Full-Scale Controlled Tests of Wind Loads on Traffic Signal Structures

Details

• Creators:
  Letchford, Christopher ; Cruzado, Héctor J
• Corporate Creators:
  Texas Tech University. College of Engineering
• Corporate Contributors:
  Texas Department of Transportation. Research and Technology Implementation Office ; United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Highway Administration
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Cantilevers
  • Failure
  • Life cycle costing
  • Fatigue (Mechanics)
  • Risk assessment
  • Structural supports
  • Traffic signals
  • Vibration
  • Vortex shedding
  • Wind
• Publication/ Report Number:
  FHWA/TX -07-4586-3
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States ; Texas
• Edition:
  August 2003-October 2007
• Corporate Publisher:
  Texas. Department of Transportation
• Abstract:
  The wind-induced vibrations of the mast arm of cantilever traffic signal structures can lead to the fatigue failure of these structures. For this project, both full-scale and wind tunnel tests were conducted to study the behavior of the structures. Results of these experiments indicated that when the signals have backplates, vortex shedding can cause large-amplitude vibrations that may lead to fatigue failure. These results contradict what has been generally accepted by other researchers: that galloping is the main cause for the fatigue inducing vibrations and that vortex shedding is of no relevance in this type of structure.
• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  0-4586
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/88086/dot_88086_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.29 MB]
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:c995efa55f6f902b52df88d3e0ec7109b8526dd3fcba9edabb5ca4205f4b596059a38bb15072e67b5989010af37e3556f0a1405a7f5ca398abdb15fdcc22aaca