What We See: Effects of Base Covers

When it comes to protecting your outdoor assets like steel light poles found along roadways or in retail parking lots, there are a number of circumstances that are beyond your control. In spite of your best efforts, there is no way to prevent vehicular damage by careless drivers or extreme weather events that push the limits of your asset’s design capacity. 

There are, however, some types of damage specific to exterior commercial lighting that are totally preventable, much like the pole damage present in this photo.  

How Base Covers Impact Light Poles

Corrosion is a silent killer of commercial light poles. 

In many circumstances, base covers are installed on area lighting poles to improve the pole’s aesthetic quality. While the look of the pole may be slightly improved, pole installations that include base covers actually do more damage than good. 

Base covers typically cover unsightly bolts or create uniformity among multiple poles. An unintended side effect of this cosmetic modification is significant corrosion. 

When base covers are added, moisture gets trapped underneath the plate and around critical structural elements, causing severe corrosion over time. 

If you are lucky, visual inspection and pole maintenance may identify corrosion before it is too late. In most circumstances, however, damage remains hidden under the base cover and corrosion continues until it results in pole failure. 

Repairs and Prevention

First and foremost, the best way to prevent this kind of corrosion is by an expedient removal of any base covers you may have on your utility pole — or by not installing them in the first place. 

Be sure that your asset management program includes regular and thorough inspection to promptly address dangerous corrosion, as demonstrated in this photo. 

Whatever method of inspection you choose, it is paramount that you behave proactively to ensure a full lifecycle for this asset. 

Trust the Exo Difference

With services like Exo’s Ex-Tend asset management program, we build comprehensive and customized solutions that add value across the full life cycle of an asset.

A pole failure is every asset owner’s nightmare. Not only does significant corrosion lead to expensive repairs and replacements, but in the event of a failure. it can also put any person or property in the vicinity of the pole at risk.

Whether it is through 3rd party quality assurance support, field service and repair of existing assets, or life extension solutions, Exo is uniquely prepared to serve your company’s needs.

At Exo, we don’t like to wait for problems to arise before taking action. Be proactive and prevent problems like the one in this photo before they occur by calling today to talk with an Exo subject matter expert. 

Phone us at 281-259-7000 or contact us online for a free consultation to see how Exo can protect your assets.

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