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An extensive research project is currently being carried out at the University of Manitoba to develop lightweight poles for use in transmission lines. In this project, the failure modes of tapered fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) poles with hollow circular cross-section subjected to cantilever bending are being investigated experimentally and theoretically. The poles are made of vinylester reinforced with E-glass fibers and are produced by the filament winding process. To date, twelve bending tests have been conducted on scaled poles up to failure. Test parameters included the wind angle, and the number of layers. Local buckling and/or material failure, very likely to appear in thin-wall cross-sections, are also investigated. The analysis was conducted through a nonlinear finite element program using superparametric layered cured shell element. The coupling phenomenon between flexural bending and in-plane stretching and the effect of shear deformation were included in the finite element model. The analytical results obtained in this study are compared to experimental results obtained for various thickness and reinforcement specimens of composite poles. The finite element model was used to design a series of FRP poles with different safety factors.

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