6-18 STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS FOR STRUCTURAL SUPPORTS FOR HIGHWAY SIGNS, LUMINAIRES, AND TRAFFIC SIGNALS

Table 6-9—Allowable Stresses for Casting Alloys

Product Location Permanent Mold Castings Sand Castings

Alloy and A444.0-T4 356.0-T6 356.0-T7 A356.0-T61 356.0-T6 356.0-T7
Temper a
Type of Stress Allowable Stress, MPa (ksi)
c
Tension or Nonwelded 46.3 (6.72) 61.8 (8.96) 54.1 (7.84) 69.5 (10.1) 46.3 (6.72) 46.3 (6.72)
compression, either d
Welded 38.6 (5.6) 38.6 (5.6) 38.6 (5.6) 38.6 (5.6) 38.6 (5.6) 38.6 (5.6)
axial loading or
bendingb
Shear b Nonweldedd 30.9 (4.48) 38.6 (5.6) 34.8 (5.04) 46.3 (6.72) 30.9 (4.48) 30.9 (4.48)
d
Welded 23.2 (3.36) 23.2 (3.36) 23.2 (3.36) 23.2 (3.36) 23.2 (3.36) 23.2 (3.36)
d
Bearing on Bolts Nonwelded 81.1 (11.8) 108 (15.7) 96.5 (14.0) 124 (17.9) 81.1 (11.8) 81.1 (11.8)
Weldedd 61.8 (8.96) 61.8 (8.96) 61.8 (8.96) 61.8 (8.96) 61.8 (8.96) 61.8 (8.96)
d
Bearing on Flat Nonwelded 54.1 (7.84) 73.3 (10.6) 61.8 (8.96) 81.1 (11.8) 54.1 (7.84) 54.1 (7.84)
Surfaces d
Welded 42.5 (6.16) 42.5 (6.16) 42.5 (6.16) 42.5 (6.16) 42.5 (6.16) 42.5 (6.16)

Notes:
a
For welding castings, use 4043 filler metal for the alloys in Table 6-9. For some applications, 4047 filler metal may be used.
b
Values given for compression and shear apply to parts that are sufficiently thick so that the slenderness S is less than the slenderness limit S1
for alloy 6061-T6. Allowable compressive and shear stresses for parts with S > S1 may be determined from the allowable stresses for
highway structures of alloy 6061-T6 by means of the following formula:

( Fcast )tc
Fcast = ( F6061 ) in MPa
117.2

or:

( Fcast )tc
Fcast = ( F6061 ) in ksi
17

where:
Fcast = allowable compressive or shear stress on slender element for casting,
F6061 = corresponding allowable stress for alloy 6061-T6, and
(Fcast)tc = allowable tensile or compressive stress for casting from above table.
c
Apply to nonwelded members and to welded members at locations farther than 25 mm (1 in.) from a weld.
d
Apply to locations within 25 mm (1 in.) of a weld.

6.7—COMBINED STRESSES

Members subjected to combined bending, axial

compression or tension, shear, and torsion shall be
proportioned to meet the limitations of Article 6.7.1 or 6.7.2,
as applicable. Calculations of Fa, Fa0, Fb, Fe, Fs, and Ft, in
Eqs. 6-30 through 6-34 may be increased by 1/3 for Group II
and Group III load combinations, as allowed in Section 3,
“Loads.”

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SECTION 6: ALUMINUM DESIGN 6-19

6.7.1—Vertical Cantilever Pole-Type Supports C6.7.1

Vertical cantilever pole-type supports, subjected to axial
compression, bending moment, shear, and torsion, shall be
proportioned to satisfy the following requirement:
2 Fa0 is the allowable compressive stress of an axially loaded
fa fb ⎛ f ⎞
+ + ⎜ s ⎟ ≤ 1.0
F a0 C AF b ⎝ F s ⎠
CA shall be calculated in accordance with Article 4.8.1 to
estimate the second-order effects. If the more detailed
procedure of Article 4.8.2 is used to calculate second-order
effects, fb is the bending stress based on the second-order
moment and CA is taken as 1.0.
Eq. 6-30 applies specifically to single vertical cantilever
pole-type supports where the term 1/CA is an amplification
coefficient to estimate additional moments due to the P-delta
effect. Determination of CA is discussed in Article 4.8.1.
(6-30) member considered as a short column with consideration for
yielding and local buckling of the section. This term establishes
a more accurate relationship between the axial stress present in
a pole with this type of loading and the stress that will cause
failure by yielding or local buckling. A short column is
considered to have a slenderness value less than S1. The term
Fa0 is used when the axial stress is small and the term fb/Fb is
usually of negligible magnitude. Flexural buckling will
typically not govern in cantilever pole-type supports because of
the very low axial loads; hence the use of Fa0 instead of Fa in
Eq. 6-30.

