Comparision of Fillet-Welded Base Plate Fatigue Design for Highway Support Structures with Laboratory Research Tests

There are many types of vertical structures along highways that serve unique purposes. These structures include traffic signs for directing, warning, or regulating traffic, luminaires for distributing and directing light, traffic signals supporting equipment such as traffic lights, and combination structures including any combination of the aforementioned structures. Highway support structures are typically fabricated from steel or aluminum and are designed to the guidelines and specifications of the AASHTO Standard Specifications for Structural Supports for Highway Signs, Luminaires, and Traffic Signals. The structures are connected to a foundation by anchor bolts through a welded base plate. Often a cause for concern of these welded base plates is that welded structures subjected to repeated loads can display crack growth or fatigue. This report will focus on comparing the Standard Specifications for Structural Supports for Highway Signs, Luminaires, and Traffic Signals base plate fatigue design with research of fatigue testing in common base plate details