Breakaway Sign Post Options for a Single Sign Post
There are a Number of Breakaway Sign Post Options Available for Both Square Tube and U Channel Sign Posts
The type of sign post, the size of your sign post, and the size of the sign that your post needs to support, along with other factors, like wind velocity all go into determining which breakaway sign post system will be best suited to your specific sign support scenario. In some cases, you might even need multiple sign posts to support a single sign. You should always refer to the breakaway sign post deatail provided by the sign post manufacturer and the manufacturer of the breakaway hardware, coupler, or base system when determining which solution to use - in some cases they are the same manufacturer. Visit our Sign Post Literature Library for details and specifications.
In this blog post we will focus on breakaway sign post systems that utilize a single sign post, as opposed to heavy duty sign support systems where multiple posts may be needed.
Square Tube Breakaway Sign Post Options
Once you know what sign(s) you are supporting and have determined the appropriate size post to support them with, the next question you should ask yourself is, 'how will I be mounting the post?' Will the post be driven directly into the ground, which is the most common scenario, or will it be mounted on concrete? If you are driving your post directly into the ground, then you will be using a two part breakaway system. If you are mounting your sign on concrete, you will need a breakaway sign post base.
A two part system actually requires two different diameters of sign post, the larger diameter post will be driven into the ground, while the smaller diameter post - the post your sign(s) will be mounted to - will be above ground. There are several ways to build a fully compliant two part breakaway post systems, using either hardware or couplers, which we'll go over in more detail below.
Breakaway Sign Post Hardware for Square Tube
Perhaps the simplest and most common method of building a two part breakaway sign post sytem involves driving a three to four foot length of larger OD telescoping square tube, such as Telespar, directly into the ground, until only the top four inches remain above ground, then sliding the smaller OD tubing directly inside of it and attaching both diameters of tubing together using a corner bolt and jam nut. Telespar tubing is available in 1/4" OD increments from 1-1/2" up to 2-1/2". Corner bolts are available in three sizes; a small corner bolt for up to 2" OD post, medium for up to 2-1/2" OD, and large for up to 3" OD. Corner Bolt are all 5/16" so the jam nut works with all three sizes.
EXAMPLE: The most common set-up for the above, hardware-based two part breakaway system is a 2" OD post driven into the ground, and 1-3/4" OD post above ground, connected with a small corner bolt, and secured with a universal jam nut.
Breakaway Sign Post Couplers for Square Tube
Using a SNAP’n SAFE™ breakaway sign post coupler is another way to create a two part breakaway sign post system and is very similar to the hardware method. When you use a sign post coupler to create your post to post conncetion, you still need to utilize two different sizes of telescoping tubing, but they don't actually telescope with one another, like they would if you were making a harware connection. Instead, the coupler is a bridge between the two different posts. The larger OD tube is still driven directly into the ground, the larger end of the soil coupler is then inserted into that post, then finally the smaller OD post inserted onto the open end of the coupler, completing the system.
EXAMPLE: The most common set-up for the above, coupler-based two part breakaway system is a 2" OD post driven into the ground, with the S175 coupler inserted into the ground post, and a 1-3/4" OD post installed onto the open end of the coupler.
Breakaway Sign Post Bases for Square Tube
The breakaway sign post base metod is used when mounting sign posts to concrete and only one post is needed for this method. Nothing is driven into the ground. Instead, the SNAP’n SAFE™ square tube breakaway sign post base is affixed to the concrete with three mounting bolts that are included with the concrete mount base. The sign post is then fitted over the coupler portion of the base and attached using two corner bolts and jam nuts, which are sold separately. Bases are manufactured with a variety of couplers to account for standard OD tubing sizes.
EXAMPLE: The most common set-up for the above, concrete surface mount base method utilizes the S175S post base mounted on concrete (with three mounting bolts that are included with the base), to which a 1-3/4" OD post is attached, using two small corner bolts with jam nuts.
U Channel Breakaway Sign Post Options
Similar to the square tube breakaway post systems, u channel also features a two part breakaway post system with either a hardware or coupler connection, as well as sign post base option for mounting on concrete. The two part systems utilizes a 42" anchor post.
Breakaway Sign Post Hardware for U Channel
The most common method of creating a two part breakaway post system using u channel sign posts is by connecting them with lapsplice hardware. The lapsplice method is a ground-mounted breakaway system that can be utilized for any size SP-80 RIB-BAK U-channel (2#, 2.5#, 3#, or 4#/ft) and it is simple, easy to use and economical. The anchor post is driven into the ground, except for the last four inches, then a spacer bar is sandwiched between the anchor post and the above ground sign post and they are joined together with two special bolts that are part of the lasplice harware assembly. For 2# and 2.5# u channel, silver lapsplice hardware is used. For 3# and 4# u channel, gold lapsplice hardware is used.
Breakaway Sign Post Couplers for U Channel
A SNAP’n SAFE™ breakaway sign post coupler may be used to create a coupler based, ground mount two part breakaway post system. The SU800 model can be used for all sizes of SP-80 RIB-BAK U-channel (2#, 2.5#, 3#, or 4#/ft). Simply drive all but the last 4" of the 3.5 foot anchor post into the ground, secure the bottom portion of the post coupler to the anchor post using the included hardware, then mount the top post with the remaining hardware.
Breakaway Sign Post Base for U Channel
The breakaway sign post base metod is used when mounting u channel sign posts to concrete and only one post is needed for this method. Nothing is driven into the ground. Instead, the SNAP’n SAFE™ u channel breakaway sign post base is affixed to the concrete with three mounting bolts that are included with the concrete mount base. The u channel post is then fitted over the coupler portion of the base and attached using the included mounting hardware. The SU800S surface mount breakaway base for uhannel can be utilized for any size SP-80 RIB-BAK U-channel (2#, 2.5#, 3#, or 4#/ft).
