Crash Testing and Evaluation of TxDOT Burn Ban Signs (0-5210-5)

Texas counties expressed a desire to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to post advisory signs on the roadside to alert motorists when a burn ban is in effect. For obvious economic reasons, the preferred method of implementation is to append the burn ban notification signs to existing sign support structures already installed along Texas highways. In support of this request, TxDOT sponsored this project to evaluate the impact performance of a Texas slip base sign support system with a lightweight, composite burn ban sign appended to the support below the primary sign at a mounting height less than 7 ft. The impact performance of the burn ban sign support configurations was evaluated through full-scale crash testing. The crash testing was performed in accordance with the requirements of NCHRP Report 350. The configuration selected for testing incorporated a 24 inch x 24 inch x 0.080 inch thick aluminum confirmation sign mounted at a height of 7 ft, with the burn ban signs mounted below. Based on the satisfactory test results reported herein, the practice of appending a burn ban sign to an existing slip base sign support system is considered suitable for implementation.