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                Safety Eligibility Letter WZ-297
  
  **Hardware Type:**
            Work Zone Devices
                          **Code:**
            WZ-297
                          **Date:**
            11/30/2011
                          **Testing Criteria:**
            NCHRP 350
                          **Manufacturer:**
            Eastern Metal
                          **Device Description:**
            X-500 Aluminum Stand
                          **View PDF:**
            wz297.pdf (176.61 KB)
    
    Safety Eligibility Letter WZ - 297
            
            	
          	DOT logo
            	U.S. Department of Transportation**Federal Highway Administration
                400 Seventh St., S.W.Washington, D.C.  20590**
                
          	
			 
			**Download Version**PDF [177 KB]
                
        	November 30, 2011
          In Reply Refer To: **HSST/ WZ-297**
            Steve Zimar
              Eastern Metal / USA Sign
              1430 Sullivan Street
            Elmira,   New York  14901
          Dear Mr. Zimar:
          This letter is in response to your request for the Federal Highway Administration  (FHWA) to review a roadside safety system for eligibility for reimbursement  under the Federal-aid highway program.   We initially reviewed this system shortly after receipt, and tentatively  concurred in your request on February 9, 2011.
Name of system:
                X-502 Sign StandType of system:
                X-footprint portable sign standTest Level:
                NCHRP Report 350 Test Level 3Testing conducted by:
                N/ADate of request:
                January 24, 2011Date initially acknowledged:
                 January 31, 2011You certify  that the device described herein meets the crashworthiness criteria of the  National Cooperative Highway Research Program Report 350.  Based on this testing you asked that we find  the device(s) eligible for reimbursement under the Federal-aid highway  program.  Eligibility for reimbursement  under the Federal-aid highway program does not establish approval or  endorsement by the FHWA for any particular purpose or use.
**Decision:**
The following devices was found eligible, with details provided below:
X-502 Sign Stand, aluminum with 6mm corrugated plastic substrates.**Requirements**
  Roadside safety devices should meet the guidelines  contained in the NCHRP Report 350 or the American Association of State Highway  and Transportation Officials' Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH).   The FHWA Memorandum "Identifying Acceptable  Highway Safety Features" of July 25, 1997 provides further guidance on crash  testing requirements of longitudinal barriers.**Description**
  The FHWA Acceptance Letter  WZ-13 dated June 3, 1999, included your X-501 sign stand as crashworthy with  roll-up signs.  The X-500 sign stand  series is identical to the X-550 sign stand series.  The only difference between the two is that  the X-550 stands have galvanized steel legs and mast while the  X-500 stands have Aluminum legs and masts.
The X-550 has  acceptance letters for many sign substrates. You noted that lately, interest in  "the aluminum X-550" or the X-500 has developed in a couple of niche  markets.  The substrate of choice is this  market is 10 mil corrugated plastic. Since the X-550 steel stand is accepted  for use with 16mil or smaller corrugated plastic you requested consideration for  the corresponding aluminum version with the same corrugated plastic  substrate.  That stand would become the “X-502”  since it would have 2 sign brackets.
Because crash  testing was not conducted on the aluminum series of stands, we asked for a  statement from the crash test researchers that the X-500 and X-550 stands would  perform in a similar manner.  They  responded on February 8, 2011, that they did not believe there are any problems  with the interchangeability of the 500 (Aluminum) and 550 (Steel) series since  they are similar in geometry and weight.   They further agreed the lighter (6.5-pound Coroplast) sign should  perform acceptably when compared to the originally tested (7.5-pound roll-up)  sign.
**Findings**
  The X-502  aluminum sign stand with lightweight corrugated plastic substrate described in  this letter is considered eligible for reimbursement on Federal-aid highway  projects.  It should be installed under  the range of conditions that the X-550 stands were tested, when such use is  acceptable to a highway agency.
Please note the following standard provisions that apply to FHWA  eligibility letters:
This finding of eligibility is limited to the  crashworthiness characteristics of the systems 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 system will require a new letter.
  Should the FHWA discover that the qualification  testing was flawed, that in-service performance reveals unacceptable safety  problems, or that the system being marketed is significantly different from the  version that was crash tested, we reserve the right to modify or revoke this  letter.
  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 review, and that it  will meet the crashworthiness requirements of the FHWA and the NCHRP Report  350.
  To prevent misunderstanding by others, this  letter of eligibility is designated as number WZ-297 and shall not be  reproduced except in full.  This letter  and the test documentation upon which it is based are public information.  All such letters and documentation may be  reviewed at our office upon request.
  This letter shall not be construed as  authorization or consent by the FHWA to use, manufacture, or sell any patented  system for which the applicant is not the patent holder.  The finding of eligibility is limited to the  crashworthiness characteristics of the candidate system, 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.
The USA Sign / Eastern Metal signs are patented  products and considered proprietary.  If  proprietary systems are specified by a highway agency for use on Federal-aid  projects, except exempt, non-NHS projects, (a) they must be supplied through  competitive bidding with equally suitable unpatented items; (b) the highway  agency must certify that they are essential for synchronization with the  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.
Sincerely yours,
***Signature of Mike S. Griffith***
            Michael S. Griffith
            	Director, Office of Safety Technologies
                Office of Safety U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

**Federal Highway Administration**

1200 NEW JERSEY AVENUE, SE

WASHINGTON, DC 20590

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