Breakaway anchor bolts

[greencircle]

If a given street light pole can take X sq ft max load on a certain windspeed. Switching to an Breakaway anchor bolts will the max load it can take (X sq ft)reduce?

 

[KootK]

The structure above the breakaway bolts should still be capable of resisting the original design capacity. The whole point of the breakaway connection is to prevent the structure from ever seeing that much load however.

I like to debate structural engineering theory -- a lot. If I challenge you on something, know that I'm doing so because I respect your opinion enough to either change it or adopt it.

 

[dhengr]

Greencircle:
The light pole is (should be) designed for certain lateral loadings and vibrations due to wind loading and the like. I would assume that these loadings are less than the breakaway loading, a lateral shearing load near the base, which would be expected from an impacting vehicle. And, the anchor bolts would be loaded slightly differently for these different loadings. You can’t reduce the prevailing potential wind loads just because you want breakaway A.B’s. You do not want the light pole failing from wind loading which is an ongoing load condition. But, you do want to reduce the total vehicle impact energy by using the breakaway bolts. I’d check some various DOT specs., and the like, for how these work and are designed.