SECTION 10:
SERVICEABILITY REQUIREMENTS
10.1—SCOPE
This Section provides serviceability requirements for
support structures.
10.2—DEFINITIONS
Camber—The condition of the horizontal support being arched.
Quadri-Chord Truss—A horizontal member composed of four longitudinal chords connected by bracing.
Rake—To slant or incline from the vertical.
Tri-Chord Truss—A horizontal member composed of three longitudinal chords connected by bracing.
10.3—NOTATION
dDL = deflection at free end of horizontal support under dead load (mm, in.)
dP = deflection at tip of vertical support under dead load from horizontal cantilevered support (mm, in.)
dPDL = deflection at free end of horizontal support caused by slope at the tip of the vertical support (mm, in.)
dTOTAL = total dead load deflection at free end of horizontal support (mm, in.)
E = modulus of elasticity (MPa, psi)
H = height of vertical support (mm, in.)
I = moment of inertia of vertical support (mm4, in.4)
L = distance between supports for an overhead bridge structure; distance from vertical support to free end for
horizontal cantilevered support (mm, in.)
M = moment caused by dead loads applied to the vertical support at the connection of the horizontal support (N-mm,
lb-in.)
r = radius of gyration (mm, in.)
u = prefabricated camber (slope) in the horizontal cantilevered arm (mm/mm, in./in.)
10.4—DEFLECTION C10.4
Highway support structures of all materials should be The deflection limits that are set by these Specifications
designed to have adequate structural stiffness that will result are to serve two purposes. The first purpose is to provide an
in acceptable serviceability performance. Deflections for aesthetically pleasing structure under dead load conditions.
specific structure types shall be limited as provided in The second purpose is to provide adequate structural stiffness
Articles 10.4.1 and 10.4.2. Permanent camber for specific that will result in acceptable serviceability performance
structure types shall be provided per Article 10.5. under applied loads.
10-1
© 2009 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. All rights reserved.
Duplication is a violation of applicable law.
10-2 STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS FOR STRUCTURAL SUPPORTS FOR HIGHWAY SIGNS, LUMINAIRES, AND TRAFFIC SIGNALS
10.4.1—Overhead Bridge Supports for Signs and Traffic C10.4.1
Signals
For overhead bridge monotube and truss structures Research was sponsored by the Arizona Department of
supporting sign and traffic signals, the maximum vertical Transportation (Ehsani et al. 1984; Martin et al. 1985) to
deflection of the horizontal support resulting from Group I determine an appropriate deflection limitation for steel
load combination with the addition of ice loads (i.e., dead monotube bridge support structures. This research included
load plus ice) shall be limited to L/150, where L is the span field tests and analytical studies using computer modeling.
length. For those locations where ice loading is not The studies investigated the static and dynamic behavior of
applicable, only deflection resulting from Group I load monotube bridge sign support structures. It determined a
combination shall be used. dead load deflection limit that should be specified for
monotube bridge structures. The 1989 Interim Specification
was revised to limit deflection to the span divided by 150 for
dead and ice load applications based on this research,
replacing the previous limit of d2/400 in feet, where d was
the depth of the sign panel in feet. A later study (Lundgren,
1989) indicated that because the deflection criterion was an
aesthetic limitation, it could be increased to the span divided
by 100; however, no additional work has been found to
justify changing the deflection limit to a more liberal value.
Although this study considered only steel members, the
deflection limit has been generalized for other materials
because aesthetics was the governing consideration.
Other types of overhead bridge sign supports (i.e., two-
chord, tri-chord, and quadri-chord trusses) generally have
higher stiffness than the monotube type. It is believed that
this dead load deflection limit of the span divided by 150
(i.e., L/150) could be adopted as a conservative limit for
those types of overhead bridge sign and traffic signal support
structures made with two-chord, tri-chord, or quadri-chord
trusses.
