Base connections for signal/sign structures.
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2012-02-01
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Edition:Final report; Apr. 2010-Feb. 2012.
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Abstract:The Atlantic hurricane season of 2004 brought with it a series of four major hurricanes that made landfall across
Florida within a six-week period. During this time, a number of cantilever sign structures along the state interstate system
failed. As a result, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) began a series of research initiatives to address this
issue. The first research project determined the cause of the failures, the proper design procedure, and a retrofit option. A
second suggested a load transfer system to eliminate anchor bolts from the foundation design. The current project suggests a
way to also eliminate annular plates from the design of the base connection. The alternative chosen for testing after a
literature review was the tapered bolted slip base design. This alternative consists of two main components: a slip joint and
through-bolts. The slip joint is designed to transfer flexural loads while the through-bolts are responsible for transferring
torsional loads from the upper pole to the lower pole. The selection of this alternative as a replacement for the anchor bolt
and annular plate option has the potential to improve the AASHTO fatigue rating from an E or E’ up to a B.
The results of the test program give a detailed representation of the behavior of the base connection components.
The data and observations during and after testing reveal how the load is transferred along the length of the slip joint and
across the through-bolts. The tapered bolted slip base connection has been proven adequate for transferring both flexural
and torsional loads as applied to a cantilever signal or sign structure. It is recommended that a number of field specimens be
constructed and monitored to better determine the necessary design procedures and confirm the behavior of the base
connection as predicted by the results of this test program.
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