Development of hurricane resistant traffic signal structures

Performance of traffic signal support systems during hurricanes has indicated that the current dual cable system used in Florida often experiences substantial damage. Because there is widespread use of single cable support systems in hurricane-prone regions of other states, this project investigated the performance of both dual cable and single cable support systems in high velocity winds. The weight, orientation, and type of signal support hardware were modified to show the effects of various signal configurations. Test results indicate that (1) the difference in signal rotation is insignificant between dual cable and single cable systems, (2) the tension in the catenary cable does not significantly increase for either system; however, in the dual cable system, the increase in tensile force is substantial in the messenger cable resulting in increased flexural loading in the pole support structure, and (3) the cable supported traffic signals should be designed using both the drag and lift coefficients rather than just the drag coefficient to account for signal rotation. The single cable configuration was found to be the preferred option for structural response to wind.