Mitigation of Weldment Cracking of Highway Steel Structures due to the Galvanizing Process

Structural supports for signs, luminaires, and traffic signals and other highway steel structures are generally galvanized to prevent corrosion and provide a long service life. However, recent investigations have revealed incidents of cracking in weldments of galvanized structures that appear to be induced during the galvanizing process. When placed in service, structures with such flaws will exhibit short service life and pose safety concerns. There was a need to identify the factors contributing to the occurrence of weldment cracking during the galvanizing process of steel highway structures and to propose improved design, materials, and construction specifications to help mitigate such cracking. This information will ensure that galvanized highway structures provide the intended service life and eliminate related safety concerns. The objective of this research was to propose improved design, materials, and construction specifications of galvanized steel highway structures to mitigate weldment cracking caused by the galvanizing process. This research was concerned with structural supports for signs, luminaires, and traffic signals and bridge superstructures (other than decks).

• Record URL:
  http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=3646

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $499975
• Contract Numbers:

  Project 10-94

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

  444 North Capitol Street, NW, Suite 225
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  National Cooperative Highway Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Project Managers:

  Hanna, Amir

• Performing Organizations:

  University of Kansas, Lawrence

  2600 Learned Hall
  Lawrence, KS  United States  66045
• Principal Investigators:

  Li, Jian

• Start Date: 20140701
• Expected Completion Date: 20200331
• Actual Completion Date: 20200331
• Source Data: RiP Project 37711

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cracking; Galvanizing; Highways; Luminaires; Performance based specifications; Service life; Steel; Structural supports; Traffic control devices; Weldments
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01543617
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project 10-94
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: Nov 19 2014 1:02AM