Can lampposts blow over?

[albaqwerty]

The one across the road from me is vibrating beautifully.

We all know about trees, high-sided vehicles and the like in gale force winds, but are lamp-posts aerodynamically made so they can't?

[gingejbee]

Depends how well they are "rooted".

[ChuckFickens]

Anything *can* blow over!

But a lamppost is highly unlikely to (although metal ones may suffer from metal fatigue and break eventually.... never heard of it happening though)

[erin-x]

I don't know but the one outside the house, right next to my car is rattling about something awful.....

I've already seen a tree down today and a road near me is closed because of a double decker bus going over.

[cupid04]

We had a teacher when I was in primary school who used tell huge whoppers.
He alleged once that he was abroad somewhere and went up in the air
clinging to a lamppost!He survived obviously, because he told my class the
story.

[cupid04]

I forgot to mention it was a typhoon or earthquake, I cant remember!

[Old_Geezer]

I guess anything can be blown over given a powerful enough wind. Seems unlikely though, if the council hasn't skimped on paying for quality.

Aerodynamics would surely need the wind to always blow in the same direction. Usually lampposts are round or square or a near approximation.

[albaqwerty]

I've never heard of one blowing over before either, but I just wondered.
Hope the one across the road isn't fatigued at all :)

Erin, I heard about that on the radio, was it the school bus? Fortunately no pupils on board. I'm thinking of moving my car tho.

[erin-x]

I don't know if it was a school bus.. I only heard from the taxi driver so I don't know any details yet. I'm in Fife though... is that where you heard it was?

[chelle7272]

The one down the road from where I work blew over. but..it was part of anew build and i do wonder if it was actually rooted properly in the first place.

[albaqwerty]

I've a sneaky feeling it was Ayrshire Erin, but I could be sooooo wrong. (I usually am)

Cupid, I think you're teacher had a fixation with the Wizard of Oz. :)

Thanks OG

Chelle, hope no-one was hurt.

[sddsddean]

They can blow over. Apart from how they are rooted, some are hinged so the can be lowered for maintainence/bulb changing, so in this case it depends on how good the locking bolt is! The normal rattling noise you hear is the wires inside the column (if its steel) rattling against the tubular column. Many motorway columns (especially M1 J13 - J15) have been cut off above the panel box (about 5' up) and removed due to near failure due to fatigue and rust. If you look closely you can often see columns that are a bit out of vertical...so they are the next ones ready to go!

[albaqwerty]

Thanks dean. I think I'll just go and check on the trees over the garden wall.

You'll gather the weather is being vicious at the moment.

[albaqwerty]

Trees are still fine, just looked down the street, the lamp-post in front of my neighbour, 3 doors down is dancing worse than the one opposite me. The others seem firmly planted, but a motorbike is lying on its side.

[wildwood]

Some (cheaper) lamp posts are made in sections for easy transport and are riveted together onsite. It is not unusual for one to be done in a hurry and not fitted properly, this will eventually cause them to rattle.