Many of the BGS's on I-10 in West Texas were fabricated more than 15 years ago and, rather than using metal, the sign face is laminated onto a plywood like material. Within about the last six months, many of them have begun to fail, especially between Junction and Fort Stockton.
Many of the route shields which were screwed onto the sign face have gone missing, as photographed below. In a couple of instances the failure is manifest in large holes or rips all the way through the material and the sign face – meaning drivers can literally see daylight through the other side of the sign.
On the other hand, TxDOT has replaced some signs primarily in the Fort Stockton area with new Clearview signage featuring Texas's new extra large exit tabs.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi907.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac274%2Fmartinbartlett%2FFullSizeRender_zpsp1hhtsio.jpg&hash=bad7a85d366ef94a4d09216e4d64a6d9865c348c) (http://s907.photobucket.com/user/martinbartlett/media/FullSizeRender_zpsp1hhtsio.jpg.html)
That's a little shocking to hear TX DOT would be using MDO Plywood as a substrate for big green signs on rural Interstates. MDO Plywood is not acceptable for permanent/long term sign installations. The sign company where I work uses MDO Plywood only for temporary displays like real estate development signs on construction sites.
Most BGS's use some type of aluminum extrusion bars to create sign backgrounds. The extrusion bars are usually 12" tall and joined together to fill out the height of the sign background. I don't know the maximum length available. But really huge backgrounds can be tiled/joined together. These extrusion bars are stacked onto I-beam columns. Those I-beam columns are what attach to the actual sign pylons or overhead sign gantry.
These BGS's can get really pretty big in size. They're often bigger than most street signs for businesses. They're one hell of a wind target. So using a material like MDO Plywood for a background is pretty strange. It's not surprising at all to hear these kinds of signs failing in the field, either from rain or show or just from the wind.
Quote from: mwb1848 on January 02, 2017, 12:01:17 AM
On the other hand, TxDOT has replaced some signs primarily in the Fort Stockton area with new Clearview signage featuring Texas's new extra large exit tabs.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi907.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac274%2Fmartinbartlett%2FFullSizeRender_zpsp1hhtsio.jpg&hash=bad7a85d366ef94a4d09216e4d64a6d9865c348c) (http://s907.photobucket.com/user/martinbartlett/media/FullSizeRender_zpsp1hhtsio.jpg.html)
Is that picture of the old sign?
Ummm....until the mid-2000's, TxDOT made all green guide signs, and pretty much all regulatory and warning signs with a dimension of appx 48 inches or larger, out of wood. Contractors would often install small signage that was wood. There is a 30x30 stop sign from 1992 that is wood where an alley meets a state route in front of my neighborhood.
And, yes, it would rot out, and route markers would fall off.
When I worked for them, in 2007, I noticed a wood stop sign installed in 1999 was rotting on the bottom. When I removed it to replace it, when it hit the ground, the bottom 6 inches splintered into mulch.
Most of them didn't rot quite as fast, though.
Were the panels solid wood or made from a composite wood-like material, like MDO Plywood? Chemically treated solid wood can last outdoors for a long time (10-15 years or more if periodically re-treated/re-sealed). Laminated, composite plywood isn't going to last nearly as long. It's not solid wood. Instead it is lots of little chips of wood formed together into a sign panel and then covered on one or both sides with a layer of vinyl. It's relatively cheap and good for temporary displays that aren't too large (like 8' X 4' or 10' X 5' panels).
Ah, yes, that's one of the older ones.
This one is really one of the less concerning installations which is failing. There are a couple of others which are a lot worse for the wear. One of them at Harrell Road is dramatically splintered from left to right across the middle of the sign. Others have gaping holes. After passing three or four, I decided to have my co-pilot snap this pic.
Meantime, I'm sending an inquiry to the TxDOT San Angelo District Engineer today. I'll update as soon as I hear back.
Quote from: mvak36 on January 02, 2017, 09:59:54 PM
Quote from: mwb1848 on January 02, 2017, 12:01:17 AM
On the other hand, TxDOT has replaced some signs primarily in the Fort Stockton area with new Clearview signage featuring Texas's new extra large exit tabs.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi907.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac274%2Fmartinbartlett%2FFullSizeRender_zpsp1hhtsio.jpg&hash=bad7a85d366ef94a4d09216e4d64a6d9865c348c) (http://s907.photobucket.com/user/martinbartlett/media/FullSizeRender_zpsp1hhtsio.jpg.html)
Is that picture of the old sign?
The Texas Department of Transportation's San Angelo Office has provided a surprisingly thorough response which included the following:
- The plywood signs which are failing have been in the field since the late 1990s
- TxDOT has no plans to immediately repair or replace them because of a more comprehensive project which is coming soon
- They will go out for bid in April of this year to replace more than 400 signs along I-10 in the district, including all "large guide signs"
- Installation should be complete by the summer of 2018
- Not surprisingly, the new signs will be made of aluminum – not plywood
Quote from: Brian556 on January 03, 2017, 12:14:17 AM
Ummm....until the mid-2000's, TxDOT made all green guide signs, and pretty much all regulatory and warning signs with a dimension of appx 48 inches or larger, out of wood. Contractors would often install small signage that was wood. There is a 30x30 stop sign from 1992 that is wood where an alley meets a state route in front of my neighborhood.
And, yes, it would rot out, and route markers would fall off.
When I worked for them, in 2007, I noticed a wood stop sign installed in 1999 was rotting on the bottom. When I removed it to replace it, when it hit the ground, the bottom 6 inches splintered into mulch.
Most of them didn't rot quite as fast, though.
A common fate with these signs is a mower or some other passing vehicle would clip it and the sign would splinter at the edge.