10.4.2—Cantilevered Supports for Signs, Luminaires,
and Traffic Signals
10.4.2.1—Vertical Supports C10.4.2.1
The horizontal deflection limits for vertical supports, The dead load deflection and slope limitations were
such as street lighting poles, traffic signal structures, and sign developed based on aesthetic considerations. The
structures, shall be as follows: 2.5 percent deflection limit was developed for transverse
load applications, such as strain pole applications, where a
• Under Group I load combination (dead load only), the dead load caused by span-wire tension could cause
deflection at the top of vertical supports with transverse unsightly deflection. The horizontal linear displacement at
load applications shall be limited to 2.5 percent of the the top of the structure is measured in relation to a tangent
structure height; and to the centerline at the structure’s base. The slope
limitation of 30 mm/m (0.35 in./ft), which is equivalent to
• Under Group I load combination (dead load only), the an angular rotation of 1º 40′, was initially developed for
slope at the top of vertical supports with moment load street lighting poles with a single mast arm, where the
applications shall be limited to 30 mm/m (0.35 in./ft). mast arm applied a concentrated dead load moment that
For luminaire support structures under Group II load could also cause unsightly deflections. It is measured by
combination (i.e., dead load and wind), deflection shall be the angular rotation of the centerline at the top of the
limited to 15 percent of the structure height. structure in relation to the centerline at its base. The
Deflections shall be computed by usual methods or concentrated moment loads result from the effect of
equations for elastic deflections. For prestressed concrete eccentric loads of single or unbalanced multiple
members, the effects of cracking and reinforcement on horizontally mounted arm members and their
member stiffness shall be considered. appurtenances.
© 2009 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. All rights reserved.
Duplication is a violation of applicable law.
SECTION 10: SERVICEABILITY REQUIREMENTS 10-3
The 15 percent deflection limitation for group II load
combination is not a serviceability requirement, but it
constitutes a safeguard against the design of highly flexible
structures. It is intended mainly for high-level lighting poles.
The deflections are calculated without the applied safety
factor in Article 4.8.2, and second-order effects are normally
considered in the analysis.
10.4.2.2—Horizontal Supports C10.4.2.2
Adequate stiffness shall be provided for the horizontal No dead load deflection limit is prescribed for horizontal
supports of cantilevered sign and traffic signal structures that supports of cantilevered sign and traffic signal structures.
will result in acceptable serviceability performance. Stiffness requirements are determined by the Designer.
Galloping and truck gust-induced vibration deflections Structures are typically raked or the horizontal supports are
of cantilevered single-arm sign supports and traffic signal cambered such that the deflection at the end of the arm is
arms should not be excessive so as to result in a above a horizontal reference line for the unloaded
serviceability problem, as specified in Article 11.8. configuration, which provides the appearance of a structure
that is not overloaded. Camber requirements for cantilevered
sign and traffic signal structures are provided in Article 10.5.
10.4.3—Vibration C10.4.3
Structural supports that are susceptible to damaging A mitigation device is not always mandatory if the
vibrations and not designed for fatigue in accordance with structure is designed for fatigue in accordance with
Section 11 should be equipped with appropriate damping or Section 11. Should the structure exhibit vibrations in the
energy-absorbing devices. All aluminum overhead bridge field, a mitigation device may be considered.
sign and traffic signal support structures should be equipped Section 11, “Fatigue Design,” contains provisions for
with appropriate damping or energy-absorbing devices to designing various structural supports for fatigue using design
prevent significant wind-induced vibration in the structure, loads that are a result of wind-induced vibrations and truck
both before and after installation of sign panels or traffic gust-induced vibrations.
signals. Vibrations may be caused by wind-induced loads, such
as galloping or vortex shedding. Moving traffic may induce
gusts on nearby structures, such as a large truck passing
under overhead sign structures. Vibrations may also be a
result of support movement, such as those found on bridges
and elevated roadways.
For street-lighting poles, reducing vibration that is
caused by wind or traffic-induced vibration of elevated
roadways is important to reduce the potential for fatigue
damage and to increase lamp life (Van Dusen, 1965 and
1968). Mitigation by using a Stockbridge-type damper is
suggested by Burt and LeBlanc (1974) and by Dusel and
Bon (1986). Vibrations caused by wind have been controlled
in street lighting poles with the impact damper (Minor,
1973).
