U.S. Deportment 1200 New Jersey Ave. , SE 

of Transportation Washington , D.C. 20590 

Federal Highway 

Administration 

February 11 ,2014 In Reply Refer To: 

HSST/WZ-327 

Mr. Henry A . Ross 

Director of Government R elations 

Plasticade 

7700 N . Austin A venue 

Skokie, Illinois 60077 

Dear Mr. Ross: 

This letter is in response to your request for the Federal Highway Administration (FHW A) to 

review a roadside safety system fo r eligibility for reimbursement under the Federal-aid highway 

program. 

Name of system : Type III Barricade using Power PostTM plastic uprights 

Type ofsystem: T ype III Barricade 

Test Level: MASH Test Level III 

Testing conducted by: E-TECH Testing Services 

Date of request: June 2 1, 201 3 

Request completed December 14, 20 13 

Decision: 

The following device is eligibl e, with details prov ided in the form which is attached as an 

integral part ofthis letter: 

• 	 Plasticade Type III Barricade using Power PostTM plastic uprights with lightweight 

warning lights, and either angle iron feet or perfo rated square steel tube fee t ballasted 

with sandbags, having panel widths fro m 60 inches to 144 inches. 

Based on a review of crash test results submitted by the manufact urer certi fy ing the device 

described herein meets the crash test and evaluation criteria of the American Association of State 

Highway and Transportation Offici als' Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MAS H), the 

device is eligible for reimbursement under the Federal-aid highway program. Eligibili ty for 

reimbursement under the Federal-aid highway program does not establish approval o r 

endorsement by the FHW A for any particular purpose or use. 

The FHWA, the Department of Transportation, and the United States Government do not 

endorse products or services and the issuanc e of a reimbursement eligibility letter is not an 

endo rsement of any product or service. 
2 

Requirements 

To be found eligible for Federal-aid funding, roadside safety devices should meet the crash test 

and evaluation criteria contained in the American Association of State Highway and 

Transportation Officials' Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH). 

Description 

The device and supporting documentation are described in the attached form, including your 

request for waiver of MASH Tests 3-70 and 3-72. 

Summary and Standard Provisions 

Therefore, the system· described and detailed in the attached form is eligible for reimbursement 

and may be installed under the range of conditions tested. 

Please note the following standard provisions that apply to FHW A eligibility letters: 

• 	 This finding of eligibility does not cover other structural features of the systems, nor 

conformity with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. 

• 	 Any changes that may influence system conformance with MASH will require a new 

reimbursement eligibility letter. 

• 	 Should the FHWA discover that the qualification testing was flawed , that in-service 

performance reveals safety problems, or that the system is significantly different from 

the version that was crash tested, we reserve the right to modify or revoke this letter. 

• 	 You are expected to supply potential users with sufficient information on design and 

installation requirements to ensure proper performance. 

• 	 You are expected to certify to potential users that the hardware furnished has the 

same chemistry, mechanical properties, and geometry as that submitted for review, 

and that it will meet the test and evaluation critiera ofthe MASH. 

• 	 To prevent misunderstanding by others, this letter of eligibility is designated as 

number WZ-327 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 FHW A to use, 

manufacture, or sell any patented system for which the applicant is not the patent 

holder. The FHW A does not become involved in issues concerning patent law. 

Patent issues, if any, are to be resolved by the applicant. 
3 

• 	 The Plasticade Power PostTM plastic uprights are patented products and considered 

proprietary. If proprietary systems are specified by a highway agency for use on 

Federal-aid 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 ofroad for experimental purposes. 

Our regulations concerning proprietary products are contained in T itl e 23, Code of 

Federal Regulations, Section 635.4 11 . 

Sincerely yours, 

Michael S. Griffith 

Director, Office of Safety Technologies 

Office of Safety 

Enclosures 
Version 7.0 (3/13) 

Page 1 of 2 

Request for Federal Aid Reimbursement Eligibility 

Of Highway Safety Hardware 

I Date of Request: ; 6/ 21 / 20 13 \e New I Resubmission 

.' Name: 

I I 1Henry A. Ross Signature: 11~/I ../. ao___ , . , ... ; Company: I .... 
 ::

Q/ j Plasticade 

·e Address: 7700 N. Austin Aven ue, Skokie, IL 60077 ! .D 

Ill 

:J ' Country: USA I I I Michael S. Griffith, Director 

i To : I FHWA, Office of Safety Technologies 

I request the following devices be considered eligible for reimbursement under the Federal-aid 

highway program. 

