Detail Categories for Reliability-Based Fatigue Evaluation of Mast-Arm Sign Support Structures
Publication: Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 142, Issue 7
Abstract
Sign and luminaire support structures are prevalent throughout the transportation infrastructure network. Collapse and inspection of these pose hazards to the motoring public and the inspection personnel charged with their maintenance. There is a need to understand variability in their performance and to develop inspection protocols consistent with this expected performance to ensure public safety and to rationally disperse limited fiscal and personnel resources. Because mast-arm sign support structures are most often decommissioned when cracks are found, these protocols will focus on detecting crack initiation. Inspection protocols for assessing service life and the limit state of fatigue-induced crack initiation are most effectively developed using reliability-based procedures. The objective of this manuscript is to present two methods for synthesizing archival fatigue test data into a form suitable for implementation in reliability-based procedures for fatigue-induced crack initiation assessment of mast-arm sign support structures. The methods culminate in statistical parameters suitable for lognormal models of fatigue life for connection details. The two methods presented suggest that it is likely more appropriate to classify connection details according to stress concentration factors rather than visual appearance.
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Acknowledgments
This research was funded through the Wisconsin Highway Research Program by the Wisconsin DOT and the Federal Highway Administration under Projects 0092-08-14 and 0092-09-07. The contents of this report reflect the views of the authors who are responsible for the facts and accuracy of the data presented in this paper. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Wisconsin DOT or the Federal Highway Administration at the time of publication.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 142 • Issue 7 • July 2016
Copyright
© 2016 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Aug 14, 2014
Accepted: Dec 17, 2015
Published online: Mar 18, 2016
Published in print: Jul 1, 2016
Discussion open until: Aug 18, 2016
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