Large Billboard Structure

[bpstruct]

Developing a fee for a monopole billboard structure (50 feet tall, 4 faces - 2 per side - 14'x48' each). I want to make sure I've covered the expected effort before giving the fee estimate to the owner. Anybody have a reference or sample for something like this?

 

[MiketheEngineer]

Hours times rate???

This will take a few hours!!

 

[azcats]

There are firms that specialize in billboards that would provide drawings for under $2000...often well under that number. Smaller signs can go for under $500. The owner may be better served to contact a billboard supplier directly that would provide the engineering suited to their fabrication standards. Owner would likely get a lower total project cost.

 

[msquared48]

At that price, probably outsourced.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

http://mmcengineering.tripod.com

 

[azcats]

Nope. They've just done it thousands of times and have it down to a science.

 

[JLNJ]

I wonder if this was a $2000 or a $500 design?

 

[dhengr]

That’s a $3,000,000 design when the attorneys see it laying on the ground, and on top of a bunch of cars and/or people.

 

[bpstruct]

I would love to see the calcs for those outside bolts.....surprised you can't see them below.

 

[azcats]

Stay classy fellas. I know we like to value our work, but no need to disparage an engineer who's efficient. And you well know that no engineer approved the construction in that photo. Fact is that billboard engineering is generally cookie cutter. The numbers I posted above are right in line with about 1% of construction costs (depending on sign complexity of course) - which is how many estimate their fees on buildings.

If you're doing it for the first time the only thing you're going to do is cost the owner money. You'd be surprised how competitive a business it is. And having to build from an odd set of drawings from a guy who's never designed a sign before will be unnecessarily expensive.

 

[msquared48]

Sorry, but even a 2G figure is low here for the description mentioned by the OP, even considering standard useage applications of Valmont and similar companies.

There are just way too many load cases and critical factors to consider here and do a proper job for the client, including icing.

I assume that this pole is being designed under TIA222-G?

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

http://mmcengineering.tripod.com