DYNAMIC TESTS OF WOOD POST AND TIMBER POLE SIGN SUPPORTS, SERIES XV

THE RESULTS OF A SERIES OF THREE FULL SCALE DYNAMIC IMPACT TESTS ON WOOD POST AND TIMBER POLE SIGN SUPPORTS ARE REPORTED. THE FIRST TEST (NO. 151) OF THE SERIES WAS PERFORMED ON A 6 X 8 IN. DIMENSIONED WOOD POST SUPPORT USING A 4540 LB. TEST VEHICLE AT AN IMPACT SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH. THE SIGN SUPPORT FOR THE SECOND TEST (NO. 152) WAS A CLASS 2 TIMBER POLE SUPPORT WITH OTHER TEST PARAMETERS SIMILAR TO TEST NO. 151. IN THE FINAL TEST (NO. 153) A CLASS 2 POLE SUPPORT WAS MODIFIED BY DRILLING THREE 4 IN. DIAMETER HOLES AT 4, 10 AND 16 IN. ABOVE THE GROUND THROUGH THE CENTER OF THE POLE PARALLEL TO THE SIGN FACE. A 2000 LB. VOLKSWAGEN TRAVELING AT 40 MPH WAS USED AS THE TEST VEHICLE FOR THIS THIRD TEST. TEST RESULTS INDICATE THAT WOOD POSTS AND TIMBER POLES CAN BE EMPLOYED AS ACCIDENT SAFE SUPPORTS FOR ROADSIDE SIGNS PROVIDED THEIR CROSS SECTIONAL AREAS NEAR THE GROUND LINE ARE WITHIN TOLERABLE LIMITS. TEST RESULTS ALSO INDICATE THAT A REDUCTION IN CROSS SECTIONAL AREA OF A WOOD OR TIMBER SIGN SUPPORT CAN BE ACHIEVED WITH DRILLED HOLES PARALLEL TO THE SIGN FACE AS AN EFFECTIVE METHOD OF REDUCING THE IMPACT RESISTANCE OF THE SUPPORT WITHOUT SUBSTANTIALLY ALTERING ITS CAPACITY TO WITHSTAND THE BENDING MOMENTS OF DESIGN WIND LOADINGS. /AUTHOR/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Hpr-1/5/, BPR-D-4-66
• Corporate Authors:

  California Division of Highways

  Bridge Department
  Sacramento, CA  United States  05914

  Bureau of Public Roads /US

  400 7th Street, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Nordlin, E F
  • Ames, W H
  • FIELD, R N
• Publication Date: 1967-12

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash tests; Cross sections; Drilling; Dynamic tests; Holes; Reduction (Chemistry); Roadside structures; Shock resistance; Sign supports; Signs; Wood
• Uncontrolled Terms: Impact strength
• Old TRIS Terms: Reduction; Sign structures
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Geotechnology; Highways; Materials; Research;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00207859
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Bureau of Public Roads /US
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 12 1994 12:00AM