Fatigue Performance of Stiffened Pole-to-Base Plate Socket Connections in High-Mast Structures
Publication: Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 138, Issue 10
Abstract
Fatigue performance of stiffened pole-to-base plate socket connection in high-mast lighting structures was evaluated by experimental and analytical studies. In absence of sufficient experimental data, constant amplitude fatigue limit (CAFL) of longitudinal stiffener terminations on pole walls is classified as Category E′ in the existing American Association of State Highway and Transpiration Officials (AASHTO) specification. Fatigue performance of this connection in the thin-walled tubular structures is controlled by localized secondary bending stress, the magnitude of which depends on the relative stiffness of the connecting elements. Ten full-size high-mast specimens having stiffened socket connection were tested under constant amplitude reversal loading to determine the fatigue resistance of this connection in finite and infinite life regimes. The specimen design was optimized by parametric finite-element analysis (FEA) and local stress approaches. FEA results were verified by conducting static tests on an elaborately instrumented specimen. The test results demonstrated that an optimized stiffened connection can provide a CAFL of AASHTO fatigue Category D in commonly used high-mast structures.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The research reported herein was performed under NCHRP Project 10-70 by the ATLSS Engineering Research Center, Lehigh University. This work was sponsored by AASHTO, in cooperation with Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and was administered by NCHRP. The research results presented and the opinions and conclusions expressed or implied are those of the authors and are not of AASHTO, or FHWA, or the individual states participating in the NCHRP, or the project administrators Transportation Research Board of the National Academies. The authors acknowledge the valuable contributions of other members of the research team: Dr. Ben Yen, Dr. Eric Kaufmann, Mr. Reilly W. Thompson, and the support staff of the ATLSS Engineering Research Center and the Fritz Engineering Laboratory at Lehigh University. Special thanks are due to the members of the NCHRP project panel for their valuable guidance; to the fabricator of the specimens Valmont Industries, Inc. of Valley, Nebraska, for their generous support; and to Mr. Carl Macchietto of Valmont for sharing his vast experience on the subject structures.
References
AASHTO. (2009a). LRFD bridge design specifications , 5th Ed., Washington, DC.
AASHTO. (2009b). Standard specification for structural supports for highway signs, luminaries, and traffic signals, 5th Ed., Washington, DC.
ABAQUS version 6.9 [Computer software]. Providence, RI, Dassault Systèmes Simulia.
Azzam, D. M., and Menzemer, C. C. (2008). “Numerical study of stiffened socket connections for highway signs, traffic signals, and luminaire structures.” J. Struct. Eng. , 134(2), 173–180.
Det Norske Veritas (DNV). (2010). Recommended practice DNV-RP-C203: Fatigue design of offshore steel structures, DNV, Høvik, Norway.
Koenigs, M. T., Botros, T. A., Freytag, D., and Frank, K. H. (2003). “Fatigue strength of signal mast arm connections.” Rep. FHWA/TX-04/4178-2, Texas Department of Transportation, Austin, TX.
Ocel, J. M., Dexter, R. J., and Hajjar, J. F. (2006). “Fatigue-resistant design for overhead signs, mast-arm signal poles, and lighting standards.” Rep. MN/RC-2006-07, Minnesota Department of Transportation, St. Paul, MN.
Roy, S., and Fisher, J. W. (2005). “Enhancing fatigue strength by ultrasonic impact treatment.” Int. J. Steel Struct. , 5(3), 241–252.
Roy, S., Park, Y. C., Sause, R., and Fisher, J. W. (2010a). “Fatigue performance of groove welded tube-to-end plate connections in highway sign, luminaire and traffic signal structures.” J. Trans. Res. Board , 2152(2010), 63–70.
Roy, S., Park, Y. C., Sause, R., and Fisher, J. W. (2010b). “Fatigue resistance of pole-to-base plate connections in high level lighting structures.” Proc., 2010 Structures Congress, ASCE, Reston, VA, 170–181.
Roy, S., Park, Y. C., Sause, R., Fisher, J. W., and Kaufmann, E. J. (2011). “Cost-effective connection details for highway sign, luminaire, and traffic signal structures.” NCHRP Web-Only Document 176, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC.
Roy, S., Park, Y.-C., Thompson, R., Sause, R., and Fisher, J. (2008). “Evaluating fatigue performance sign, signals and luminaire structures.” Proc., 17th Congress of IABSE, International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering, Zurich, Switzerland.
Xiao, Z.-G., and Yamada, K. (2003). “Fatigue evaluation of steel post structures.” Struct. Eng. Earthquake Eng. , 20(2), 119s–130s.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 138 • Issue 10 • October 2012
Pages: 1203 - 1213
Copyright
© 2012. American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Mar 26, 2011
Accepted: Dec 16, 2011
Published ahead of production: Dec 21, 2011
Published in print: Oct 1, 2012
Published online: Dec 21, 2012
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.