Pole reinforcing structures

Abstract

A pole reinforcing element having oppositely disposed channels interconnected by a web. The oppositely disposed channels are formed in a geometric shape selected from the group consisting of cylinders, rectangles, and other geometric shapes so that the pole reinforcing element has a high structural rigidity and can provide substantial support to a utility pole to be reinforced.

1 . A pole reinforcing element comprising: 
 oppositely disposed geometric channels; and    a web extending between and connecting to said oppositely disposed geometric channels, said web and said geometric channels being two to five meters in length and formed from a material having a thickness in the range of 3 mm to 12 mm.    
   
   
       2 . The pole reinforcing element of  claim 1 , wherein the shape of the oppositely disposed geometric channels is cylindrical.  
   
   
       3 . The pole reinforcing element of  claim 1 , wherein the shape of the oppositely disposed geometric channels is rectangular.  
   
   
       4 . The pole reinforcing element of  claim 1 , wherein the shape of the oppositely disposed geometric channels is triangular.  
   
   
       5 . The pole reinforcing element of  claim 1 , wherein the web extends from a top of the geometric channels to a mid point above a base of said geometric channels.  
   
   
       6 . The pole reinforcing element of  claim 1  wherein the web connects to the geometric channels in a plane bisecting the center of the geometric channels.  
   
   
       7 . The pole reinforcing element of  claim 1  wherein the web connects to the geometric channels in a plane offset from the center of the geometric channels.  
   
   
       8 . The pole reinforcing element of  claim 1  wherein the web connects to the geometric channels at a point tangential to the geometric channels.  
   
   
       9 . The pole reinforcing element of  claim 1  wherein the thickness of the material of the web is not equal to the thickness of the material of the geometric channels.  
   
   
       10 . The pole reinforcing element of  claim 4  wherein the rectangular shaped geometric channel is partially open at one of its vertices.  
   
   
       11 . The pole reinforcing element of  claim 1  wherein said web has a width in the range of 10 cm to 25 cm.  
   
   
       12 . The pole reinforcing element of  claim 9  wherein said geometric channels have a width in the range of between 6 cm to 15 cm.  
   
   
       13 . The pole reinforcing element of  claim 1  wherein said geometric channels have a width in the range of between 6 cm to 15 cm.  
   
   
       14 . The pole reinforcing element of  claim 1  wherein said geometric channels have a length in the range of 2 meters to 5 meters.  
   
   
       15 . The pole reinforcing element of  claim 1  wherein said geometric channels have a length in the range of 2.4 meters to 2.7 meters.  
   
   
       16 . The pole reinforcing element of  claim 12  wherein said web has a length in the range of 2 meters to 5 meters.  
   
   
       17 . A pole reinforcing element comprising: 
 oppositely disposed hollow geometric channels two to five meters in length formed from structural steel having a shape selected from the group consisting of round, oval, square, rectangle and triangle; and    a web extending between and connecting to said oppositely disposed geometric channels, said web being two to five meters in length.    
   
   
       18 . A method of reinforcing a utility pole comprising: 
 providing a utility pole reinforcing element having oppositely disposed hollow geometric channels two to five meters in length formed from structural steel having a shape selected from the group consisting of round, oval, square, rectangle and triangle and a web extending between and connecting to said oppositely disposed geometric channels, said web being two to five meters in length;    driving said utility pole reinforcing element into the ground leaving at least a portion of the pole reinforcing element extending above the ground proximate the utility pole; and    securing said pole reinforcing element to said utility pole with at least one strap, bolt or similar securement element.