BTN 2010 / 001 November 2010
BRIDGE TECHNICAL NOTE
Design of Steel Cantilever and Portal Sign
Structures and High-Mast Light Poles
1. Scope and Application
This technical note is intended for use by those who
are engaged in the design and construction of
cantilever and portal sign structures and high-mast
light poles for road projects in the State of Victoria.
The note supplements the requirements of AS5100
Bridge Design and must be read in conjunction with
that Standard. In particular this note provides
additional requirements for design and construction
which are intended to reduce the risk of fatigue
failure of sign structures and high-mast light poles.
Cantilever sign structures are defined as sign
structures comprising one principal vertical member
combined with one or more principal horizontal
members. Portal sign structures are defined as sign
structures comprising one or more horizontal or
sloped principal members supported by at least two
principal vertical members. The principal members
may be trusses. High-mast light poles are defined as
steel light poles with an overall height exceeding 17
metres.
2. Introduction
Sign structures and high-mast light poles are
susceptible to fatigue-related failure, particularly of
their base connections arising from wind and
vehicle-induced oscillations. Failures of this type
leading to collapse of the structures have been
recorded in Australia in structures less than 10 years
of age. The risk of fatigue-related failure can be
minimised by ensuring that critical connections are
designed to resist fatigue effects.
3. Design Life
The design life of sign structures and high-mast light
poles shall be 50 years.
4. Geometry
Vertical clearance to signs and sign structures shall
be in accordance with the requirements of VicRoads
Traffic Engineering Manual.
For cantilever sign structures the maximum
horizontal length of the cantilever arm should not
exceed 9m. Further recommendations for the
treatment of cantilever arms of horizontal length
greater than 9m are given in the Appendix.
2010/001
Version 1.1
5. Ultimate Limit State Design
The design wind speed and wind pressure for the
ultimate limit state shall be as specified in AS5100
Bridge Design except that the drag coefficients for
elevated sign panels shall be taken from
AS/NZS1170.2 Structural Design Actions Part 2:
Wind Actions.
6. Serviceability Limit State
Design
Portal sign structures shall be designed, fabricated
and erected so that for the completed sign structure
(including signs), the maximum deviation under the
action of self weight only shall comply with the
following tolerances:
Transverse members
Downwards deviation from a straight line between
the columns 0
Upwards deviation from a straight line between the
columns L /200
Cantilever sign structures experience deflections due
to the self-weight of the cantilever-arm and the
sign-face and wind-loading together with possible
long-term creep deflection as a result of foundation
movement. Unless compensatory action is taken,
these deflections may be excessive leading to an
undesirable appearance of the structure. In extreme
cases, the structure may become unserviceable. In
order to prevent undesirable visual and structural
effects, the following actions are required for
cantilever sign structures:
1. The completed structure shall comprise a
vertical column with a cantilever arm which is
horizontal, subject to compliance with the
minimum clearance requirements and as
required by the design. This geometry is
termed the required profile. The required
profile shall be defined on the drawings for all
cantilever sign structures.
2. Cantilever sign structures shall be designed,
fabricated and erected so that for the
completed sign structure (including signs),
under the action of self weight only, the
maximum deviation from the required profile
shall comply with the following tolerances:
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Vertical members
Towards carriageway 0 of 8 anchor-bolts per base plate shall be provided
Away from carriageway H/200
(where H is the height from the base to the
intersection of the principal members)
Horizontal members
Downwards deviation 0 Base-plates shall be at least as thick as the anchor-
Upwards deviation L/200
(where L is the length from the intersection of the
principal members to the tip of the cantilever arm)
3. Cantilever sign structures shall be designed,
fabricated and erected so that for the
completed sign structure (including signs),
under the action of serviceability wind loading
only, the maximum horizontal deflection at the
centre of the sign shall not exceed 1/125 of the
combined length of the post and arm.
4. For cantilever sign structures supported on a
single pile foundation, an assessment of the
creep deflection shall be made. The required
profile shall be adjusted to include the following
presets:
Vertical members
Away from carriageway - Assessed creep but not
less than 25mm at the top of the vertical member.
Horizontal members
Upwards - Assessed creep but not less than 25mm
at the tip of the cantilever arm.
7. Fatigue Limit State Design
Fatigue limit state design shall be in accordance with
the current edition of the AASHTO Standard
Specifications for Structural Supports for Highway
Signs, Luminaires and Traffic Signals. All aspects of
the fatigue design shall be based upon AASHTO,
including drag coefficients, fatigue importance
factors, fatigue stress categories and constant-
amplitude fatigue limits.
Sign structures or high-mast light poles that could
fall onto marked traffic lanes shall be treated in
accordance with AASHTO requirements for Fatigue
Category I.
The potential for a resonant response of the
cantilever arm of cantilever sign structures to vortex
shedding originating from the column shall be
assessed, including designs in which steel box-
sections are used for the principal members. If a
resonant response is possible, this shall be mitigated
in the design (for example by the installation of
impact dampers or wind-flow spoilers).
Base connections
Anchor-bolts
Anchor-bolts and base-plates shall be designed as
double-nut moment joints. Each anchor-bolt shall
comprise a levelling nut and washer below the base-
plate together with a washer, lock-nut and top nut
above the base-plate. At least two full threads of the
anchor-bolt shall protrude above the top nut.
