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Sign Doctor

Introduction

[1] Simon Havard Intention My intention is to provide useful information, informed comment and opinion, on the structural and practical aspects of sign design and installation. I aim to explain technical issues simply. This is with a view to helping designers, architects, sign companies and clients produce signs more safely, more simply and ultimately more cost effectively. These may appear rather outlandish claims but I do believe there is a need for a greater focus on the structural aspects and that this would provide knock on affects for simplicity of design, project management and costs. Who I am I have worked within the sign industry for nearly 20 years, and before that within design and architectural practices. My roles have included that of project manager, director and general manager for well known national sign companies, and includes involvement on many different types of project, both in the UK and abroad. For the last seven years I have worked as an independent consultant under the name of Russell & Havard Consultants. John Russell and I both come from a design/engineering background and have collaborated on many sign projects. John was well known within the industry for providing a no nonsense structural design service, but after 40 years took a well deserved retirement. I am hopefully continuing his mix of no nonsense advice and comment. My remit also combines structural calculations with survey work, wayfinding and project management. I have come to believe that all of these should be approached in an integrated way, blending visual and structural at the conceptual stage wherever possible. Just to reassure people I have also, for example, spent many freezing days helping install signs on the streets of Glasgow, compiled tenders, applied vinyl and worried about balancing the competing demands of keeping a sign manufacturing business profitable. Scope The proposed scope is to compile a series of twelve articles , one per month during 2012. These would include: The case for safety checks and viewing structural design as a serious conceptual topic. Windloading criteria for calculating windloads, its effects and how to design for it. Fixing to existing structures common issues and possible solutions.

Fixings particular challenges with popular types. Anchors criteria for use, and things to look out for. Foundations new, existing, and common problems. Although further topics have been mapped out, if readers have common issues they would like to raise, and we have a large enough consensus, I will happily try to address them. Relevance Structural design and sign safety touches most aspects of the sign design and delivery process. It can dramatically affect final appearance, location, materiels, cost and programme. This being the case, why does it seem a largely unrecognised topic in its own right? Poor relation? So, structural aspects of sign design often appear as secondary considerations at best. However, when it comes to actually realising a particular concept they can often make or break it. Conceptual sign projects are often designed as visual schemes on the back of rebrands or refurbishments. These are usually graphic in origin and are only really considered as practical three-dimensional objects by those who have to manufacture and install them. This is nobodies fault, but thereby lays the cause of many of the issues which will emerge through these series of articles. In article two I will put the case for structural design, the need for safety checks and how this could be more fully integrated into the sign design and delivery process.