I 

System Type Submission Type Device Name I Variant Testing Criterion Test 

Level 

I'WZ': Crash Worthy Work II- Physical Crash Testing 

Zone Traffic Control Devices r FEA & V&V Analysis I 

Plasticade Power Post 

Type Ill Barricade 

AASHTOMASH TL3 

I 

By submitting this request for review and evaluation by the Federal Highway Administration, I certify 

that the product(s) was (were) tested in conformity with the AASHTO Manual for Assessing Safety 

Hardware and that the evaluation results meet the appropriate evaluation criteria in the MASH . 

Identification of the individual or organization responsible for the product: 

!Contact Name: I Henry A. Ross Same as Submitter rg] 

jcompany Name: jPlasticade Same as Submitter ~ 

;Address: 17700 N. Austin Avenue, Skokie, IL 60077 Same as Submitter ~ 

Country: 'usA Same as Submitter [g) 

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION 


New Hardware 

f------------------~ -------·---------··-----j 

Type Ill barricade utilizing plastic uprights and panels, ang le iron feet. and lightweight warning lights 

CRASH TESTING 

A brief description of each crash test and its result: 

Required Test Narrative Evaluation Results Number Description 

------------------------ - --- -----------!----- -----­ 3-70 (11 OOC) WAIVER REQUESTED 

3-71 (11 OOC) impacted at 0 degrees and 90 degrees at 63 km/ h per MASH PASS 

------- -----+------~ 3-72 (2270P) WAIVER REQUESTED ---------------- ---~-----

I 

I 
I 

Version 7.0 (3/13) 

Page 2 of 2 

Full Scale Crash Testing was done in compliance with MASH by the following accredited crash test 

laboratory (cite the labor atory' s accreditation status as noted in the crash test reports.): 

Laboratory Name: j E·Tech Testing Services, Inc. 

Laboratory Contact: !John F. LaTurner. P.E. !same as Submitter 0 I 

Address: 1361 7B Cincinnati Avenue. Rocklin, CA 95765 jsame as Submitter 0 

Country: iUSA Isame as Submitter 0 

Accreditation Certificate 

Number and Date: I 

ATTACHMENTS 

Attach to this form: 

1) A copy of the full t est r eport, video, and a Test Data Summary Sheet for each test conducted in 

support of this request. 

2) A drawing or drawings of the device(s) that conform to the Task Force-13 Drawing Specifications 

[Hardware Guide Drawing Standards] . For proprietary products, a single isometric line drawing is 

usually acceptable to ill ustrate the product, with detailed specifications, intended use, and contact 

information provided on th e reverse. Additional drawings (not in TF-13 format) showing details that 

are key to understanding the performance of the device should also be submitted to facilitate our 

review. 

FHWA Official Business Qnjy : 

El igibility Lette r AASHTO TF13 

Number Date Designator Key Words 
December 13, 2013 

Nicholas A. Artimovich, II 

Highway Engineer, Safety Design Team 

Office of Safety Technologies, Rm E71-322 

Federal Highway Administration 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

RE: Draft WZ-327 

Dear Sir: 

We recently completed testing of the Plasticade~ Power Post'M Type Ill Barricad e using the 

recommendations in AASHTO's Manualfor Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH). 

As recommended in MASH, work zone traffic control devices are tested to determine the behavior of 

the devices during and after impact with both smaii1100C (2425 lb/llOOkg) and heavy 2270P (5004 

lb/2270 kg) vehicles. The risk to occupants from detached elements, fragments, or other debris is 

assessed, as well as vehicle instability. A key potential ri sk factor is windshield deformation or 

penetration. 

Test 70 is designed to gauge the ability of the llOOC vehicle to activate any breakaway or yielding 

feature of the device. For freestanding devices that weigh less than 220 lb (100 kg) this test is 

considered optional. The Plasticade4D Power Post'M Type Ill Barricade, including lightweight warning 

lights and ballast, weighs a total of 183 lb (83.1 kg). Test 70 was not performed . 

