Hapco has a proud history of dedicated involvement in the research that shaped the industry. For decades, Hapco has partnered with organizations such as The Aluminum Association, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP), and the American Association of State and Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO). This background and experience provides the solid foundation for our leading Research and Development program.

Hapco’s commitment to R&D can be observed in our extensive in-house labs and testing facilities. In addition, Hapco has an on-site crash test pendulum that provides the means to test full-scale poles and brackets at our Abingdon, VA campus. Hapco has conducted thousands of tests through the years in the interest of product improvement and safety. These tests have played a major role in earning Hapco the reputation of providing the highest quality aluminum pole products.

This dedication to in-house testing, combined with extensive research projects performed in collaboration with accredited university testing labs, have led to many industry-recognized contributions to aluminum pole development. For example, Hapco initiated the first wind tunnel testing to insure more efficient product designs. Additionally, our early work on vibration control and breakaway safety led to the first industry patents awarded in these categories.

direct buried breakaway test
images of old research and development testing