Refer to: HSA-10/WZ-101

Mr. Norman L. Hawkins, Jr.

President

Hawkins Traffic Safety Supply

1255 Eastshore Highway

Berkeley, CA 94710-1095

Dear Mr. Hawkins, Jr.:

Thank you for your letter of October 12, 2001, requesting Federal
Highway Administration (FHWA) acceptance of your company's Warning Scope
portable sign stand as a crashworthy traffic control device for use in
work zones on the National Highway System (NHS). Accompanying your
letter was a report of crash testing conducted by E-Tech Testing
Services and a video of the test. You requested that we find this device
acceptable for use on the NHS under the provisions of National
Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 350 "Recommended
Procedures for the Safety Performance Evaluation of Highway Features."
You followed up with additional information in response to our request
on January 6, 2002, however that letter was never received. We received
a fax of this letter on March 12, 2002.

**Introduction**

The FHWA guidance on crash testing of work zone traffic control devices
is contained in two memoranda. The first, dated July 25, 1997, titled
"[INFORMATION]{.underline}: Identifying Acceptable Highway Safety
Features," established four categories of work zone devices: Category I
devices were those lightweight devices which could be self-certified by
the vendor, Category II devices were other lightweight devices which
needed individual crash testing, Category III devices were barriers and
other fixed or massive devices also needing crash testing, and Category
IV devices were trailer mounted lighted signs, arrow panels, etc. The
second guidance memorandum was issued on August 28, 1998, and is titled
"[INFORMATION]{.underline}: Crash Tested Work Zone Traffic Control
Devices." This later memorandum lists devices that are acceptable under
Categories I, II, and III.

A brief description of the device follows:

The Warning Scope is a lightweight portable sign system featuring a
rigid (unsprung) upright support. The four-legged "Quad Pod" Warning
Scope sign support was selected as the worst case model for testing. The
support has four 863.6 mm long legs made of 25.4 mm square

2.11 mm wall steel tubing. The legs are braced with 381.0 mm long tubes
of the same construction. All tubing is ASTM A500/A513 steel.

Each leg is hinged to a "slide spider" assembly with a replaceable rivet
allowing the support to fold. The telescoping mast consists of three
6063 - T832 round aluminum tubes. The lower tube is 31.75 mm in
diameter, and the top is 19.05 mm diameter. The bottom and middle tubes
have an integral clamping device permanently attached. The tubes can be
locked in an extended position using only average manual strength on the
clamping device's knurled thumbscrew.

A flag yoke, made of die cast aluminum, completes the top of the mast.
The sign support was equipped with a 1219 mm square fabric rollup sign
in a diamond orientation secured by fiberglass bracing. Three 457.2 mm
square vinyl flags with 22.22 mm diameter wood dowels were slipped into
the flag yoke on top of the support.

The height of the bottom of the sign was nominally 686 mm above the
ground. The test article mass was 7.5 kg. Each sign stand was placed on
a flat, clean, and dry asphalt surface and ballasted with two 15.9 kg
sandbags.

**Testing**

Full-scale automobile testing was conducted on your company's device.
Two stand-alone examples of the device were tested in tandem, one
head-on and the next placed six meters downstream turned at 90 degrees,
as called for in our guidance memoranda. The complete device as tested
is shown in the Enclosure. The crash test is summarized in the table
below:

  ------------------------ ----------------------------------------------
  Test Number              37-6201-001

  Test Article             Hawkins Traffic Safety Warning Scope Quad Pod

  Height to Bottom of Sign 686 mm

  Height to Top of Flag    2515 mm
  Bracket                  

  Flags or lights          Three flags

  Test Article Mass (each) 7.5 kg

  Vehicle Inertial Mass    818 kg

  Impact Speed, Head-on    101.1

  Impact Speed, 90 Deg.    97.0

  Velocity Change, Head-on 1.14 m/sec

  Velocity Change, 90 deg. 1.14 m/sec

  Vehicle crush            Slight denting to bumper, hood, and roof

  Occupant Compart.        None
  Intrusion                

  Windshield Damage        None
  ------------------------ ----------------------------------------------

**Findings**

Damage was limited to minor dents. There was contact with the windshield
during both impacts but no damage to the glass was observable. The
results of the testing met the FHWA requirements and, therefore, the
devices described above and shown in the enclosed drawings for reference
are acceptable for use on the NHS under the range of conditions tested,
when proposed by a State.

Please note the following standard provisions, which apply to FHWA
letters of acceptance:

-   Our acceptance is limited to the crashworthiness characteristics of
    the devices and does not cover their structural features, nor
    conformity with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.

-   Any changes that may adversely influence the crashworthiness of the
    device will require a new acceptance letter.

-   Should the FHWA discover that the qualification testing was flawed,
    that in-service performance reveals unacceptable safety problems, or
    that the device being marketed is significantly different from the
    version that was crash tested, it reserves the right to modify or
    revoke its acceptance.

-   You will be expected to supply potential users with sufficient
    information on design and installation requirements to ensure proper
    performance.

-   You will be expected to certify to potential users that the hardware
    furnished has essentially the same chemistry, mechanical properties,
    and geometry as that submitted for acceptance, and that they will
    meet the crashworthiness requirements of FHWA and NCHRP Report 350.

-   To prevent misunderstanding by others, this letter of acceptance,
    designated as number WZ-101 shall not be reproduced except in full.
    This letter, and the test documentation upon which this letter is
    based, is public information. All such letters and documentation may
    be reviewed at our office upon request.

> Sincerely yours,
>
> A. George Ostensen

Program Manager, Safety

Enclosure

FHWA:HSA-10:NArtimovich:tb:x61331:3/20/02

File: WZ101HawkinsFin.wpd

cc: HSA-10 (Reader, HSA-1; Chron File, HSA-10;

N. Artimovich, HSA-10)