IMPACT BEHAVIOR OF LUMINAIRE SUPPORTS

A STATE OF THE ART STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE THE IMPACT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VARIOUS POLE AND BASE MOUNTING DESIGNS NOW IN USE ON TEXAS HIGHWAYS FOR LUMINAIRES. RESEARCH WAS DEVOTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF A SLIP BASE DESIGN SIMILAR TO THAT USED IN THE BREAK-AWAY SIGN SUPPORT. HEAD-ON COLLISION TESTS WERE CONDUCTED WITH THE LIGHTING POLES. THE CRASH VEHICLE WAS TOWED ALONG THE RAIL BY A VEHICLE MOVING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, AND RELEASED WHEN IT REACHED THE END OF THE GUIDE RAIL, TO STRIKE THE INTENDED TARGET. HIGH SPEED MOTION PICTURE PHOTOGRAPHY WAS USED AS A PRINCIPAL MEANS OF OBTAINING DATA ON THE CRASH TEST. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE STEEL TRANSFORMER BASE FOR LUMINAIRE SUPPORT IS DEFINITELY AN UNSATISFACTORY DESIGN. THE CAST ALUMINUM TRANSFORMER BASE FOR LUMINAIRE SUPPORTS APPEARS TO BE A SATISFACTORY FAILURE MECHANISM TO REDUCE THE IMPACT SEVERITY OF VEHICLE COLLISIONS WITH LUMINAIRE SUPPORTS. A CAST ALUMINUM INSERT PLACED BETWEEN THE FOUNDATION AND A STEEL TRANSFORMER BASE FOR LUMINAIRE SUPPORTS APPEARS TO BE SATISFACTORY FOR REMEDIAL DESIGN MEASURES. FORTY-FOOT FLANGE-MOUNTED LUMINAIRE SUPPORTS, BOTH STEEL AND ALUMINUM, LEAVE MUCH TO BE DESIRED IN THEIR IMPACT BEHAVIOR IN VEHICLE COLLISIONS. IN TESTS WHERE SUPPORT FAILURE OCCURRED, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE SUPPORTS GENERALLY ALIGNED THEMSELVES WITH THE DIRECTION OF THE CRASH VEHICLE.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Res Report 75-8, PP 1-38, 13 FIG, 3 TAB, 5 REF, 1 APP
• Corporate Authors:

  Texas Transportation Institute

  Texas A&M University System, 1600 E Lamar Boulevard
  Arlington, TX  United States  76011

  Texas State Department of Highways & Public Transp

  11th and Brazos Streets
  Austin, TX  United States  78701
• Authors:
  • Rowan, N J
  • Kanak, E W
• Publication Date: 1967-10

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alignment; Aluminum alloys; Crash tests; Crashes; High speed photography; Luminaires; Motion pictures; Shock resistance; State of the art studies; Structural supports; Testing; Vehicles
• Uncontrolled Terms: Impact strength
• Old TRIS Terms: Cast aluminum alloys; Supports
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways; Research; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00208473
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jul 1 1994 12:00AM