792948083

Technical report; Sept. 2010¿Aug. 2011.

University of Houston. Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering

NTL-HIGHWAY/ROAD TRANSPORTATION-Pavement Management and PerformanceNTL-HIGHWAY/ROAD TRANSPORTATION-Materials ; NTL-OPERATIONS AND TRAFFIC CONTROLS-OPERATIONS AND TRAFFIC CONTROLS ;

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This report presents the findings of a comprehensive research project to investigate the fatigue

cracking and failure of galvanized high mast illumination poles (HMIP). Ultrasonic inspection of

poles throughout the state has revealed the presence of weld toe cracks at the shaft-to-base-plate

connections of some galvanized poles that the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)

owns.

However, the effect of these galvanization-induced cracks on the fatigue life of the poles has not

been clearly defined. The first phase of this research involved extensive review of published and

unpublished data, to identify key factors that contribute to galvanization-induced cracking. Best

fabrication practices to minimize such cracking are recommended. In the second phase, a

comprehensive reliability analysis of several TxDOT pole configurations was conducted for

different regions in Texas to predict the fatigue lives of the cracked poles. Critical pole

configurations and locations are identified to facilitate cost-effective decisions related to

inspection, repair, and replacement of poles.

US Transportation Collection

0-6650