Anchor-bolts shall be grade 4.6. A minimum number
for sign structures. Anchor-bolts shall be fully
enclosed in concrete to the top surface of the
foundation or pedestal. Recess pockets or styrene
block-outs shall not be used.
Base-plates
bolt diameter but not less than 40mm thick.
The maximum free-length of the anchor-bolt from
the top surface of the concrete to the underside of
the levelling-nut shall be no greater than the
anchor-bolt diameter.
Grout
The design shall be prepared on the basis that there
is no grout beneath the base-plate. i.e. all loads
shall be supported by the anchor-bolts.
The void under the base-plate shall be completely
filled with a proprietary pre-mixed, free-flowing,
non-shrink grout with a minimum strength 50MPa.
Dry-packed mortar shall not be used for this
purpose.
8. Requirements for Design,
Proof Engineering and
Certification
Design
Designs for sign structures shall be prepared by a
designer that is prequalified at Structures Complex
level under the VicRoads scheme for prequalification
of consulting engineers
Proof Engineering
The design of sign structures shall be subjected to
proof-engineering by an engineer that is prequalified
at Proof Engineering level under the VicRoads
scheme for prequalification of consulting engineers.
References
AS/NZS1170.2 Structural Design Actions Part 2: Wind
Actions (2002), Australian Standard
AS5100 Bridge Design (2004), Australian Standard
AASHTO Standard Specifications for Structural Supports
for Highway Signs, Luminaries and Traffic Signs
(2004), 4th Edition, American Association of State
Highway and Transportation Officials
NCHRP Report 469 (2002), Fatigue-Resistance Design of
Cantilevered Signal, Sign and Light Supports,
Transportation Research Board, National Research
Council, National Academy Press, Washington, D.C.
MARIO FANTIN
PRINCIPAL BRIDGE ENGINEER
VicRoads
Contact
For further information please contact:
Principal Bridge Engineer
3 Prospect Hill Road Camberwell Vic 3124
Telephone: (03) 9811 8307
Facsimile: (03) 9811 8329
Email: nigel.powers@roads.vic.gov.au
Bridge Technical Notes are subject to periodic review
and may be superseded
Appendix
Construction
Installation of anchor-bolts
Following erection of the column to the requirements
of clause 6, all levelling nuts should be tightened to
snug-tight to capture the base-plate with nuts
effectively tensioned against both sides of the base-
plate.
Top-nuts shall then be tensioned by the part-turn
method as follows:
Anchor-bolt diameter 37.5 mm 1/6 turn beyond
snug tight
Anchor-bolt diameter > 37.5 mm 1/12 turn beyond
snug tight
Anchor-bolt template
In order to maximise the fatigue performance of the
base-plate connection, it is recommended that a
double template is used in order to achieve correct
positioning and alignment of the cast-in anchor-bolts
and the bolt holes in the base-plate. A suitable
arrangement is described in NCHRP469 Fatigue-
Resistance Design of Cantilevered Signal, Sign and
Light Supports, Figure C-5.1 and comprises a pair of
steel ring with nuts on both sides - one ring cast in
at the lower end of the anchor-bolts, and one
removable ring at the upper end of the anchor-bolts.
Grout
Grout must be mixed in accordance with the
manufacturers recommendations using a performance, it is advised that they should be
mechanical mixer which has sufficient volume to mix
all of the grout required for one base-plate in a
single mix. Grout must be placed within the
maximum time limit recommended by the
manufacturer.
Formwork
If formwork is not properly sealed, grout leaks may
occur leading to the formation of voids under the
base-plate and potentially to a heightened risk of
corrosion of steel components. The following
procedure is recommended in order to avoid the
possibility of grout leakage.
Suggested Formwork Procedure
Formwork on three sides of the base-plate should be
set at to a minimum height of 50mm above the top
of the base-plate. Formwork on the fourth side is
then set to a level 10mm higher than the underside
of the base-plate.
The grout should then be poured into the side
opposite the low side in a continuous operation such
that the grout flows freely over the formwork on the
low side.
Neither the formwork, base-plate or grout should be
vibrated or tapped. Grout must then be cured in
accordance with the manufacturers instructions.
Grout-testing
Cube tests shall be taken at a minimum rate of 1 set
of four per day. The set of cubes shall represent the
whole of the days production of grout. Two cubes
shall be tested at 7 and 28 days respectively. The
results of the cube tests shall be reported to the
Superintendent within 7 days of the test.
Additional requirements for cantilever sign
structures with cantilever arms of horizontal
length greater than 9m
In order to ensure that cantilever arms of length
exceeding 9m will have an adequate fatigue
subjected to vibration monitoring for a period of 12
months. As a minimum, vibration monitoring shall
be achieved by measuring variations in strain at the
base-plate weld in order to establish that the strain
range is less than the relevant constant-amplitude
fatigue limit defined in the AASHTO Standard
Specifications for Structural Supports for Highway
Signs, Luminaires and Traffic Signals.
Proposals for vibration monitoring together with the
collection and interpretation of data shall be
subjected to proof-engineering by a company that is
prequalified at Proof Engineering level under the
VicRoads scheme for prequalification of consulting
engineers.