Figs. 930 to 932.—Pole line construction tools. Fig. 930, split wooden handle post hole auger; [fig. 931], cant hook; [fig. 932]. socket peavey.
Methods of Setting Wooden Poles in Unsuitable Soil.—In places where salt is plentiful and cheap, such as the Great Salt Lake region in Utah, it has been found that the liberal use of salt mixed with the dirt filling tamped in around the foot of the pole is very effectual in preventing decay below the soil line.
Where poles have to be planted in low, swampy ground, or where the climatic conditions are such that timber decays rapidly, it has been found advantageous to place the poles in concrete settings. This method is extensively employed in various parts of the Southern States, square poles being placed in settings about 7 feet deep and 3½ feet square. In very soft ground the employment of a concrete setting is sometimes impracticable. In such cases piles are driven deep into the soil, and the pole bolted to the part of the pile extending above the ground.
Reinforced Concrete Poles.—The strongest point in favor of concrete poles is their durability. Untreated wooden telephone and telegraph poles have to be replaced by new poles about every six or seven years, depending on the percentage of moisture in the soil, the drier the soil, the longer being the life of the pole. Concrete poles are not affected by soil conditions, and if properly made will last indefinitely.