Test 71 is designed to evaluate the behavior ofthe devices during high speed tests, using the 1100C 

vehicle. This test is recognized as the more critical test by FHWA and, depending on results and 

device/vehicle geometry. It may be unnecessary to perform the 2270P test. If there is no evidence of 

vehicle instability or windshield penetration in Test 71, or any belief that these would occur to a pickup 

truck in a Test 72 situation, a waiver may be requested so that the Test 72 need not be performed . Test 

71 wa s performed with the Power Post Type Ill Barricade with the unde rstanding that Test 72 could be 

waived with appropriate results. This test showed satisfactory results with no vehicle instability or 

windshield penetration. Based on the 1100C results and the following analysis of both vehicles' 

geometry, we request a waiver for Test 72 . Here is a summary of the 1100C and 2270P vehicle 

geometries: 

7700 N. Austin Ave., Skokie, IL 60077 www.plasticade.com (800) 772-0355 Fax (847) 966-8074 
llOOC Vehicle Param~tel's 

TtstDat• 412312013 Yehide G.ometryDimtuslolll 

E-fiCBTed I# 76.6740.001 

Tfst Desip.ation MASH 08 Te:lt3-71 

:\lab Kia 

llodtl 1100C 

\ · 1 :'\ ENADEl23776273456 

Tire Size: 135nOlll4 

Odomtte1· Read.ID& 61.753 

EqilltTypt 4 Cylilldel 

Enpae Sizt 1.6LT 

TrADsmissioo T)-pt 

:=::=========:::::; in. (em) ln. (em) Pre-Test Damar• NONE 

DummyTypt Noae 

A ~ 1160.o1 J @] ~ B ~ [§] K @]

Dommr S.at 

0.0 lb 0.0 (k&) 

c ~ I240.0 I L ~ 

Test lotrtial M:tss Distribution. 

D ~ §] ll ~ E @] ~ N ~ lt47.o 1

lb lb (kl) 

LF 789.2 358 RF 149.6 340 

F ~ 1423.oI 0 ~ G ~ p ~ I n .o I @]

LR 438.7 199 RR 436.5 198 

H [§] @] Q ~ ~ Vtllicle Man 

Curb Test Inertial Gross Static 

:\U 

l\12 

I\IT 

lb 

1SOJ • .S 

857 6 

2361.1 

(k&) 

68~ 

3119 

1071 

Ib 

1538,8 

875 2 

2414.0 

(k&) 

698 

' 397 

1095 

lb 

1538..8 

8 75 2 

2414.0 

(it&) 

69S 

397 

1095 

7700 N. Austin Ave., Skokie, IL 60077 www.plasticade.com (800) 772-0355 Fax {847) 966-8074 
---

-----

2270P Vehicle Parameters 

Test Date 512012011 VehicleGeometry Dimensions I 

E-TECH Test # 01-3044-006 I 

Test Designation MASH08 fcst3-35 I 

Make Dodge I 

Model 2270P I 

Year 2005 J 

YI N .. 1D7HA18005S306STil 

Tire Size: 265n O R17 I 

Odometer Reading 196,199 J 

EnglntType 8C'yiUJder I 

F.ngi ne Size 5.7 L I ln. (em) in. (em) 

TransmlSJion Type AutomatiC I A [18.1l r 200.0 J : 105.o I lill1 . I

Pre-Test Damage ·---· · none ~ 

Dummy Type 

···- --·

No

---

ne 

· B ~ ~~ K ~ ~ 

DummySut N/A 

c [14"0TJ 1 357.o L ri9J ~ 

D ~ ~ M p 5.7 .. 1

DummyMau 0.0 lb 0.0 (kg) E Q?1J 1 120.0 - N ,- 69.7 J ~ 177.0 !

lb 

Test Inertia

(kg) 

l Mass Distribution 

lb (kg) 

F [2252] [572.0 0 [Iii] ~ 

~ 

,.76:5] LF 1410 9 640 RF 1384.5 628 G ~ ~ p ~ 

LR 1078.0 489 RR 1084.7 492 H I 29.5 j ~ Q ~ ~ 

Vehicle Mass 

Curb Test Inertial Gross Static 

Ml 

M2 

MT 

lb 

2828.5 

2105 4 

4Q33.9 

(kg) 