6.7.2—Other Members

6.7.2.1—Axial Compression, Bending, and Shear C6.7.2.1

All members that are subjected to axial compression, This Article generally applies to sign support members and
bending moment, shear, and torsion, except vertical cantilever miscellaneous structural members subjected to axial
pole-type supports, shall meet the following criteria: compression combined with bending, shear, and torsion. The
term:
fa fb ⎛ f ⎞
2 1
+ + ⎜ s ⎟ ≤ 1.0 (6-31) ⎛ f ⎞
F a 0 C AFb ⎝ F s ⎠ ⎜1 −
a
⎟
⎝ F e⎠
2
fa fb ⎛ f ⎞
+ + ⎜ s ⎟ ≤ 1.0 (6-32) in Eq. 6-32 is a factor that accounts for secondary bending
Fa F ⎛ f ⎞ ⎝ Fs ⎠
b 1− a caused by the axial load when member deflects laterally. This
⎜ ⎟
⎝ F e ⎠ factor may be ignored when fa /Fa ≤ 0.15.
For biaxial bending, except for round and polygonal
where: tubular sections, the second term of Eq. 6-32 can be substituted
by:
2 f by
π E f bx
Fe +
2 ⎛ fa ⎞ ⎛ fa ⎞
⎛ kL ⎞ ⎜ 1 − F ⎟ Fbx ⎜⎝ 1 − Fey ⎟⎠ Fby
nu ⎜ ⎟ ⎝ ⎠
⎝ r ⎠ ex

which is calculated in the plane of bending. and the second term fb /Fa of Eqs. 6-30, 6-31, 6-33, and 6-34
can be substituted by:
f bx f by
+
F bx
F by
The following equation is permitted in lieu of Eq. 6-31 and
Eq. 6-32 when:

f
a
≤ 0.15
Fa

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6-20 STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS FOR STRUCTURAL SUPPORTS FOR HIGHWAY SIGNS, LUMINAIRES, AND TRAFFIC SIGNALS

2
f a fb ⎛ f s ⎞
+ + ⎜ ⎟ ≤ 1.0 (6-33)
Fa Fb ⎝ Fs ⎠

6.7.2.2—Axial Tension, Bending, and Shear C6.7.2.2

All members that are subjected to axial tension, bending Eq. 6-34 will typically apply to truss members in tension
moment, shear, and torsion shall meet the following criteria: and cantilevered horizontal supports. The bending
amplification factors of 1/CA in Eq. 6-30 and 1 – fa /Fe in
2 Eq. 6-32 do not apply for members having no axial load and
f a fb ⎛ f s ⎞
+ + ⎜ ⎟ ≤ 1.0 (6-34) members in axial tension combined with bending, shear, and
Ft Fb ⎝ Fs ⎠ torsion.

6.8—DETAILS OF DESIGN

6.8.1—Minimum Thickness of Material C6.8.1

The minimum thickness of the material shall be 3.17 mm The minimum recommended thickness for welded
(0.125 in.). Aluminum supports for small roadside signs may be aluminum is 3.17 mm (0.125 in.).
less than 3.17 mm (0.125 in.) in thickness. Abrasion blasting
shall not be used on aluminum less than or equal to 3.17 mm
(0.125 in.) thick.

6.8.2—Dimensional Tolerances C6.8.2

The diameter of round tapered aluminum tubing members This Article provides dimensional tolerances for straight
or the dimension across the flat of square, rectangular, or tapered aluminum tube members fabricated from plates.
octagonal, dodecagonal, and hexdecagonal straight or tapered
aluminum tubing members shall not vary more than
two percent from the specified dimension.

6.9—WELDED CONNECTIONS C6.9

Welding shall conform to the latest edition of
ANSI/AWS D1.2, Structural Welding Code—Aluminum.
Workmanship requirement of class I structures shall be
specified for tubular support structures. Class II workmanship
requirements may be specified where more rigid controls are
desired.
The Structural Welding Code—Aluminum provides
specifications for welding aluminum. It contains additional
requirements for tubular structures, which include sign,
luminaire, and traffic signal supports that are to be classified as
class I workmanship. Because of configuration and loading,
certain types of structures may require the more stringent
class II workmanship.
Recommendations for proper detailing of fatigue-critical
welded connections are included in Section 11, “Fatigue
Design,” in Table 11-2 and Figure 11-1.

6.10—BOLTED CONNECTIONS AND ANCHOR

BOLTS

Design of bolted connections shall conform to the

Aluminum Design Manual, “Specifications for Aluminum
Structures—Allowable Stress Design.”
Design and installation of steel anchor bolts for aluminum
structures shall be in accordance with Article 5.17.

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Duplication is a violation of applicable law.
SECTION 6: ALUMINUM DESIGN 6-21

6.11—PROTECTION C6.11

Structures of the aluminum alloys covered by these The reason that most aluminum structures are not painted
Specifications are not ordinarily painted. Surfaces shall be is that all aluminum surfaces develop a thin, tough oxide film
painted where: that protects the surface against further oxidation. If the surface
is scraped so that the oxide film is removed, a new film is
• The aluminum alloy parts are in contact with, or are formed immediately unless oxygen is kept from the surface.
fastened to, steel members or other dissimilar materials, The alloying ingredients that give aluminum particular
properties, such as extra-high strength, affect resistance to
• The structures are to be exposed to extremely corrosive
corrosion. Painting is not needed for the medium-strength
conditions, or
alloys in general structural use in atmospheric exposure.
• The Owner has requested it be done for reason of
appearance.
Preparation, cleaning, and painting are covered in the
following Articles. Treatment and painting of the structure in
accordance with United States Military Specification
MIL-T-704 is also acceptable.

