Wind Load on Light Poles: AASHTO vs NESC
Wind Load on Light Poles: AASHTO vs NESC
(OP)
When calculating wind load on a circular pole, I’m hoping someone can explain the difference between using the AASHTO Sign Structure & Luminaire Guide Specs & NESC.
In AASHTO the wind moment on a pole is:
(½ x circumference x wind pressure) x (pole height^2)/2
In the NESC the wind moment is
Wind pressure x (Pole Height^2) x ((Diameter @ ground + 2x diameter @ top)/72) x overload capacity factor
For example, a 30’ light pole on Long Island the moment per AASHTO is about ten times the moment per NESC; the AASHTO wind pressure, including drag coefficient is 28 psf; the NESC wind pressure is 4 psf (even using 9 psf the difference is still large).
We’re working for a contractor on a highway project; designing drilled shaft foundations for light poles. The contractor told our geotechs the embedment is too much - 10'. They showed us the foundation design for an adjacent section of road with identical lighting, and the drilled shafts are shorter about 7'. The design shows the wind moment - about one-third of what I calculated – but not how it was obtained. They said they can’t us the wind calculation.
My thought is that the other designer didn’t use AASHTO; it doesn’t look like he used NESC. Perhaps if someone could explain why two codes yield such different results it might help us refine our design.
Thanks
In AASHTO the wind moment on a pole is:
(½ x circumference x wind pressure) x (pole height^2)/2
In the NESC the wind moment is
Wind pressure x (Pole Height^2) x ((Diameter @ ground + 2x diameter @ top)/72) x overload capacity factor
For example, a 30’ light pole on Long Island the moment per AASHTO is about ten times the moment per NESC; the AASHTO wind pressure, including drag coefficient is 28 psf; the NESC wind pressure is 4 psf (even using 9 psf the difference is still large).
We’re working for a contractor on a highway project; designing drilled shaft foundations for light poles. The contractor told our geotechs the embedment is too much - 10'. They showed us the foundation design for an adjacent section of road with identical lighting, and the drilled shafts are shorter about 7'. The design shows the wind moment - about one-third of what I calculated – but not how it was obtained. They said they can’t us the wind calculation.
My thought is that the other designer didn’t use AASHTO; it doesn’t look like he used NESC. Perhaps if someone could explain why two codes yield such different results it might help us refine our design.
Thanks
RE: Wind Load on Light Poles: AASHTO vs NESC
The NESC is intended for structures carrying wires, and may not be an adequate basis for isolated structures. Typically, more than 60% of the total wind load is due to wind on the wires rather than wind on the poles.
Also, the NESC does not require extreme wind loading on poles less than 60 ft. Historically, skipping the calculations for the extreme wind case on short structures has not led to a significant number of structural failures, but did make distribution design much easier. For distribution circuits, the combined wind/ice loading is typically more severe than the extreme wind case. The 60 ft exclusion does not have a basis in physics, so there have been some code proposals to include extreme wind on shorter structures. For single use structures design with computerized tools, it is definitely a good idea to go beyond the NESC requirement to look at extreme wind. However, typical distribution circuits are quite difficult to accurately computer model because each pole will have a unique combination of medium voltage wires, low voltage wires, transformers and conduit risers along with 3rd party owned communication conductors.
A typical depth rule for wood poles in good soils is 10%+2ft. Thus I would expect to use a 35 ft pole set 5.5ft deep. I am not familiar with lighting poles or AASHTO, so I am interested if the much larger burial depth you mention is typical for lighting poles.
RE: Wind Load on Light Poles: AASHTO vs NESC
RE: Wind Load on Light Poles: AASHTO vs NESC
bacon4life - I had a suspicion that the difference between AASHTO & NESC had to do with wires. Typically, we wouldn't design light pole foundations on a DOT project. We'd take them from a standard sheet but these light poles are not the typical DOT arrangement. Usual foundation shaft would be 6 to 10 feet deep depending on soil, slope, groundwater elevation. I'm using AASHTO because that's the standard code for roadway work.
stevenal - the wind load based on 1/2 circumference is modified by the drag factor. I've seen people calculate projected area based on 1/2 circumference & diameter. I did some research and it seems there's no agreement about which is correct. The other formula - the one I called NESC - came from a continuing education class I took a few years back on utility pole design.
RE: Wind Load on Light Poles: AASHTO vs NESC
Averaging the diameters puts a 2 in the divisor. Averaging the height above ground gets your divisor up to 4. 72 seems unreasonable.
RE: Wind Load on Light Poles: AASHTO vs NESC
The light pole doesn't have any wires attached to it; it's owned by NYSDOT.
RE: Wind Load on Light Poles: AASHTO vs NESC
The formula is for moments rather than area, so we can't just average the diameters. For a rectangle of the pole top diameter, the load is 1/2 up the pole. For a triangle of base = top - bottom diameter, the equivalent force is applied at 1/3rd the height and the area is 1/2* base*height. Creating a common denominator gives (2*top + bottom)/6. The units for pole diameter is in inches, but the height is in feet, thus the additional factor of 12, giving a calculation constant of 72.
RE: Wind Load on Light Poles: AASHTO vs NESC
RE: Wind Load on Light Poles: AASHTO vs NESC
Using the same wind pressure I get somewhat larger moment with the AASHTO formula. Seems your biggest discrepancy lies in the wind pressure.
RE: Wind Load on Light Poles: AASHTO vs NESC
RE: Wind Load on Light Poles: AASHTO vs NESC
As an aside, the structural people on the NESC committee have been trying for years to get the 60 foot exemption removed from the code but the Electrical types always out vote them. A few more blackouts due to wind storms may cause the NERC and local PUC's to step in and require a change to the code (for new construction).
Back 70 years ago when the code was being written, electricity was nice to have so you could read at night and listen to the radio or watch some early TV stations. Today, people can't go 10 minutes without updating their facebook profile and texting with friends 30 feet away.
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