814 hardware to the Contractor. The manufacturer shall make available device installation instructions for posting and dissemination by the Division to inspection and maintenance per sonnel.
709.52.1 Product Submission and Approval: Omni -Directional Breakaway Devices to
be considered for inclusion on the Division Roadside Sign Support Accessories APL shall be submitted to the Materials Division following the current procedures spe cified by the Division in MP 106.00.02. The manufacturer should include all relevant documentation and information, including but not limited to Product Data Sheets, Product Flyers, Manufacturer Product Specifications, Product Bulletins, Engineering Drawin gs, and crash testing performance documentation. The crash testing performance documentation to be submitted shall be in accordance with official guidance issued by the WVDOH. In addition to the above, field evaluation installations shall be required pr ior to approval. In order for the device to be approved, evaluation installations installed by or for the Division shall demonstrate levels of durability, reliability, performance, and ease of installation/repair determined to be acceptable to Division eva luation personnel. The duration of the field evaluations shall typically be a minimum of six months to one year. Specific details related to this testing, such as locations and quantities, shall be determined by the Division. Initial and typical repair mat erial costs associated with the device shall also be considered as part of the evaluation.
709.53 Square Tube Sign Supports :
Square Tube Sign Supports shall be manufactured of steel conforming to ASTM Specification A653, Designation SS, Grade 50, Class 1, or ASTM Specification A1011, Grade 50. Square tube supports shall be welded at the corner. The supports shall be galvanized per ASTM A653. A minimum coating thickness as indicated by the G90 designatio n shall be applied. Supports manufactured using base material conforming to the A1011 specification shall meet the Grade 50 physical requirements after the galvanization process. Support sizes shall be defined by the outside dimensions and wall thickness of the support. The supports shall be available in wall thicknesses of 10 -gauge (0.135" U.S.S. Gauge), 12 -gauge (0.105" U.S.S. Gauge), and 14 -gauge (0.083" U.S.S. Gauge). 10 -gauge supports shall be available in 2-3/16 inch and 2 -½ inch sizes. 12 -gauge su pports shall be available in 1 -½ inch through 2 -½ inch sizes in ¼ -inch increments. 14 -gauge supports shall be available in 1 -¾ inch through 2 -¼ inch sizes in ¼ -inch increments. The supports shall be straight and shall have a smooth uniform finish. Each si ze support shall be telescopable into the next larger size support of the same gauge thickness. In addition, each size support shall be telescopable into the next larger size support of the next thicker gauge size. Supports shall telescope freely and with a minimum amount of play. The supports shall be pre-punched on all four sides on one (1)-inch center to center spacing. Holes shall be ⅜ -inch (+ 1/16 inch / - 0 inch) diameter after galvanizing. The manufacturer’s square tube support system shall be “crash worthy” under the following conditions:
i.Supports are driven into strong soil, as defined in National Cooperative Highway Research Program Report 350 (NCHRP -350) or the AASHTO Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH), as applicable, to the manufacturer recommended depth. Supports shall not be required to be driven more than thirty ( 30) inches in the soil described. ii. Supports are either directly driven or with a stub that the upper support is telescopable into as described herein. The upper support shall be telescoped into the stub a distance equal to or greater that which is recommended by the manufacturer. 815 iii. No limit shall be placed on the total number of supports. However, no more than two supports of size two ( 2) inch x 12 -ga. or less shall be placed l aterally within a seven ( 7) foot wide path; and no more than one support of size 2 -¼-inch x 14 or 12 -ga., 2 -½-inch x 12-ga., or 2 -3/16-inch x 10 -ga. shall be placed laterally within a seven ( 7) foot wide path. iv. Traffic signs are securely mounted to the supp orts in accordance with the mounting height guidelines provided on Sheet TP3 -1A of the WVDOH Standard Details Book Volume II. “Crashworthy” shall be defined as compliance with the crash testing requirements of the AASHTO MASH at Test Levels I, II, and II I. FHWA eligibility letters, crash testing reports, or other supporting documentation shall be provided upon request. The manufacturer shall make available installation instructions for posting and dissemination by the Division to inspection and mainten ance personnel.
709.54 Back To Back U -Channel Sign Support Breakaway Device :
Back to Back U -Channel Sign Support Breakaway Devices shall be designed for use with 4-lb/ft and/or 6 -lb/ft back to back supports shown on Standard Detail Book Volume II (Standard Details) sheets TE1 -7A and TE1 -7B. The purpose of the device shall be to create an omni - directional breakaway base connection. The device shall be designed for use with a stub and upper support of one or both of the back to back size supports specified above. Differences in the dimensioning of components used with each size support is permissible. The device shall be designed and tested to meet the following requirements :
i.Withstand loading which meets or exceeds that which will be generated based on the Support Size Selection Chart on Sheet TE1 -7A, as well as cyclical loading, without failure. ii. Shall be compatible with one or more of the supports listed on the Division Ap proved Products List (APL) for U -Channel Posts. iii. Shall function with the stub support installed in a concrete foundation as shown on Standard Detail Sheet TE1 -7B. iv. Components shall be manufactured using aluminum, stainless steel, galvanized steel, exterior grade epoxy coated steel, or similar material exhibiting weather resistance equal to or greater than those described.
v.Shall not require modification of the stub or upper support for installation. vi. Shall be acceptable for use with supports of the sizes tha t the device is approved for use with regardless of the number of supports. The manufacturer may limit the number of supports within a seven (7) foot width when the device is used. However, a minimum of two 4 -lb/ft or 6 -lb/ft back to back supports within a seven ( 7) foot width shall be permissible. vii. Allows the upper support to break away from the stub support when impacted from any angle. viii. Minimizes the risk to pedestrians during and after impacts by not incorporating components which become independent projectiles, or which become potentially hazardous shards projecting above grade. ix. Shall allow for installation after concrete is placed aro und the stub to grade.
x.No component not designed to breakaway or yield upon impact shall project more than four ( 4) inches above ground level, providing the projection of the stub support is in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations. xi. May requ ire the replacement of a portion of, or up to all of the system components after impact; however, repair or replacement after impacts shall not be time consuming or labor
Source: West Virginia Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction, 2023 Edition. Pages 836–837 of 1,006.