6.11.1—Galvanic Corrosion (Contact with Dissimilar C6.11.1

Materials)

Where the aluminum alloy parts are in contact with, or Galvanic corrosion can occur when another metal, such
are fastened to, steel members or other dissimilar materials, as steel, is coupled to aluminum in the presence of an
the aluminum shall be kept from direct contact with the steel electrolyte. An aluminum part bolted to a steel structure with
or other dissimilar material by painting as follows. moisture allowed in the faying surface or an aluminum part in
Steel surfaces to be placed in contact with aluminum shall concrete and coupled to the steel reinforcement are examples.
be painted with good-quality, nonlead-containing priming The aluminum parts may act as an anode and be sacrificed in
paint, such as zinc molybdate alkyd-type primer in accordance time. The attack can be prevented by isolating the two
with Federal Specification TT-P-645B, followed by two coats materials from each other.
of paint consisting of 0.24 kg (2 lb) of aluminum paste Materials such as elastomeric spacers have also been
pigment (ASTM D 962-88, Type 2, Class B) per liter (gallon) used to keep aluminum alloy parts from direct contact with
of varnish meeting Federal Specification TT-V-81, Type II, or steel or other dissimilar materials.
equivalent. Where severe corrosion conditions are expected,
additional protection can be obtained by applying a suitable
sealant to the faying surfaces, capable of excluding moisture
from the joint during prolonged service, in addition to the zinc
molybdate alkyd-type primer. Aluminized, hot-dip galvanized,
or electro-galvanized steel placed in contact with aluminum
need not be painted. Stainless steel (300 series) placed in
contact with aluminum need not be painted, except in high-
chloride–containing environments.
Aluminum shall not be placed in direct contact with
porous materials that may absorb water and cause corrosion.
When such contacts cannot be avoided, an insulating barrier
between the aluminum and the porous material shall be
installed. Before installation, the aluminum surfaces shall be
given a heavy coat of alkali-resistant bituminous paint or other
coating having equivalent protection to provide this insulating
barrier. Aluminum in contact with concrete or masonry shall
be similarly protected in cases where moisture is present and
corrodents will be entrapped between the surfaces.

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6-22 STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS FOR STRUCTURAL SUPPORTS FOR HIGHWAY SIGNS, LUMINAIRES, AND TRAFFIC SIGNALS

Aluminum surfaces to be embedded in concrete

ordinarily need not be painted, unless corrosive components
are added to the concrete or unless the assembly is subjected
for extended periods to extremely corrosive conditions. In
such cases, aluminum surfaces shall be given one coat of
suitable quality paint, such as zinc molybdate primer
conforming to Federal Specification No. TT-P-645B or
equivalent, or a heavy coating of alkali-resistant bituminous
paint, or shall be wrapped with a suitable plastic tape applied
in such a manner as to provide adequate protection at the
overlaps. Aluminum shall not be embedded in concrete to
which corrosive components such as chlorides have been
added, if the aluminum will be electrically connected to steel.
Water that comes in contact with aluminum, after first
running over a heavy metal, such as copper, may contain trace
quantities of the dissimilar metal or its corrosion product,
which will cause corrosion of the aluminum. Protection shall
be obtained by painting or plastic coating the dissimilar metal
or by designing the structure so that the drainage from the
dissimilar metal is diverted away from the aluminum.
Prepainted aluminum generally does not need additional
painting, even in contact with other materials such as wood,
concrete, or steel. Under extremely corrosive conditions,
additional protection shall be provided as described in the
preceding paragraphs.

6.11.2—Overall Painting

Structures of the alloys covered by these Specifications

either are not ordinarily painted for surface protection or are
made of prepainted aluminum components. There may be
applications where the structures are to be exposed to
extremely corrosive conditions. In these cases, overall
painting shall be specified.

6.11.3—Cleaning and Treatment of Metal Surfaces

Prior to field painting of structures, all surfaces to be

painted shall be cleaned immediately before painting by a
method that will remove all dirt, oil, grease, chips, and other
foreign substances.
Exposed metal surfaces shall be cleaned with a suitable
chemical cleaner, such as a solution of phosphoric acid and
organic solvents meeting United States Military Specification
MIL-M-10578. Abrasion-blasting shall not be used on
aluminum less than or equal to 3.17 mm (0.125 in.) thick.

6.11.4—Anodizing C6.11.4

An anodized finish may be provided, if specified by the Anodizing is an electro-chemical process that results in a
Owner. colored aluminum oxide layer on the pole surface. The
Owner should be aware that anodized finishes may result in
color variations between extrusions, coatings, and weldments.

© 2009 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. All rights reserved.
Duplication is a violation of applicable law.