Lifespan of a Road Sign

[US71]

http://fourstateshomepage.com/fulltext/?nxd_id=165236

Lifespan of a road sign on KSN News. Appears to have been done at I-44 & US 71/MO 249. Looks like they replaced a button copy BGS, but I don't recall seeing any there.

[Quillz]

A lot of it comes down to geography. Those in cold, rainy or snowy areas probably don't last nearly as long as those in warmer, more mild climates. I was one a website the other day that sells Interstate shields and they were rated as lasting 5-10 years.

EDIT: Never would have guessed a guide sign weighed 1,000+ lbs. For some reason, I just never thought it would have been that heavy.

[xcellntbuy]

You would be surprised by the weight of a 18 x 24" or a 24 x 30" aluminum sign.  Older stock made from galvanized steel are really heavy.  Non-radius corners on signs need plenty of care to pick-up and move around.  Those sharp edges could cause a huge gash!

[ctsignguy]

not only that, but try to move a small stack of say 8-10 24x24 signs...

[agentsteel53]

1000 actually does vaguely surprise me, but I suppose it scales.  I have a 54x54 sign that weighs 173 pounds.  16 gauge steel sign, slightly smaller 16 gauge backplate to hold in the reflectors.  That's 20 square feet, two layers.  So a 18x6 sign, five times as large area, does indeed approach 1000 pounds if it has the backplate.  If no backplate, then throw in a huge truss assembly to keep it in place, and yes, 1000 starts to make sense...

[hbelkins]

Missouri: guide signs made by prisoners and installed by the state DOT.

Kentucky: guide signs made and installed by contractors.

Wonder which practice is more cost-efficient?

[Brian556]

The direction a sign faces has a major impact on it's lifespan. Signs that face south deteriorate the fastest. Signs that face west deteriorate second fastest. When working for the DOT, I observed a set of route marker signs. One faced south the other faced north. Both EG sheeting and installed appx 1992. This was in 2006. The one facing south used to be white but had turned brown, and was all cracked up. The one facing north was still white and in pretty decent condition.

I have a street name blade that is in good condition on one side, but severely deteriorated on the other.

[Quillz]

What is the reasoning behind that? Are south-facing signs in more direct sunlight?

[huskeroadgeek]

What is the reasoning behind that? Are south-facing signs in more direct sunlight?

That would seem to me to be the obvious reason. North facing signs would never see direct sunlight, and east or west facing signs only are in direct sunlight around sunrise or sunset.

[ctsignguy]

What is the reasoning behind that? Are south-facing signs in more direct sunlight?

That would seem to me to be the obvious reason. North facing signs would never see direct sunlight, and east or west facing signs only are in direct sunlight around sunrise or sunset.

And the afternoon sun is more intense than morning sun...

i dated a young lady from Hong Kong some years back who told me the least desirable apartments over there were the ones facing west for that reason

[Alps]

1000 actually does vaguely surprise me, but I suppose it scales.  I have a 54x54 sign that weighs 173 pounds.  16 gauge steel sign, slightly smaller 16 gauge backplate to hold in the reflectors.  That's 20 square feet, two layers.  So a 18x6 sign, five times as large area, does indeed approach 1000 pounds if it has the backplate.  If no backplate, then throw in a huge truss assembly to keep it in place, and yes, 1000 starts to make sense...

Don't forget that as sign area increases, the structure of the sign has to support itself.  You end up with ribs on the back of larger guide signs that you don't have on smaller ones (maybe just at the edges), and secondary supporting members running between ribs or across the entire sign.  That can really add up too.