Sign Post Foundation Design ?

[jimstructures]

I am looking for some sign post foundation resources. I would like to understand how to approach the process.

I am reasonably familiar with pad and pier foundations for steel buildings, but have been given some display signpost foundations to support a half ring of signs around the front of a car dealership. I am not looking to replace the structural designers who have produced the work, but I would like to understand the process.

We are looking at 2 kip to 3 kips axial dead Loads for the structure at each sign post and approximately 3 kips horizontal wind load with about a 750 in-kips moment at the bottom of the post. Post are HSS 8" x 8" x 0.5" thick square post approximately 18'-6" tall. They are bolted to a 6" x 6' x 9' deep reinforced concrete pier with 1 1/2" x 48" anchor bolts (6).

Again I am not looking to redesign these sign post, I just want to understand how they developed the numbers.

Jim (EIT)

ps. I am also familiar with flag pole foundations, but these are not quite the same.

 

[paddingtongreen]

This is not too different from a pole.
Check the dimensions, 6 No. 1 1/2" bolts but only 6" wide? Is the moment uni-directional?

Michael.
Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.

 

[Ron]

Jim...the moment at the base of the pole is transferred to any type of foundation you design. In this case, it is typically a pier or short pile foundation. Many state departments of transportation use similar methods for foundation design of traffic control structures. Check a few...you'll get a lot of info directly applicable to your situation.

 

[FixedEarth]

There is a book dedicated to your topic: "Engineering Sign Structures: An Introduction to Analysis and Design" by Benjamin Jones, 1998.

 

[jimstructures]

Paddingtongreen,
Sorry I just read you comment and then re-read my question. The main pier for the sign is 6 Feet x 6 Feet x 9 Feet deep. Sorry about the inch marks, I never saw them when i proof read the question.

I hope this makes it clearer.

Jim

 

[RFreund]

I would probably use this:

http://bse.wisc.edu/bohnhoff/Publications/Copyrighted/EP486_1.pdf

They give you a limit on when the equations are no longer applicable (i.e. the foundation is too flexible)

EIT

http://www.HowToEngineer.com

 

[jimstructures]

Special Thanks to Paddingtongreen, Ron, FixedEarth and RFreund for commenting on my question. Your replies have been helpful and I have purchased several of the books and downloaded some of the articles.

Ron, do you have specific DOT's which might have Design Standards for pier foundations. I have looked at Illinois and Florida DOT sites and found volumes of info. It will take a while to review some of it and learn how they specify standard sign post pier foundations.

Again thank you for comments and help.

Jim (EIT)