Trade Journals for the Concrete Industry

PDO (Petroleum Development Oman) – the oil company in the Sultanate of Oman – has great problems with the current wooden mast system used for overhead lines. It is experiencing a particular phenomenon, so-called pole fires, caused by flashovers from dirty isolators. The reasons for this are to be found in the extreme desert climate with very little rainfall, excessive upper daily temperatures, great variations in temperature and a high proportion of dust in the air. Other problems encountered with the previous wooden mast systems were lack of avail ability and long delivery times for the wooden masts (especially the longer ones), quality problems and limitations placed on overhead line design. These issues were a costly matter for PDO since every source of oil in the oil fields needs its own electricity supply. If interrupted on account of a poor mast system, serious losses in production are the result. Spun concrete masts made from high-strength concrete constitute an appropriate answer to these problems.