DEVELOPMENT OF BREAK-AWAY SIGN SUPPORTS AND SLOTTED STEEL PLATE MECHANICAL FUSES

THE OVERALL STUDY FINDINGS ARE SUMMARIZED AND TEST DATA ARE PRESENTED ON A MODIFICATION OF THE FUSE PLATE DESIGN FOR THE ORIGINAL TEXAS BREAK-AWAY SIGN SUPPORT CONCEPT. THE ORIGINAL FRANGIBLE CAST-IRON FUSE PLATE WAS REPLACED WITH A SLOTTED STEEL PLATE AFTER PREMATURE IN-SERVICE FRACTURES WERE OBSERVED IN SEVERAL CASES DUE TO CASTING IMPERFECTIONS AND BOLTING STRESSES. DETAILS OF BOLT SIZE AND PLATE THICKNESS WERE INVESTIGATED BY LABORATORY TESTS. FIVE SPECIMENS ON EACH OF THREE TYPICAL POST SIGNS WERE INVESTIGATED. TESTS SIMULATED A WIND LOAD FAILURE OF A NEW SIGN SUPPORT AND A WIND LOAD FAILURE OF A SUPPORT WHICH HAD BEEN RECONDITIONED FOLLOWING A COLLISION. TESTS WERE ALSO RUN TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF WEATHERING ON FUSE PLATE RESPONSE. THE REPORT CONCLUDED THAT REERECTION FOLLOWING A COLLISION DOES NOT DIMINISH A SIGN SUPPORT WIND LOAD CAPACITY AND THAT WEATHERING HAS NO DETRIMENTAL EFFECT ON A FUSE PLATE. /BPR/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Hpr-1 (5), 2-5-63-68
• Corporate Authors:

  Texas State Department of Highways & Public Transp

  11th and Brazos Streets
  Austin, TX  United States  78701

  Texas A&M University, College Station

  College Station, TX  United States  77840

  Bureau of Public Roads /US

  400 7th Street, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Rowan, N J
  • Olson, R M
  • White, M C
• Publication Date: 1968-10

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aerodynamic force; Bolts; Breakaway supports; Crash tests; Crashes; Laboratory tests; Repairing; Sign supports; Signs; Size; Steel plates; Structural plates; Testing; Thickness; Weathering; Wind
• Uncontrolled Terms: Wind load
• Old TRIS Terms: Reconditioning; Sign structures; Slotted plates
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Highways; Research;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00207896
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Bureau of Public Roads /US
• Files: TRIS, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Mar 5 1994 12:00AM