USA Banner
  U.S. flag
              An official website of the United States government Here's how you knowOfficial US Government Icon
              **Official websites use .gov**A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
            Secure Site Icon
              **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                  A **lock** ( A locked padlock ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. 
 U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation
 Search DOT
            Search
                    About FHWAFHWA Organization
                Headquarters Offices
                Field Offices
                Strategic Plan
                Business Opportunities
                Staff Directories
                Careers
                Highway History
                Contact UsProgramsAcquisition Management
                Civil Rights
                Federal Lands Highway
                Infrastructure
                Innovative Program Delivery
                Operations
                Planning, Environment, and Realty
                Policy
                Research, Development, and Technology
                Safety
                Browse by TopicsResourcesCore Highway Topics
                Federal Aid Essentials
                Automation
                Complete Streets
                Laws and Regulations
                Policy & Guidance Center
                Section 508
                Publications and Statistics
                Professional Development
                National Highway Institute
                Resource Center
                Accessibility Resource Library
                FHWA Research LibraryNewsroomPress Releases
                Speeches & Testimony
                Photos
                Videos
                Media ContactsMenu FHWA Highway Safety Programs Home
                        Safety
                        Roadway Departure Safety
                        Reduce Crash Severity
                        Hardware Eligibility Letters


            
            In This Section
        Roadway Departure Safety
                Strategic Approach
                                Strategic Plan
                Crash Emphasis Brochures
                Focused Approach
                Noteworthy Practices
                Partner Resources
                Keep Vehicles on the Road
                                Pavement Friction
                Horizontal Curve Safety
                Rumble Strips and Rumble Stripes
                Nighttime Visibility
                Provide for a Safe Recovery
                                SafetyEdge
                Clear Zones
                Reduce Crash Severity
                                Overview
                Hardware Eligibility Letters
                Focus on Reducing Rural Roadway Departures (FoRRRwD)
                                Overview
                All Public Roads
                Proven Countermeasures
                Systemic Approach
                Safety Action Plans
                FoRRRwD Resources
                
                Safety Eligibility Letter LS-52
  
  **Hardware Type:**
            Luminaire Supports
                          **Code:**
            LS-52
                          **Date:**
            06/11/2002
                          **Testing Criteria:**
            NCHRP 350
                          **Manufacturer:**
            Valmont Industries, Inc.
                          **Device Description:**
            Breakaway Coupling
                          **View PDF:**
            ls52.pdf (721.6 KB)
    
    Refer to: HSA-10/LS-52

Armand A. Damiano, P.E.
Product Engineering Manager
Valmont Industries, Inc.
P.O. Box 358
Valley, Nebraska 68064

Dear Mr. Damiano:

Thank you for your March 1 letter to Mr. Nicholas Artimovich of my office requesting Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) acceptance of your company's breakaway coupling for use with luminaire supports on the National Highway System (NHS). Accompanying your letter was a report from E-Tech Testing Services and videos of the crash tests. You requested that we find Valmont's Pro-Tech couplings 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." Your email of May 29 provided additional information in response to our request.

Introduction

Testing of the supports was in compliance with the guidelines contained in the NCHRP Report 350, Recommended Procedures for the Safety Performance Evaluation of Highway Features. Requirements for breakaway supports are those in the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials' Standard Specifications for Structural Supports for Highway Signs, Luminaires and Traffic Signals.

Testing

Pendulum testing was conducted on a steel light pole with four Pro-Tech couplings positioned to support a 254.0 mm base diameter. The height of the tapered pole was 15 240 mm, and its wall thickness was 3.04 mm. The mass of the test article was 320 kg, and the mass of the pendulum bogie was 845 kg. The couplings were fastened to a rigid steel foundation with 25.4 mm diameter SAE J429 GD 8 galvanized studs. The couplings were torqued to the manufacturer's specifications. The support pole base was positioned and fastened to the top of the couplings with additional 25.4 mm bolts. The heavy hex nuts were torqued according to the manufacturer's specifications. The devices as tested are shown in the enclosures.

Test #
			NCHRP 350
			Speed
			Article
			Occup. Speed
			Delta V1
			3-60
			34.9 km/h
			Valmont Pro-Tech
			no contact
			3.30 m/s2
			Extrapolation
			(100 km/h)
			
			n/a
			4.76 m/sOccup. Speed: Occupant Impact Speed: Speed at which a theoretical front seat occupant will contact the windshield. In meters per second

Delta V: Speed change of the test vehicle. In meters per second.

Findings

Velocity changes were all within acceptable limits, and the maximum stub height was 26 mm. The results of testing met the FHWA requirements and, therefore, the devices described above and shown in the enclosed drawings for reference are acceptable for use as Test Level 3 devices 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 LS-52 shall not be reproduced except in full. As this letter and the supporting documentation, which support it, become public information, it will be available for inspection at our office by interested parties.The Valmont Pro-Tech coupling is or will be a patented product and is considered "proprietary." The use of proprietary devices specified on Federal-aid projects, except exempt, non-NHS projects: (a) must be supplied through competitive bidding with equally suitable unpatented items; (b) the highway agency must certify that they are essential for synchronization with existing highway facilities or that no equally suitable alternative exists or; (c) they must be used for research or for a distinctive type of construction on relatively short sections of road for experimental purposes. Our regulations concerning proprietary products are contained in Title 23, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 635.411, a copy of which is enclosed.

Sincerely yours,

Carol H. Jacoby, P.E.

Director, Office of Safety Design

Enclosure U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

**Federal Highway Administration**

1200 NEW JERSEY AVENUE, SE

WASHINGTON, DC 20590

202-366-4000Subscribe to email updates
                    About
  

        
              About FHWA
                Careers
                Org Chart
                Staff Directories
                Work with UsPrograms
  

        
              Acquisition Management
                Civil Rights
                Federal Lands Highway
                Infrastructure
                Innovative Program Delivery
                Operations
                Planning, Environment, and Realty
                Policy
                Research, Development, and Technology
                SafetyPolicies, Rights, Legal
  

        
              About DOT
                Accessibility
                Budget and Performance
                Civil Rights
                FOIA
                Information Quality
                No FEAR Act
                Office of Inspector General
                Privacy Policy
                USA.gov
                Web Policies and Notices
                Web StandardsNews & Events
  

        
              Newsroom
                Press Releases
                Speeches & Testimony
                Media Contacts
                Connect with Us