POST DELINEATOR MECHANICAL FATIGUE EVALUATION. FINAL REPORT

The mechanical fatigue performance to sinusoidal horizontal oscillations (at natural frequency of the post delineator test specimen, 16 in. free length) was investigated for four types of post delineators. One was an X-shaped post made of a polycarbonate material, two were fiberglass reinforced thermoplastic posts (T-shape and C-shape) and one was a round polyethylene tube. Three post delineator test specimens were tested for new post, post put into the ground and driven over once with the rear tire of a slow driving tractor, post driven over twice (in same direction) and post driven over three times. The results indicate that the X-shaped polycarbonate material post breaks off after a relatively low number of cycles (less than 150,000), while the two fiberglass reinforced posts survive 5 million cycles and show moderate damage (cracks), but still not excessive static horizontal deflection when subjected to a 1.5 kg horizontal pull force. The round polyethylene post also survives 5 million cycles and shows on some test specimens some cracks on the portion of the tube which is inside the holding fixture. For all four post types tested there appears to be a rather small detrimental effect in terms of the number of times a post was slowly driven over and its subsequent fatigue performance. Based upon the test results it is recommended to test 16 in. free length post delineators test specimens (at least 3 specimens per type of post) and subject them to a minimum of 5 million cycles. If all three specimens survive the 5 million cycles (not broken) and their horizontal static deflection (1.5 kg) is less than 2.5 in. (16 in. free length) the post type has passed the mechanical fatigue test.

• Corporate Authors:

  Ohio University, Athens

  Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering
  Athens, OH  United States  45701

  Ohio Department of Transportation

  25 South Front Street
  Columbus, OH  United States  43215

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Zwahlen, H T
• Publication Date: 1989-4

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 134 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Ethylene resins; Fatigue tests; Fiberglass; Fracture mechanics; Glass fiber reinforced plastics; Highway delineators; Performance evaluations; Polycarbonates; Shape; Thermoplastic materials
• Uncontrolled Terms: Polyethylene
• Old TRIS Terms: Delineators (Traffic); Fiberglass reinforcement; Test results
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; Materials; Operations and Traffic Management; I35: Miscellaneous Materials; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00490455
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA/OH-89/015
• Contract Numbers: State Job 14404(0)
• Files: TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jan 31 2000 12:00AM