News Release

Kan conducting pole impact testing

Grant and Award Announcement

George Mason University

Cing-Dao Kan, Professor/Director, Center for Collision Safety and Analysis, College of Science, is performing impact testing on utility poles.

He has three objectives for this research.

First, he seeks to determine the acceleration generated in poles made of various materials during an impact from a pendulum of a given mass, velocity, and impact surface hardness.

Next, he aims to document the behavior of each pole type during impact using pre- and post-test photography and high-speed video photography. 

Finally, he intends to compare the performance of the pole material types by analyzing accelerometer data, high-speed video, and photographs.

Kan received $20,977 from Electric Power Research Institute for this study. Funding began in June 2025 and will end in Oct. 2025.

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ABOUT GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY

George Mason University is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls more than 40,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity, and commitment to accessibility. In 2023, the university launched Mason Now: Power the Possible, a one-billion-dollar comprehensive campaign to support student success, research, innovation, community, and stewardship. Learn more at gmu.edu.

 


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