Utility poles are crucial to power delivery, supporting the overhead lines that keep power flowing to businesses, homes, and critical infrastructure. As energy demands continue to grow, selecting the right utility pole material has become more important.
Choosing the wrong type of pole can lead to decreased longevity, increased maintenance, and higher susceptibility to environmental wear. Understanding the key differences between wood, concrete, steel, and composite options is paramount in building resilient infrastructure that will last for years to come.
Wooden Poles vs. Concrete Poles vs. Steel Poles vs. Composite Poles
Selecting the best pole material involves evaluating factors such as cost, performance, and environmental compatibility.
WOODEN POLES
Wooden poles offer lower up-front costs, are made from widely available materials, and are relatively easy to install. Their natural flexibility also makes them well-suited to withstand certain environmental stresses, such as high winds.
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CONCRETE POLES
Concrete poles are known for their high durability and long service life, making them a strong choice for long-term infrastructure. They require minimal maintenance over time and offer excellent fire resistance, which is especially beneficial in wildfire-prone regions.
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STEEL POLES
Steel poles offer a high strength-to-weight ratio, making them ideal for supporting heavy loads with less material. They are durable, long-lasting, and resistant to environmental factors such as moisture and corrosion. With customizable designs—including tubular, lattice, and multi-sided options—steel poles provide versatile solutions for a variety of utility and transmission applications.
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COMPOSITE POLES
Composite poles are built to withstand extreme weather, including heat, humidity, and salty coastal air. Lightweight yet strong, they’re easy to transport and install, resist corrosion and pests, and offer a service life of over 50 years—reducing total ownership costs.
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From disaster recovery efforts to long-term grid modernization, American Wire Group’s transmission and distribution poles and pole line hardware are engineered for performance in the most demanding conditions. If your goal is to reduce long-term costs, support sustainability goals, or strengthen overall grid resilience, our composite pole solutions are a proven, reliable option.
With more than 20 years of industry expertise and a comprehensive product catalog, our team is ready to help you evaluate your needs and select the right solution for your project.
When you're ready to start planning, connect with AWG to empower your projects.
Discover the Empowering Line-Up
Wire & Cable
American Wire Group stocks a large quantity of aluminum and copper across three distribution centers nationwide. Learn about the advantages of each type of wire and contact our team to empower your next project with AWG.
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Hardware, Equipment and Accessories
Empowering A Better World takes more than just wire & cable.
At American Wire Group, we pride ourselves on being a single source solution for all wire & cable needs, as well as power equipment, hardware, components and accessories.
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WHY CHOOSE AMERICAN WIRE GROUP?
American Wire Group (AWG) is a leading provider of wire and cable, hardware, equipment and accessories for the solar, wind, battery energy storage, power utility, industrial, and data center markets. With decades of experience, we deliver high-performance products backed by engineering expertise, exceptional service, and dependable, on-time solutions. Our value-added offerings include custom cut-to-lengths, paralleling, reel recycling, and cable management services designed to streamline installation and reduce waste. Our team specializes in supply chain optimization, emergency response services, and project-specific support to meet the demands of complex infrastructure. We are proud to be Empowering A Better World as a trusted partner to the industries powering our future.
