Fatigue Behavior of Welded Aluminum Light Pole Support Details
Publication: Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 132, Issue 12
Abstract
A study of the behavior of two types of welded aluminum light pole support details was conducted. Twenty nine full-scale samples were tested to determine fatigue life, and included 19 poles with cast shoe base socket connections along with 10 through plate socket connection details. The primary objective of this investigation was to compare the test results with current fatigue design provisions, and to determine the applicable design category or develop new lower bound stress-life (S-N) curve(s), as appropriate. To augment the tests, parametric studies of both detail types were conducted using the finite-element method. Parametric studies included the effect of the light pole tube radius to thickness ratio, base plate thickness, and fillet weld dimensions on the local stresses adjacent to the weld toe area. Residual stresses, determined through the application of the hole drilling technique, assisted in the understanding of the fatigue test results.
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Acknowledgments
The writers would like to thank HAPCO–Aluminum Pole Products, Abingdon, Va., for their support of this work. Mr. Dave McVaney and Mr. Steve Gerbetz at the University of Akron provided encouragement, training, and assistance in making the measurements. Special thanks to Dr. Badwan for late night discussions on the FEM modeling. Thanks are always due to the late Mr. Mauri Sharp for teaching the writers to continually question and evaluate conventional wisdom.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 132 • Issue 12 • December 2006
Pages: 1919 - 1927
Copyright
© 2006 ASCE.
History
Received: May 31, 2005
Accepted: Mar 20, 2006
Published online: Dec 1, 2006
Published in print: Dec 2006
Notes
Note. Associate Editor: James S. Davidson
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