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-305
  
  **Hardware Type:**
            Work Zone Devices
                          **Code:**
            WZ-305
                          **Date:**
            10/21/2011
                          **Testing Criteria:**
            NCHRP 350
                          **Manufacturer:**
            Plasticade Products
                          **Device Description:**
            Econocade Type I & II Barricade
                          **View PDF:**
            wz305.pdf (386.43 KB)
    
    Safety Eligibility Letter WZ-305
			
			
			 
			**Download Version**PDF [502 KB]
			
			DOT logoU.S. Department of Transportation**Federal Highway Administration**
			1200 New Jersey Ave. S.E.Washington, D.C. 20590
			October 21, 2011
			In Reply Refer To:
HSST/WZ-305
			
			Henry A. Ross
			  Director of Government Relations
			  Plasticade Products
			  7700 N. Austin Avenue
		    Skokie, Illinois 60077
Dear Mr. Ross:
			This is in response to your September 1, 2010, letter requesting the Federal Highway 
			  Administration's (FHWA) acceptance of your company's EconocadeTM Type I and Type II
			  Barricades with lightweight warning lights as crashworthy traffic control devices for use in work
			  zones and elsewhere on the National Highway System (NHS). Accompanying your letter was the 
			  FHWA Office of Safety Design form indicating successful performance when tested under the  AASHTO Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) Test 3-71 (Modified.)
			Device
              Fibercade Type II Barricade
              Econocade Type I andTest #
            400001-ALB3
            N/AHeight, mm (in)#
            1075 (42 )#
            1016 (40Height to top of light
            1313 (52)
            1240 (48)Mass (without light*)
            6.9 kg (15.2 lbs.)
            6.0 kg (13.2 lbs.)Mass
            10.5 kg
            (23.1 lbs.)Mass, plus ballast
            29.7 kg
            (65.5 lbs.)Vehicle Speed, km/h
            97.5, 92.7
            N/AVelocity Change,m/s
            1.33, 2.06
            N/AWindshield Damage
             None
            N/AYou requested that we find the EconocadeTM Barricades with lightweight warning lights
acceptable for use on the NHS under the provisions of the National Cooperative Highway
Research Report 350 and MASH based on its equivalence to your previously crash-tested
PlasticadeTM barricade. The Plasticade was found acceptable in FHWA Acceptance Letter
WZ-14 dated May 28, 1999. As no additional crash testing was conducted under MASH criteria,
our acceptance will be limited to performance under NCHRP Report 350.
	  The EconocadeTM Barricades described above and detailed in the enclosed drawing is equivalent
to the tested barricade as it is now molded as one piece and expected to perform in the same
manner as the tested barricade. Therefore, they are acceptable for use on the NHS under the test
conditions noted above, when such use is acceptable to a highway agency.
	  Please note the following standard provisions that apply to FHWA letters of acceptance:
This acceptance is limited to the crashworthiness characteristics of the tested features and
does not cover their structural features, such as resistance to wind loads.
Any design or material changes that may adversely influence the crashworthiness of the
barricades 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 system being marketed is
significantly different from the version that was crash tested, we reserve the right to
modify or revoke our 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, modified as noted above, and that it will meet the crashworthiness
requirements of the FHWA and the NCHRP Report 350.
To prevent misunderstanding by others, this letter of acceptance is designated as number
WZ-305 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.
The Plasticade products identified above are patented products and considered
proprietary. If proprietary systems are specified by a highway agency for use on Federalaid
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.
This acceptance 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 acceptance letter 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.Sincerely yours,
			Signature Michael S. Griffith
			Michael S. Griffith
Director,  Office of Safety Technologies
              Office of SafetyEnclosures 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