Duke Energy Infrastructure Risk Mitigation: Pole Failure Prevented in Gastonia

Customer

Duke Energy

Location

Gastonia, NC

Highlights

  • Aging Infrastructure Hazard Caught Before Failure
  • Fast-Tracked Replacement via Field-to-Planning Escalation
  • Model of Field-Led Asset Reliability Strategy

Identifying End-of-Life Infrastructure Before Failure

The Challenge

During a pre-construction site visit, a Senior Construction Manager identified a critical hazard: a double dead-end pole with visibly deteriorated cross arms. One arm was so severely split that the switch it supported was hanging loosely, barely held in place. This represented a significant near miss, with potential consequences including:
  • Structural failure
  • Uncontrolled equipment drop
  • Power outage or energized equipment risk
  • Risk to crew safety during nearby construction work
The situation pointed to aging infrastructure (end-of-life wood arms) that had not yet been addressed in the current asset replacement cycle.

The Solution

Recognizing the severity of the condition, the site manager:
  • Escalated the issue immediately to the project engineer
  • Ensured the structure was entered into the replacement queue with urgency
  • Documented the condition to support prioritization in Duke Energy’s asset planning system
This real-time response enabled Duke’s engineering team to fast-track a pole changeout before any work or outage occurred.

Key Benefits

  • Prevented potential structural failure that could have resulted in a switch falling, customer outages, or energized equipment risk
  • Reinforced the value of pre-construction field reviews as a frontline defense for identifying silent infrastructure threats
  • Enabled timely, proactive replacement of end-of-life components
  • Reduced client and customer risk through vigilant on-the-ground assessment

The Results

  • The failing structure was flagged and scheduled for immediate replacement
  • No outages or safety incidents occurred
  • The case is now referenced internally as an example of the importance of infrastructure risk detection during routine site visits
  • Supports Duke Energy’s commitment to system reliability and public safety through proactive inspection

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