Friday, September 04, 2015
Pole puzzle
Avista is mounting these shield things on some poles. Judging by height and gauge, the shields would be good protection against a car.
Trouble with the car hypothesis: All of the shields (so far, anyway) are on the NORTH side of poles. Doesn't matter which way the street is going or which way the cars are going. Always the NORTH side. So the shields could only help 1/4 of the poles.
The shape doesn't make sense for wind; it only encourages the break to happen at ground level. Also, the worst winds always come from WSW, not from S or N.
Total puzzle. I'm undoubtedly missing something. Avista wouldn't spend so much money without a proper purpose.
= = = = =
A bit later: Maybe the shield actually extends down into the ground. If so, it could be a 'substitute' for rotten wood. Not sure it's a good idea. A similar 'substitute' on my fence didn't work. The angle iron (Bad Brace) extends down into the ground about one foot. These were installed in 2004 and didn't really make any difference. Later in 2011 I finally had the fence braced properly (Good Brace). These long bars extend down into a heavy concrete cylinder. Since then the fence has remained absolutely vertical, even through last year's 75-mph gustnado.
= = = = =
And still later after closer observation: (1) Not all are Northward. The shields near Wellesley all face North, and the shields near NW Blvd all face West. Seems to be a matter of crew habit. (2) The shields DO extend down into the ground, so the rotten-substitution idea is clearly the solution.
Corrected picture:
= = = = =
Much later: It's an old idea. From 1920 Electric Traction Review:
Avista is mounting these shield things on some poles. Judging by height and gauge, the shields would be good protection against a car.
Trouble with the car hypothesis: All of the shields (so far, anyway) are on the NORTH side of poles. Doesn't matter which way the street is going or which way the cars are going. Always the NORTH side. So the shields could only help 1/4 of the poles.
The shape doesn't make sense for wind; it only encourages the break to happen at ground level. Also, the worst winds always come from WSW, not from S or N.
Total puzzle. I'm undoubtedly missing something. Avista wouldn't spend so much money without a proper purpose.
= = = = =
A bit later: Maybe the shield actually extends down into the ground. If so, it could be a 'substitute' for rotten wood. Not sure it's a good idea. A similar 'substitute' on my fence didn't work. The angle iron (Bad Brace) extends down into the ground about one foot. These were installed in 2004 and didn't really make any difference. Later in 2011 I finally had the fence braced properly (Good Brace). These long bars extend down into a heavy concrete cylinder. Since then the fence has remained absolutely vertical, even through last year's 75-mph gustnado.
= = = = =
And still later after closer observation: (1) Not all are Northward. The shields near Wellesley all face North, and the shields near NW Blvd all face West. Seems to be a matter of crew habit. (2) The shields DO extend down into the ground, so the rotten-substitution idea is clearly the solution.
Corrected picture:
= = = = =
Much later: It's an old idea. From 1920 Electric Traction Review:
Labels: Heimatkunde
¶ 10:54 AM
