New Procedure for Design of End Plates and Base Plates of Cantilevered Traffic Support Structures

Abstract

End plates and base plates are routinely used in cantilevered structures supporting traffic signs, signals, and lights. Despite this fact, a standard procedure for the design of these plates has never been established. In this paper, a new procedure is developed for the design of end plates and base plates of these structures, and for base plates of span-wire-mounted traffic-signal structures. The proposed procedure is based on beam-and-plate bending and torsion theories, and is intended for use when designing plates of square configurations. Plate thicknesses and stresses obtained using this procedure compared well with those estimated using finite-element analysis, and supported earlier conclusions reached through physical testing.