Wind Loads on Overhead Sign Structures: A Comparative Study

Road signs are prone to extreme winds that cause significant damage. Overhead sign structures can disrupt traffic and cause harm to the traveling public if a failure occurs under extreme wind drag forces, compared to larger ones, under the same porosity ratio. Introducing porosity to a solid panel moves the vorticity region further downstream, reducing the magnitude of pressures on the leeward side and decreasing the drag force. However, curved panels further enhanced the force reduction.