Scott15 wrote:
The fact that they are clamped to the column and not bolted through or coach screwed would suggest they were designed with steel poles in mind. I have seen various problems occur with clamps and Tespa bands when used on wood poles, as the wood swells when wet it can cause the bands to loosen over time or the bolts to sheer and the lantern to be left supported in overhead cables. Durham used to always either bolt or coach screw but recently especially with the rise in the use of combination boxes banding is becoming a more common sight.
Over very long periods of time, wood poles can dry out and shrink in diameter, leaving clamps loose.I have noticed this with banded installations which has resulted in them being turned by the wind. I remember once a few years ago when some wood poles were replaced in Rowlands Gill, just outside Gateshead. The electricity company's contractors could not undo the bolts to free the brackets from the old poles so the curved arm was just re fixed with Tespa bands. Needless to say they turned to face the wind in no time and were removed and replaced with combination boxes about two weeks later.