The Stockbridge-type vibration damper has been used to
control vibration of aluminum overhead bridge sign
structures (Lengel and Sharp 1969). For steel traffic signal
structures with mast arms, research (McDonald et al., 1995)
has suggested avoiding configurations that are susceptible to
galloping, such as rigidly mounted traffic signals. Before
these configurations (e.g., signals with an articulated
connection to the arm) are used on a given structure, their
acceptability from a traffic control perspective should be
investigated. Permanent horizontal plane sign panels have
been shown to reduce or eliminate galloping vibrations for
some installations with rigidly mounted traffic signals, as
discussed in Article 11.7.1.
© 2009 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. All rights reserved.
Duplication is a violation of applicable law.
10-4 STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS FOR STRUCTURAL SUPPORTS FOR HIGHWAY SIGNS, LUMINAIRES, AND TRAFFIC SIGNALS
Steel and aluminum overhead bridge sign and/or traffic
signal support structures and cantilevered sign supports may
be subject to damaging vibrations and oscillations when sign
panels and/or traffic signals are not in place during erection
or maintenance of the structure. To avoid these vibrations
and oscillations, considerations should be given to providing
temporary damping devices attached to the structure, such as
blank sign panels.
10.4.3.1—Requirements for Individual Truss C10.4.3.1
Members
The Specifications’ limitations for L/r ratios should be Vibration in truss structures can occur in individual
adequate to prevent excessive vibration. members. Slender tension members and redundant diagonals
are particularly susceptible to vibration. Resistance to local
vibrations can be provided by increasing member stiffness,
thereby reducing flexural deflection and raising vibration
response frequencies.
10.5—CAMBER C10.5
Permanent camber equal to L/1000, where L is the The camber requirement applies to overhead bridge sign
unsupported length of the horizontal support, shall be and traffic signal supports and to sign and traffic signal
provided in addition to dead load camber for overhead sign supports with a horizontal cantilevered support. The
and traffic signal structures. permanent camber can aid in compensating for deflections
resulting from foundation rotation. The permanent camber is
in addition to the dead load camber, which compensates for
dead load deflection.
Camber is the condition of the horizontal support being
arched. Permanent camber is the condition of the horizontal
support being arched upward after application of the dead
loads. The horizontal support should be arched upward such
that the vertical distance from the attachment point(s) to
location of maximum deflection for the horizontal support is
equal to L/1000. The permanent camber provides the visual
effect of a low-pitched arch, which is more appealing than a
horizontal support that is deflected downward.
Permanent camber can be provided by raking the
vertical support and/or cambering the horizontal support.
Raking the vertical support involves installing the vertical
support with an initial deflection. The vertical support is
raked during construction by adjusting the leveling nuts at
the base of the structure. Raking the vertical support may
result in the anchor bolts not being perpendicular to the
support’s base plate, and it can result in anchor bolt nuts not
being properly tightened against the base plate. Cambering
the horizontal support involves fabricating the support with
an initial slope or curvature.
The following procedure may be used to calculate the
camber required to compensate for dead load deflection in a
cantilevered sign support structure with a monotube vertical
support.
The cantilevered horizontal support should be cambered
during fabrication, such that the permanent camber after
application of dead load is a minimum of L/1000 above the
horizontal plane, where L is the span of the horizontal
support.
© 2009 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. All rights reserved.
Duplication is a violation of applicable law.
SECTION 10: SERVICEABILITY REQUIREMENTS 10-5
Figure 10-1—Camber of Cantilevered Sign Structure
The following procedure shown is for a nontapered
vertical support with a constant stiffness.
Determine horizontal deflection at tip of vertical support
due to dead load (deflection of vertical support not shown in
figure):
MH 2
dP = (C10-1)
2 EI
Determine deflection of horizontal support due to slope
at tip of vertical support:
2d P
d PDL = L (C10-2)
H
Determine deflection of horizontal support due to dead
load acting on the horizontal support, dDL.
Calculate total dead load deflection at the tip of the
cantilevered arm:
dTOTAL = d DL + d PDL (C10-3)
Determine the slope u of the prefabricated camber in the
horizontal support, such that:
1 d d
u= + DL + PDL (C10-4)
1000 L L
This slope will result in a final deflection at the end of
the horizontal arm equal to L/1000 above the horizontal
plane.
Provide fabrication details indicating the prefabricated
camber (slope) u in horizontal support.
The above procedure does not consider the raking of the
vertical support.
© 2009 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. All rights reserved.
Duplication is a violation of applicable law.
