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Testing of Overhead Box Truss Chords and Flanges

Sparks, S. Nicholas
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6946-6114
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1493809504770442

Abstract Details

2017, Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, Civil Engineering (Engineering and Technology).
Overhead box truss structures are used every day by motorists to navigate through the interstate system. It is typical for an overhead box truss to experience multiple types of loading over its life span. One of the most common loading types an overhead sign structure will experience is wind loading. This study provides a synthesis of results from destructive testing of damaged overhead box trusses. Testing was done to provide a theoretical and experimental analysis in order to understand how damaged trusses would react under the most severe wind loads in Ohio. Throughout the duration of this study two processes were used. First, an analytical model was developed using SAP2000 to model how an overhead box truss would react with the application of wind loads. From that full scale model, a sample model was created to mimic the loading from the full scale model. The sample model was used to create an experimental testing procedure. Secondly, full scale experimental testing was conducted to validate the analytical model. It was hypothesized that the severity of the damage surrounding the bolted connections would result in catastrophic failure. Two trusses, one with a medium level of damage and one with high level of damaged were tested. The use of two trusses with different levels of damage was used to determine at what point catastrophic failure would occur. It was determined from this study that damaged connections were able to transfer the load without increasing the level of damage. It was also found that failure occurred at the welds. This was seen from the failure of Test 2 at the interface between the chord and flange. It was also found that higher stresses were induced in the truss during the experimental testing compared to the stresses that were determined from the analytical analysis. Meaning, that the overhead box truss would be able to support higher loading than what was expected from the SAP2000 analysis.
Eric Steinberg (Advisor)
Kenneth Walsh (Committee Member)
Issam Khoury (Committee Member)
Annie Shen (Committee Member)
164 p.
Civil Engineering
Overhead signs; Testing; Box Truss

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Sparks, S. N. (2017). Testing of Overhead Box Truss Chords and Flanges [Master's thesis, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1493809504770442

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Sparks, S. Nicholas. Testing of Overhead Box Truss Chords and Flanges. 2017. Ohio University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1493809504770442.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Sparks, S. Nicholas. "Testing of Overhead Box Truss Chords and Flanges." Master's thesis, Ohio University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1493809504770442

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ohiou1493809504770442
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© 2017, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Ohio University and OhioLINK.