24. The rods 24 could be provided in two halves (not shown) which, once located within the respective above ground bore (not shown) and below ground bore 20 or channel (not shown), could be joined together, for example by welding, or any other suitable mechanical means.

However, it will be apparent that such an arrangement would again be more complex, time consuming, and costly, than the use of the below ground bores 20 and above ground slots 18.

2 0 Each rod 24 may be formed from any suitable material, for example steel, carbon fibre, titanium, brass, or any combination or alloy thereof, which will provide sufficient reinforcing strength to the pole 10. The rods 24 are however preferably formed from a corrosion resistant material such as stainless steel or the like, in order to prevent or significantly reduce the environmental degradation of same 2 S during the remaining working life of the pole 10. The rods 24 should also embody a degree of flexibility or resilience, in order to allow same to reversibly deform under high loading, as would be experienced in the presence of high winds, or for example an impact from a vehicle or the like. The rods 24 are preferably solid, but could of course be hollow, with a suitably increased diameter 3 0 in order to provide the necessary strength. À À..

À : : À À : ..

À À À À . . . e Once the plurality of rods 24 have been secured in place within the slots 18, each slot 18 may then be filled flush with resin 22, and a suitable form of shattering (not shown), for example duct tape or the like, then secured over the slots 18 in order to maintain the resin 22 in place while it sets. Once the resin 22 within the bores 20 and slots 18 has set, the pole 10 will be suitably reinforced, as illustrated in Figure 4. The plurality of rods secured about the pole 10 therefore form an open cage like reinforcing structure around and within the pole 10, as illustrated in isolation from the pole 10 in Figure 3, which due to the open nature of same, maintains the necessary flexibility of the pole 10, in order to be capable of 1 0 withstanding high loading without catastrophic failure. The use of the gettable resin 22 integrates the rods 24 into the pole 10 to form a composite structure having a greater strength than would be achieved using only mechanical fixing means such as the staples 30. The resin 22 also ensures that the rods 24 remain fixed in place relative to the pole 10, thus maintaining the full reinforced strength ofthe pole 10 during any deformation of the pole 10 in high winds or the like. In addition, the method of recessing the rods 24 within the slots 18, which are then filled flush with the resin 22, forms a more aesthetically pleasing appearance than would be achieved by fixing some form of reinforcement to the exterior of the pole 10.

As a further reinforcing measure, at least one, and preferably a plurality of, circumferentially, preferably helically, extending grooves 26 are formed in the surface of the pole 10, extending from the ground 12, to wind around the upper portion 14 of the pole 10. Each helical groove 26 also preferably extends for a 2 5 distance of approximately 500-750mm above the known location of the patch or pocket of rot (not shown) on or within the pole 10. Where each helical groove 26 terminates at the ground 12, a further bore 20 is preferably sunk downwardly through the lower portion 16, again being angled away from the surface of the pole 10, substantially towards the centre thereof. Each of these additional bores 3 0 20 is then filled with resin 22. However, as each of the helical channels 26 wind around the upper portion 14, instead of using the substantially rigid rods 24, it is À À e À À À À -- . À e preferred that a more flexible reinforcing element in the form of a rod, cable or braid 32, for example a stainless steel cable or the like, is inserted downwardly along the length of the additional bores 20, and then wound around the upper portion 14 within the helical grooves 26.

In addition, each helical groove 26 preferably terminates in a horizontally disposed radially directed hole 28, in which the free end of the braid 32 is wound in order to terminate same. Again, the lengths of braid 32 seated within the helical grooves 26 may be secured therein by means of a plurality of the staples 1 0 30, following which each helical groove 26 is filled flush with the resin 22, which is then allowed to set, while again being held in place by any suitable shattering (not shown). As an alternative to the holes 28, a horizontally disposed circumferential channel (not shown) could be provided in communication with the upper end of each of the helical grooves 26, into which the end of the braid 32 1 5 could be anchored. It will also be appreciated that any other suitable means of anchoring the ends of the braids 32 could be utilised.

As the plurality of braids 32 pass over each rod 24 as the braids 32 wind upwardly about the upper portion 14, it will be appreciated that the plurality of braids 32 2 0 effectively form a reinforcing cage, as illustrated, in isolation, in Figure 3, which serves to further secure the plurality of rods 24 in place, while providing additional reinforcement to the pole 10. In addition, at least a pair of the helical grooves 26 extend in opposite directions around the upper portion 14, such as to intersect one another, in addition to intersecting the channels 18. In the 2 5 embodiment illustrated, said pair of helical grooves 26 are arranged to intersect one another at the point of intersecting each channel 18, as illustrated in Figure 2.

Thus, the braids 32 located in said helical grooves 26 will serve to secure one another in place, in addition to securing the respective rods 24 in the channels 18.

3 0 Refernng now to Figures S and 6 of the accompanying drawings, there is illustrated a utility pole, generally indicated as 110, to which an alternative À À : À :: : : : À .:e Àe..

