The Pole Vault Pole
By
Matt Shuler
ECIV 303: Fall 2010
Pole Vaulting
• Pole Vaulting: An event in track and field in which
an athlete known as a “vaulter” uses a pole to
propel them over a cross bar.
• The athlete must run while holding the pole,
plant the pole in a rigid box in the ground and
jump off the ground at the same time, and then
perform a gymnastic maneuver to propel them
over the bar.
• World Record:
Men: 6.15m (20’2”) Women: 5.06m (16’8”)
wais.org.au
Life.com
Polevaultpower.com
polevaultpower.com
doitpoms.ac.uk
Life.com
Box Dimensions
http://www.npvca.com
So What Must a Pole Go
Through??????
GOOD!
Lojovaultassualt.com
Not Good!
Pole Range of Motion
• Bending Pole
– Material on Tension Side
must Stretch-180 Degree
Bend: Must Stretch 2.18%
– Material on
Compression Side must
Compress-180 Degree Bend:
Must Compress 2.2%
– Pole Must Start to Oval1.5% Decrease in axis length in
tension/compression plane.
Ekevadand Lundberg J Biomech, 30, 259 (1997)
http://coachr880.com/id87.html
Materials of Choice
Fiberglass
•
•
Material made from extremely fine
fibers of glass.
Types of Fiberglass used:
–
–
–
E-Glass-Tensile Strength: 3,450 MPa
d
Density: 2.57 g/cm^3
S-Glass-Tensile Strength: 4,710 MPa
d
Density: 2.48 g/cm^3
Both Types: Tensile Strength=Compressive
Strength
Carbon Fiber
•
•
d
•
•
•
gltproducts.com
An extremely strong, thin fiber,
consisting of long, chainlike
molecules of pure carbon that are
made by charring synthetic fibers
such as rayon in the absence of
oxygen.
Carbon Fiber- Tensile Strength: 5,650 MPa
Density: 1.75 g/cm^3
4x Rigidity of Fiberglass
2/3 Compressive Strength of
Fiberglass but depends on how
alignment of material
Cost more than fiberglass
Tensile Stress vs. Percent Strain
Jeff Watry: Pole Vault And The Pole
The Pole Making Process
• Vaulting Poles Range in Length from 10’-17’
• The “Stiffness” of a pole given its length
depends on the diameter of the pole
• Poles are measured to correspond to a
vaulter’s body weight-to account for a factor
of load-(the vaulters body weight moving as
the vaulter leaves the ground)
The Pole Making Process
Step: 1
• Choose Mandrel Size
– Hollow steel tube-sized for the
length and inner diameter of
the pole
• 1st Layer of Material
howitsmade.com
– Mandrel is rapped cress-cross
style in both directions with
chosen material : resin
impregnated fiberglass or
carbon fiber
– Resin-hydrocarbon secretion:
used for adhesive properties
– 1st Layer: Gives pole flexibility,
durability, and fortifies pole
circumference
The Pole Making Process
Step 2
• Cut Fiberglass/Carbon Fiber
Patterns are heat rolled
onto the mandrel-resin
helps it bond.
• Sail Piece is added last
– Controls how the pole bends
Bruce Caldwell-EssX Poles
The Pole Making Process
Step 3
• Mandrel and Fiberglass are
put into a oven
– Stage 1: Steam is used to heat
the oven to 175° F
• This liquefies the resin so
that it resaturates the
fiberglass
– Stage 2: Oven gradually rises
to 300 ° F
• This solidifies the resin”curing” it
• Curing-toughening or
hardening
Bruce Caldwell-EssX Poles
The Pole Making Process
Step 4
• Pole is then subject to a
stress test
– Stress Test- Tests pole for
deformities and defects: pole
will fail if any defects are
present
– Stress Test- Puts a permanent
natural bend in the pole:
poles are only meant to bend
one way
• Gives the pole a soft side
and stiff side
howitsmade.com
The Pole Making Process
Step 5
• Pole is given a “Flex Number”
– Flex Number Test: Pole is
supported 6” on both ends of
the pole. A 50lb weight is then
added to the mid point of the
pole. The distance in cm that
the pole deforms is the flex
number.
– Flex Number are used to help
vaulter transition form one
pole to the next.
– Flex Numbers are used to only
measure relative stuffiness, not
the total load that the pole can
support
Pole Failure
elitetrack.com
Causes of Failure
• Overload
– When vaulter applies more
force than the pole can
withstand
– When pole is overloaded: the
pole will develop “bruises” or
permanent deformations in the
fibers-eventually leading to
failure
• Fatigue
– Crack-caused by a strike to the
pole-failure usually happens on
the tension side of the pole
uytierra.blogspot.com
Works Cited
• Jeff Watry: Pole Vault and The Pole
– http://www.stabhoch.com/epvc/polevaultandthepole.
pdf
• INFORMATION FOR TRACK & FIELD/ATHLETICS
COACHES Athletics Outstanding Performer---The
Vaulting Pole
– http://coachr880.com/id87.html
• Bruce Caldwell- Essx Poles
– http://www.essxpv.com/
• How its Made
– www.howitsmade.com