Lamppost Analysis

Summary

My team identified a common structure that impacts lives everyday and then we analyzed it for stresses, strains and displacements using two different methods. We chose a traffic lamppost.

Process

The first method used to analyze the traffic lamppost was Bernoulli Euler Method for critical buckling. By simplifying the elements of the lamppost to beams and columns and reducing the traffic light mass to a point load atop the fixed free column, we were able to determine the critical buckling stress of the lamppost.

The second method used for the lamppost analysis was software simulation done on ANSYS 14.5. ANSYS was used to represent the different segments of the light post as beams with material properties of low-carbon steel. The post was fixed at the end of the vertical beam and two loads where the traffic lights would be located were applied at points across the horizontal beam element. Gravity across the whole structure was also considered in the analysis.

Result

By using these two methods of structural analysis, we found that the loads sustainable by these lampposts are incredibly high. They are able to withstand much more force than the average gust of wind or impact from a car collision. We found wisdom in the design of each element of these traffic signals by modeling different cross sections for optimal stresses, strains and displacements.