Design of composite cross arm based on the experimental results obtained from the 5% lower exclusion limit

Composite cross arms, with their light weight, long service life and ease of installation, can be utilized in high voltage power transmission lines. In the present paper, mechanical tests were performed on the glass/polyester pultruded composites in order to determine the material properties of the composites. For each mechanical property, a number of 12 specimens were subjected to mechanical tests and the results were obtained based on the 5% lower exclusion limit (LEL). Design process of the cross arm was performed according to the available pultruded profiles within the country. A finite element analysis is conducted based on the obtained material properties, to examine the designed cross arms against the applied loading conditions. The finite element results approved the capability of the designed composite cross arm for utilizing in high voltage power transmission lines.