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 WZ-208
  
  **Hardware Type:**
            Work Zone Devices
                          **Code:**
            WZ-208
                          **Date:**
            05/25/2005
                          **Testing Criteria:**
            NCHRP 350
                          **Manufacturer:**
            POCO Incorporated
                          **Device Description:**
            H-Footprint Portable Sign Stand
                          **View PDF:**
            wz208.pdf (1.59 MB)
    
    
Skip to contentSkip to contentUnited States Department of Transportation - Federal Highway AdministrationDOT logo
U.S. Department of Transportation
**Federal Highway Administration**
400 Seventh St., S.W.
Washington, D.C.  20590**May 25, 2005**

**Refer to: HSA-10/WZ-208**

Mr. Jeff Anderson
	POCO Incorporated
	42000 Van Born Road
	Canton, Michigan  48188

Dear Mr. Anderson:

Thank you for your letter of March 8, 2005, requesting the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) acceptance of your company's H-footprint portable sign stand as a crashworthy traffic control device for use in work zones on the National Highway System (NHS).  Accompanying your letter were reports of crash testing conducted by Karco Engineering and video of the tests.  You requested that we find these devices acceptable for use on the NHS under the provisions of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 350 "Recommended Procedures for the Safety Performance Evaluation of Highway Features."  You provided additional documentation on April 7 and 12, 2005, in response to our requests.

**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: Identifying Acceptable Highway Safety Features," established four categories of work zone devices: Category I devices are those lightweight devices which are to be self-certified by the vendor, Category II devices are other lightweight devices which need individual crash testing but with reduced instrumentation, Category III devices are barriers and other fixed or heavy devices also needing crash testing with normal instrumentation, and Category IV devices are trailer mounted lighted signs, arrow panels, etc. for which crash testing requirements have not yet been established.  The second guidance memorandum was issued on August 28, 1998, and is titled "INFORMATION: 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 devices follows:

The support was made of two vertical supports of 1.5-inch square, 14 gage cold rolled steel (CRS) tubing ASTM 513A-500 Grade B, 96 inches long.  The lower portion of each vertical support was reinforced with a 48 inch long section of 1 inch ID black pipe, ASTM A-500 Grade B, spot welded in place.  The vertical supports were attached to the base by an 8 inch vertical piece of 2 inch square CRS tubing that was continuously welded to a horizontal foot.

The 72-inch long horizontal feet were 2 x 2 inch CRS angle of ASTM A-36 steel having a thickness of 0.25 inches.  Each was held in place with a 35-pound sandbag at each end.  The 48 x 48 inch sign panel was 5/8-inch thick plywood, fastened to the uprights with four 5/16-inch zinc plated bolts, 3.5 inches long.  A 0.63-inch washer was placed under each bolt head and a 0.625 x 1.25 inch spacer was placed between the panel and the vertical supports.  A warning light was mounted to a corner of the sign panel using a 1⁄2 inch x 13 bolt and a cup washer.  The light was further stabilized with a "Z-plate" between the plywood and the light.  The total height of the assembly was 128 inches and the total weight was 82 pounds.

**Testing**

Full-scale automobile testing was conducted on your company's devices.  Two stand-alone examples of the device were tested in tandem, one end-on and the next placed six meters downstream turned at 90 degrees with the sign facing the car head-on, as called for in our guidance memoranda. 

The tests are summarized in the table below.NCHRP Report 350 Test 3-71Test Report Number
    TR-P24081-02-NCSign Stand Tested
    90 degrees
    Head-onWeight of Tested Stand
    82 pounds (5/8 inch plywood 
        panels weigh 36 pounds)Mounting heights
    60 inchesFlags? Lights?
    One warning light on each 
        signMass of Test Vehicle
    1732 poundsImpact Speed
    98.2 km/hrVelocity Change
    2.8 m/sec (limit is 5 m/sec)Extent of contact
    Edge of sign hit roof line
    Flat of sign glanced off roofWindshield Damage
    Cracking, 2.5 inch deformation
    No additional contactOther notes
    Roof depressed 3.5 inches**Findings**

Moderate damage to the roof and windshield was caused by the end-on impact as the sign's leading edge struck the roof line and was deflected over the vehicle.  In the end-on impact the stiffened legs retarded them from bending until the sign detached from the uprights and glanced flat off the roof.  The 2.5-inch depression in the windshield caused by the end on impact is considered marginally acceptable.  The results of the testing met the FHWA requirements and, therefore, the devices described above and detailed in the enclosed drawings are acceptable for use on the NHS under the range of conditions tested, when proposed by a State.

Please note the following standard provisions that apply to the 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 the FHWA and the NCHRP Report 350.
To prevent misunderstanding by others, this letter of acceptance, designated as number WZ-208 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.
The POCO portable sign stand is a patent-pending device and is considered "proprietary."   The use of proprietary work zone traffic control devices in Federal-aid projects is generally of a temporary nature.  They are selected by the contractor for use as needed and removed upon completion of the project.  Under such conditions they can be presumed to meet requirement "a" given below for the use of proprietary products on Federal-aid projects.  On the other hand, if proprietary devices are specified by a highway agency for use on Federal-aid projects they: (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. These provisions do not apply to exempt non-NHS projects.  Our regulations concerning proprietary products are contained in Title 23, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 635.411, a copy of which is enclosed.
This acceptance letter shall not be construed as authorization or consent by the FHWA to use, manufacture, or sell any patented device for which the applicant is not the patent holder.  The acceptance letter is limited to the crashworthiness characteristics of the candidate device, and the FHWA is neither prepared nor required to become involved in issues concerning patent law.  Patent issues, if any, are to be resolved by the applicant.Sincerely yours,

		
		**/original signed by/**

John R. Baxter, P.E.
						Director, Office of Safety Design 
						Office of Safety
	
						Enclosure


Safety Home | FHWA Home 
| Feedback
United States Department of Transportation - **Federal Highway Administration** 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