COLLISION TESTS WITH BREAKAWAY STREET LIGHTING COLUMNS FITTED WITH A SUSPENSION CABLE

LOW SPEED AND HIGH SPEED COLLISION TESTS HAVE BEEN CARRIED OUT TO INVESTIGATE THE FEASIBILITY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF CONNECTING THE TOPS OF BREAKAWAY COLUMNS BY A STEEL SUSPENSION CABLE SO THAT AFTER A COLLISION THE SHAFT OF THE COLUMN INVOLVED IS LEFT SUSPENDED BETWEEN THE TWO ADJACENT COLUMNS, AND DOES NOT FALL ONTO THE CARRIAGEWAY OR FOOTPATH. THE TESTS SHOWED THAT A SUSPENSION CABLE CAN BE EASILY ATTACHED TO THE TOPS OF BREAKAWAY COLUMNS. THE RESTRAINTS PUT ON THE COLUMNS DOES NOT SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE THE DAMAGE TO THE CAR OR TO THE RISK OF SERIOUS INJURY TO OCCUPANTS. DUE TO THE LARGE FINAL DEFLECTION OF THE SUSPENSION CABLE THERE IS A RISK OF THE LOWER END OF THE COLUMN OBSTRUCTING THE OPPOSITE CARRIAGEWAY AFTER A COLLISION IF THIS TYPE OF INSTALLATION WITHOUT BARRIERS IS USED ON A 4 M CENTRAL RESERVE OF A DUAL CARRIAGEWAY ROAD. IT ALSO APPEARS THAT AFTER AN IMPACT ADJACENT COLUMNS WOULD NEED TO BE EXAMINED AND THE FLANGE BOLTS CHANGED. /HSL/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Rept No Rrl-LR-387, 22 PP, 8 REF
• Corporate Authors:

  Road Research Laboratory /UK

  ,    
• Authors:
  • Walker, A E
  • Hignett, H J
• Publication Date: 1971

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Breakaway supports; Cables; Crash tests; Crashes; Street lighting; Suspensions; Testing
• Subject Areas: Highways; Research; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00221517
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Highway Safety Literature
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 7 1972 12:00AM