The life expectancy of a wood utility pole is between 30 years to 40 years although some utility poles can last 50 years to 70 and even 80 years.
The lifespan of a power pole is around 30 years to 40 years and sometimes some power poles last as long as 70 years.
The moisture from rain and whipping winds, flash floods etc are capable of causing rot and issues with the pole even if it's treated.
It is safe to live next to a utility pole although the wires on the utility poles carry high voltage so they should never be climbed and if a power line comes down or the power pole comes down you should stay away and call the power company.
There's also no real risk of developing cancer from the electromagnetic fields.
Power poles are all around us and many people live by power poles and utility poles and never have any issue.
The amount of weight that a utility pole can support is between 700 lbs to 1,140 lbs depending on the size of utility pole.
For example a 14 inch to 16 inch utility pole can support a weight of between 700 lbs to 940 lbs and a 17 inch utility pole can support up to 1,140 lbs of weight.
They soak power poles in an industrial strength preservative known as penta or Pentachlorophenol which has been used for treating wood poles since the 1930s.
Power poles don't rot as they are treated with preservatives through pressure and also because of the natural woods resilience which allow the wood power poles to remain in service for 70 or more years.
Wood power poles and wood crossarms must meet a series of standards in order to be used by utilities.
After so many years the wood power pole can rot and eventually need replaced but it takes decades for that to happen.
Core rot is the decay of the core of a wooden utility pole, occurring at any time during a utility pole's life.
It usually occurs due to air or insect-borne brown rot fungal spores entering the unprotected core of the pole through cracks in the wood.
Steel utility poles can be manufactured to the same dimensions as wooden poles but require no harsh chemical treatments.
They're often galvanized to protect them from corrosion and other harsh elements.
It's been estimated that steel utility poles can exhibit service lives of 50-80 years.
The typical utility pole runs about 40 feet in length, of which 6 feet is buried in the ground.
In urban environments they are commonly spaced about 125 feet apart, while in rural areas the distance is more like 300 feet.
(Both distances and pole height vary greatly depending on local terrain and clearance needs.)
Despite storm damage, wooden poles remain popular with utility companies because they are affordable, lighter and easier to transport than steel or concrete poles, they don't rust, are easy to climb and are non-conductive, which makes them safer for utility workers.
Wood poles also have environmental advantages.