1283 

955 

2238 

lb 

27954 

2162.7 

4958.1 

(kg) 

1268 

98 1 

2249 

lb 

27Q5 4 

2162.7 

4958.1 

(k&) 

1268 

981 

2249 

7700 N. Austin Ave., Skokie, IL 60077 www.plasticade.com (800) 772-0355 Fax (847} 966-8074 
The height of the vehicle hood relative to the height of the test device is critical to determining the 

potential for the device to contact the windshield . The Power Post Type Ill Barricade has a total height to 

the top of the top board of 63.0 inches. The llOOC vehicle used for the high speed small vehicle test had 

a height from the ground to the forward edge of the hood of 28.0 inches (Measurement J) . The 

measurement from the front edge of the hood to the base ofthe windshield is 32.0 inches. The 

relationship of the height of the device to the front of the small vehicle is shown here. 

7700 N. Austin Ave ., Skokie, ll 60077 www.plasticade .com (800) 772-0355 Fax (847) 966-8074 
The corresponding ground to edge of hood measurement (Measurement J) for the 2270P vehicle in a 

Test 72 scenario is 41.3 inches. In this scenario, the hood edge would be 13.3 inches higher than the 

llOOC vehicle. In addition, the measurement from the front edge of the hood to the base of the 

windshield is 47 .0 inches. The relationship ofthe height of the device to the front of the Test 72 pickup 

truck is shown here 

7700 N. Austin Ave., Skokie, IL 60077 www.plasticade.com {800) 772 -0355 Fax (847) 966-8074 
7700 N. Austin Ave., Skokie, IL 60077 www.plasticade.com (800} 772-0355 Fax (847} 966-8074 
--- .A 


7700 N. Austin Ave., Skok ie, IL 60077 www.plasticade.com (BOO) 772-0355 Fax (847) 966-8074 

In the llOOC test, the end ofthe barricade made contact with the windshield and cracked it, without 

penetrating it. Based on the higher truck profile including a more than 13 inch higher hood edge to the 

ground measurement and a windshield to hood edge measurement that is 15 inches greater, we believe 

that it is unlikely that the test article would make significant contact with the windshield before getting 

up to near the same forward speed as the vehicle . We believe that Test 71 was, in fact, the worst case 

test and it is unlikely that the performance of Test 72 would result in a different outcome. 

We request a waiver on Test 72 and issuance of WZ-327. 

Thank you 

s;.i?Ja[L 

PLASTICADE 

Henry A. Ross, Director of Government Relations 

7700 N. Austin Ave., Skokie, IL 60077 www.plasticade.com (800) 772-0355 Fax (847) 966-8074 
June 21, 2013 

Mr. MichaelS. Griffith, Director 

Office of Safety Technologies 

Federal Highway Administration 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. 

Washington, DC 20590 

Dear Sir: 

Enclosed is our request for federal-aid reimbursement eligibility for the Plasticad e Power Post Type Ill 

Barricade . This device was successfully crash tested byE-TECH Testing Services, Inc. on April 23, 2013. A 

copy of the test report and a DVD with va rious videos and pictures of the device and the testing process 

are also enclosed . 

The barricade tested had a panel width of 144 inches. We request that our WZ letter of eligibility 

specifically allow other barricade panel widths of 60 inches, 72 inches, 96 inches, and 120 inches, as 

well. Our request is based on a belief that the 144 inch width represented a " worst case" for testing 

purposes (see test report page 6, Section II A). Thi s is consistent with a previous similar test that resulted 

in WZ-299 being issued to us on March 10, 2011. 

The barricade was tested with angle iron feet, ballasted with sandbags. We request that simi lar feet 

fabricated from perforated square steel tubing (PSST), also ballasted with sandbags, be deemed eligible, 

as well. 

Please let me know if any additional information is required . 

Sincerely. 

p/~a/L Henry A. Ross 


Director, Government Relations 


7700 N. Austin Ave., Skokie, IL 60077 www.plasticade .com (800) 772-0355 Fax (847) 966-8074