Overhead traffic signs underwent important damage at the time of the storms which crossed France in January 1998, then especially in December 1999.Old structures with already weak points, like fatigue cracks, were naturally eliminated on these occasions. The failure of an overhead traffic signcan have serious consequences for road users, because the object can still cause accidents after its fall. In parallel, the density of the road network converges, so that the desirable service lifespan of a sign bridge structure passed, in one decade, from 15 years to approximately 30 years. Itwas thus decided to upgrade the French standard with the aim of reinforcing new overhead traffic signs. The introduction of the eurocodes makes it possible to complement this evolution in particular by introducing the justification of the structures to resist the fatigue caused by the wind. Themaintenance and the monitoring of existing overhead traffic signs are strong concerns for road managers. These topics were the subject of the publication of a technical guide detailing the inspections of the structures tobe carried out. Lastly, experimental overhead traffic sign projects are underway to develop some robust structures, in particular with redundant columns. For the covering abstract see ITRD E139491.
Abstract