DESIGN CRITERIA FOR BREAK-AWAY SIGN SUPPORTS

HIGHWAY ACCIDENT STATISTICS INDICATE THE NUMERICAL MAGNITUDE OF THE HAZARD OF CONVENTIONAL SIGN SUPPORTS TO THE MOTORING PUBLIC. A SURVEY OF STATE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENTS, CONDUCTED IN OCTOBER 1966, INDICATED THAT OF THE 38 STATES THAT REPLIED, ALL USED CANTILEVER TYPE SIGN SUPPORTS. THUS MODIFICATION OF EXISTING SUPPORTS TO INCORPORATE SAFETY DEVICES APPEARED TO BE WARRANTED ON A NATIONAL BASIS. THIRTEEN OF THE RESPONDING STATES INDICATED THAT THEY HAD ADOPTED, OR WERE CONSIDERING ADOPTING, BREAK-AWAY DETAILS FOR GROUND-MOUNTED SIGNS. CRITERIA FOR THE DESIGN, DETAILING, CONSTRUCTION, AND MAINTENANCE OF SUCH SIGNS WERE BECOMING MORE ESSENTIAL WITH THE PASSAGE OF TIME. DEVELOPMENT OF THE CONCEPT OF THE BREAK-AWAY SIGN SUPPORT INTO A DESIGN THAT CAN BE UTILIZED UNDER FIELD CONDITIONS REQUIRES AN INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECTS OF THE VARIOUS COMPONENTS ON THE RESPONSE OF THE VEHICLE AND THE SUPPORT WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF DEVELOPING CRITERIA FOR THE DESIGN OF SUCH SUPPORTS. A FULL-SCALE TESTING PROGRAM WOULD BE PROHIBITIVELY EXPENSIVE. AN ALTERNATE PROCEDURE WOULD BE THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ANALYTICAL MODEL WHICH COULD BE USED TO EVALUATE THE VARIOUS PARAMETERS WHICH AFFECT THE DESIGN. A MODEL HAS BEEN DEVELOPED AND HAS BEEN USED TO CONDUCT A STUDY OF THE PARAMETERS WHICH AFFECT THE DESIGN OF A SUPPORT. THE RESULTS OF THIS STUDY LED TO RECOMMENDED DESIGN CRITERIA WHICH ARE PRESENTED HERE. /AUTHOR/

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrr/1968/222/222-002.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Paper sponsored by Committee on Guardrails, Median Barriers, and Sign, Signal and Lighting Supports and presented at the 47th Annual Meeting. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Edwards, Thomas C
  • Hirsch, Teddy J
  • Olson, Robert M
• Publication Date: 1968

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 12-19
• Monograph Title: Guardrails, median barriers and sign and light supports
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 222
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Breakaway supports; Cantilevers; Design; Highway safety; Mathematical models; Sign supports; Signs; Testing; Traffic signs
• Uncontrolled Terms: Design criteria; Models
• Old TRIS Terms: Sign structures
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00220216
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Sep 3 1994 12:00AM