SAFER SIGN AND LUMINAIRE SUPPORTS. TASK L. FINAL REPORT. VOLUME V

The purpose of the study was to determine practical laboratory methods of testing breakaway supports to assure their effectiveness in automobile/support impacts. The study involved analysis and computer simulation of vehicle impacts with breakaway sign and luminaire supports. A pendulum impact test facility was designed and built, and impact teste were conducted on sign and luminaire supports. The results of these laboratory tests incorporating a crushable nose of aluminum honeycomb were compared with full-scale impact tests as well as computer-simulated impacts. Correlations were found to be good for slip base structures, while for shoe base luminaires the scatter was too large to make definite conclusions. The study has resulted in recommendations for minimum sizes for foundations for luminaire supports and the specification of single laboratory test criteria incorporating crush rate parameters.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • See also Volume 4, PB-264 946. Also available in set of 5 reports PC E12, PB-264 942-SET.
• Corporate Authors:

  ENSCO, Incorporated

  5400 Port Royal Road
  Springfield, VA  United States  22151

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Owings, R P
  • Adair, J W
  • Cantor, C
• Publication Date: 1976-10

Media Info

• Pagination: 82 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aluminum; Breakaway supports; Crash injury research; Crash tests; Crashes; Highway safety; Highway traffic control; Highways; Honeycomb structures; Laboratory tests; Luminaires; Pendulum tests; Prevention; Research; Safety; Simulation; Structural supports; Traffic safety; Traffic signs
• Old TRIS Terms: Supports
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Research; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00153999
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA-RD-76- 36 Final Rpt.
• Contract Numbers: DOT-FH-11-8118
• Files: NTIS, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jun 17 1977 12:00AM