À À À À . . - : À.. :.- Àe embodiment of the method of the present invention has been applied. In this alternative embodiment, like components have been accorded like reference numerals, and unless otherwise stated, perform a like function. As with the first embodiment, although not illustrated, the degradation or rot necessitating the remedial repair or reinforcement of the pole 110 most frequently occurs at or adjacent ground level. For the purposes of both describing and implementing this alternative embodiment of the method of reinforcement of the present invention, the pole 110 can be considered as having an upper portion 114 above ground 112, and a lower portion 116 disposed beneath the ground 112. Figure 5 shows the 1 0 utility pole 110 with a single reinforcing member in the form of a pile 124 secured thereto, while Figure 6 shows the pole 110 with a pair of the piles 124 secured thereto, diametrically opposed one another. The number of piles 124 necessary to adequately reinforce the pole 110 will depend on the level of rot or degradation of the pole 110, or alternatively the additional load to be carried by the pole 110.

1 5 The method of reinforcement of this alternative embodiment is primarily intended to be employed when the pole 110 is so rotten that the creation of the slots 18 and bores 20 of the first embodiment would unduly weaken the pole 110, and/or would result in the crumbling or degradation of any such slots 18 or bores 20.

2 0 The method involves driving the or each pile 124 into the ground 112 directly adjacent the pole 110, such that a portion of the or each pile 124 remains above the ground 112, in order to enable the or each pile 124 to be mechanically fastened to the pole 110. In order to facilitate the driving ofthe or each pile 124 into the ground 112, each pile 124 is provided with a helical portion 40 2 5 terminating in a hardened tip 42. The helical portion allows the or each pile 124 to be essentially "threaded" into the ground like an auger, thereby simplifying the procedure, in addition to providing improved resistance to the forced withdrawal of the helical portion 40 from the ground 112, as a result of the increased contact area generated with the ground 112.

À e À.e À : : : À : .e À ' À ..

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Referring to Figure 5, when only a single pile 124 is required, a pair ofthrough apertures (not shown) are bored through the pole 110, one on either side of the pile 124. A fastener in the form of a substantially Ushaped bolt 130 is then passed through the pair of apertures (not shown) in order to secure the pile 124 between the bolt 130 and the pole 110. The bolt 130 is suitably dimensioned such that a pair of legs 44 forming the bolt 130 project beyond the pair of through apertures (not shown). Each leg 44 is threaded at the free end thereof, and a bolt 46 is thus secured to each leg 44 in order to lock the bolt 130 in position, which therefore clamps the pile 124 against the pole 110. Optionally, a tie in the form of 1 0 a plate 48 may be secured across the pair of legs 44, in order to distribute the load applied by the bolts 46 across a greater area of the pole 110. Although only a single bolt 130 is shown in Figure 5, in order to fully secure the pile 124 to the pole 110, at least a pair of the bolts 130 should be used, longitudinally spaced apart from one another. It will also be appreciated that the bolts 130 could be 1 5 replaced with any other suitable equivalent, for example heavy duty wood screws (not shown) or the like, which need not therefore pass completely through the pole 110.

Referring then to Figure 6, when a pair of the piles 124 are employed, the pair of 2 0 through apertures (not shown) for the bolt 130 should exit the pole 110, one on either side of the second pile 124. The plate 48, when secured across the pair of legs 44, thus clamps the second pile 124 against the pole 110. As detailed above with reference to Figure 5, at least a pair of the bolts 130 should be used to fully secure the piles 124 to the pole 110. It should of course be appreciated that, if 2 5 required, more than a pair of the piles 124 may be employed. Each pile 124 may vary in diameter in order to suit particular requirements, and could in practice be as large as 100mm in diameter. The piles 124 are also preferably formed from a corrosion resistant material, for example a non-ferrous or galvanised metal or the like. In addition, the piles 124 may be hollow in form, and with such an 3 0 arrangement, can be filled with a grout or curable resin following the location of same within the ground 112. À e..

À À ' À À e .- À Although the method of this alternative embodiment does not integrate the piles 124 into the pole 110, a composite structure is nevertheless created by virtue of the strong mechanical fixation of the piles 124 to the pole 110, which will thus deform, under any loading, as a single entity, greatly increasing the strength thereof. The method thus provides a suitable means of reinforcing excessively rotten poles 110, in order to significantly extend the working life of same.

It will of course be appreciated that, in addition to utilising the methods of the present invention to reinforce utility poles 10; 1 10, one or more of the known chemical methods of treatment may be used in combination therewith in order to reduce or prevent further rotting or degradation of the pole 10; 1 10.

