Wood Power Pole With Transformer, Seismic Design

[EngDYIGuy]

HI,
I would like to know what area of ASCE 7 and the IBC a power pole with a transformer falls under, for structural design. I think it falls under ASCE chapter 15 Non-building structures not similar to buildings? I see in Table 15.4-2 the design coefficients to compute the base shear. However, the power pole has a transformer at the top of the pole that is approximently 400 lbs, and I would like to know how to compute the seismic force of the transformer and place the load at it’s center of mass. Would the force from the transformer be the Fp equation?
Thanks,

 

[Lomarandil]

Well, technically I think this would fall under NESC (assuming outside the bounds of a substation). You might be able to find some guidance in the RUS as well.

But, from my memory of these codes, they came out to be pretty similar in philosophy to ASCE 7. So I'm sure you could find a close enough analogy in ASCE 7 to take care of it with an appropriate conservative fudge factor.

(Something that's easily overlooked when using ASCE 7 is that for power poles and similar structures, built up ice can play a large factor in your seismic mass/force).

 

[BUGGAR]

The seismic design I did for a utility in SoCal was based on ASCE 7, Dynamics, because it had the most up to date coverage of seismic.