STRUCTURE TESTING - Prestressed Concrete Transmission Pole Structures - page 110

The agreed-upon test procedure should be incorporated into the test
specifi cation. The test specifi cation typically includes the party or parties
responsible for the cost of testing; party or parties that must witness the
test; decision-making matrix during the test; structure assembly details
and erection specifi cations; test sequence, duration, and schedule; specifi c
requirements for the test report; and all other details critical to the test.
In a traditional proof test, the test setup conforms to the design condi-
tions (i.e., only static loads are applied); the structure has level, well-
designed foundations; and the restraints at the load points are the same
as in the design model. This type of test will verify the adequacy of the
main components of the structure and their connections to withstand the
static design loads specifi ed for that structure as an individual entity
under controlled conditions.
Proof tests may provide insight into the actual stress distribution of
unique confi gurations, fi t-up verifi cation, the performance of the structure
in a defl ected position, and other benefi ts. This test cannot confi rm how
the structure will react in the transmission line application where the
loads will be both static and dynamic, the foundations may be less than
ideal, and there is some restraint from intact wires at the load points.
This chapter presents guidelines for performing a proof test using a test
frame that has facilities to install a single structure in an upright position
to load and monitor pulling lines in the vertical, transverse, and longitu-
dinal directions and to measure defl ections. Horizontal tests follow many
of the same guidelines as an upright test.
FOUNDATIONS AND ANCHORS
Most prestressed concrete poles are embedded directly into the ground.
It is unlikely that soil conditions at the test site will match those at the
installation site. However, efforts should be made to reasonably account
for differences in the defl ection and P-Delta effects on the pole under load
in the test foundation as compared with the actual fi eld installation.
Single Pole Structures
The primary consideration in designing and installing a single-pole
foundation is the ability to control the groundline rotation so as not to
exceed the allowable design rotation. For test purposes, the actual amount
of rotation makes little difference within a wide range except under very
heavy vertical loads, where secondary moments can be signifi cant.
H-Frame Structures
For an H-frame with typical confi guration, the critical point in the
structure is at the top of the X-brace. The magnitude of the groundline