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Claims

1. A method of reinforcing, in situ, a pole for carrying telephone, electricity and the like services, the pole comprising, in situ, an upper portion located above ground, and a lower portion located below ground, the method comprising the steps of; locating at least one reinforcing member extending between the upper portion and the lower portion, the or each reinforcing member being adjacent or within the upper portion and adjacent or within the lower portion; and securing the at least one reinforcing member at least adjacent or within the upper portion.

2. A method according to claim 1 in which the locating step comprises, creating at least one upper opening, selected from a channel or a bore, preferably a channel, in the upper portion, and in the lower portion a corresponding at least one lower opening in communication with the lower opening, the lower opening being selected from a channel or a bore, preferably a bore, for receiving the reinforcing member, and positioning the reinforcing member to extend between the upper opening and the lower opening.

3. A method according to claim 2 comprising the further step of; adhering the at least one reinforcing member in the lower opening by means of an adhesive, subsequent to the locating step.

2 5 4. A method according to claim 2 or 3 comprising, in the locating step, directing at least one lower opening inwardly away from a surface of the lower portion of the pole to form the bore.

5. A method according to any preceding claim, comprising, in the 3 0 securing step, mechanically securing the reinforcing member adjacent or within the upper portion. À .. c

;: . .e A. À C 4 C À C 6. A method according to claim 5 comprising, in the securing step, providing the mechanical securing means as at least one substantially U- shaped fastener having a pair of legs, and passing the pair of legs, one on either side of the reinforcing member, into the upper portion, in order to clamp the reinforcing member between the fastener and the pole.

7. A method according to claim 6 comprising, in the securing step, creating a pair of through apertures in the upper portion for receiving the pair of legs, passing the pair of legs through the apertures such that a free end of each leg projects beyond the respective aperture, and connecting locking means at or adjacent the free end of each leg in order to clamp and maintain the fastener in place.

8. A method according to claim 7 comprising, in the locating step, locating at least one pair of substantially opposed, preferably substantially diametrically opposed, reinforcing members, the at least one pair of reinforcing members comprising first and second reinforcing members, adjacent or within the upper portion and adjacent or within the lower portion; 2 0 and in the securing step, directing the pair of through apertures to exit the upper portion one on either side of the second reinforcing member, and connecting a tie between the pair of legs such as to clamp the second reinforcing member between the tie and the pole and the first reinforcing member between the fastener and the pole.

9. A method according to any preceding claim comprising the further steps of; forming at least one groove, preferably at least one circumferentially extending groove, in the surface of the upper portion, prior to the securing step; and 2..:' ,.. . : : ,. : fixing a reinforcing element within the groove, the reinforcing element being laid over the or each reinforcing member in order to clamp the or each reinforcing member between the reinforcing element and the pole.

10. A method according to claim 9 comprising, in the groove forming step, forming the groove as a helix about at least some of the upper portion.

1 1. A method according to claim 9 or 10 comprising, in the groove forming step, extending the groove substantially radially inwardly of the pole, such as to form a hole, and fixating the reinforcing element within the hole, or passing the reinforcing element through the hole to be fixated to the surface of the upper portion.

12. A method according to any of claims 9 to 11 comprising, in the groove forming step, forming at least a pair of grooves in the surface of the upper portion, the pair of grooves extending in opposite directions around the upper portion a sufficient distance such that the pair of grooves intersect at least once 13. A method according to any of claims 9 to 12 comprising providing the 2 0 or each reinforcing element as a flexible braid.

14. A method according to any of claims 2 to 13 comprising the further step of; bonding the reinforcing member in the upper opening with an adhesive or the like, 2 5 subsequent to the locating step.

1 S. A method according to any of claims 9 to 14 comprising the further step of; bonding the or each reinforcing element in the or each groove with an adhesive or 3 0 the like, subsequent to the locating step.

À e À ..

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16. A method according to any of claims 13 or 15 comprising providing the adhesive as a curable resin.

17. A method according to any preceding claim comprising providing the or each reinforcing member with helical protrusions on at least a portion of the reinforcing member located, in situ, adjacent or within the lower portion.

18. A method according to any of claims 2 to 17 comprising, in the locating step, creating the or each upper opening and the or each corresponding lower opening of substantially equal length.

19. A method according to any of claims 2 to 18 comprising, in the locating step, providing a plurality of upper openings circumferentially spaced around the upper portion, and providing a corresponding plurality of lower openings within the lower portion; and in the securing step, securing one reinforcing member within each co- operating and communicating pair of upper openings and lower openings.

20. A method according to any of claims 2 to 19 comprising, in the 2 0 locating step, extending the or each upper opening substantially longitudinally along at least some of the upper portion.

21. A method according to any preceding claim in which the or each reinforcing member is of elongate cylindrical form.

22. A method of reinforcing a utility pole substantially as hereinbefore described.

23. A utility pole whenever reinforced by a method according to any of 3 0 claims 1 to 21.

: À. : À :: À . . À À . À À À À À À À À . . . . . À .. . Àe 24. A utility pole substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 and Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.

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