January 6, 2020 

 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE

Washington, D.C. 20590 

In Reply Refer To: 

HSST-1/WZ-364 

Mr. Eric Larson 

MDI Worldwide 

38271 W. Twelve Mile Road 

Farmington Hills, MI 48331 

Dear Mr. Larson: 

This letter is in response to your August 05, 2019 request for the Federal Highway 

Administration (FHW A) to review a roadside safety device, hardware, or system for eligibility 

for reimbursement under the Federal-aid highway program. This FHWA letter of eligibility is 

assigned FHWA control number WZ-364 and is valid until a subsequent letter is issued by 

FHW A that expressly references this device. 

Decision 

The following device is eligible within the length-of-need, with details provided in the form 

which is attached as an integral part of this letter: 

• 50SM-NS Temporary Sign Support 

Scope of this Letter 

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

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

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

However, the FHWA, the Department of Transportation, and the United States Government do 

not regulate the manufacture of roadside safety devices. Eligibility for reimbursement under the 

Federal-aid highway program does not establish approval, certification or endorsement of the 

device for any particular purpose or use. 

This letter is not a determination by the FHW A, the Department of Transportation, or the United 

States Government that a vehicle crash involving the device will result in any particular 

outcome, nor is it a guarantee of the in-service performance ofthis device. Proper 

manufacturing, installation, and maintenance are required in order for this device to function as 

tested. 

This finding of eligibility is limited to the crash worthiness of the system and does not cover other 

structural features, nor conformity with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. 
2 

Eligibility for Reimbursement 

Based solely on a review of crash test results and certifications submitted by the manufacturer, 

and the crash test laboratory, FHWA agrees that the device described herein meets the crash test 

and evaluation criteria of the AASHTO' s MASH. Therefore, the device is eligible for 

reimbursement under the Federal-aid highway program if installed under the range of tested 

conditions. 

Name of system: 50SM-NS Temporary Sign Support 

Type of system: Work Zone 

Test Level: MASH Test Level 3 (TL3) 

Testing conducted by: E-TECH Testing Services Inc 

Date of request: August 05, 2019 

FHWA concurs with the recommendation of the accredited crash testing laboratory on the 

attached form. 

Full Description of the Eligible Device 

The device and supporting documentation, including reports of the crash tests or other testing 

done, videos of any crash testing, and/or drawings of the device, are described in the attached 

form. 

Notice 

This eligibility letter is issued for the subject device as tested. Modifications made to the device 

are not covered by this letter. Any modifications to this device should be submitted to the user 

(i.e., state DOT) as per their requirements. 

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

maintenance 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 criteria of AASHTO's MASH. 

Issuance of this letter does not convey property rights of any sort or any exclusive privilege. This 

letter is based on the premise that information and reports submitted by you are accurate and 

correct. We reserve the right to modify or revoke this letter if: ( 1) there are any inaccuracies in 

the information submitted in support of your request for this letter, (2) the qualification testing 

was flawed, (3) in-service performance or other information reveals safety problems, (4) the 

system is significantly different from the version that was crash tested, or (5) any other 

information indicates that the letter was issued in error or otherwise does not reflect full and 

complete information about the crashworthiness of the system. 
3 

Standard Provisions 

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

control number WZ-364 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 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. 

• This FHW A eligibility letter is not an expression of any Agency view, position, or 

determination of validity, scope, or ownership of any intellectual property rights to a 

specific device or design. Further, this letter does not impute any distribution or licensing 

rights to the requester. This FHW A eligibility letter determination is made based solely 

on the crash-testing information submitted by the requester. The FHW A reserves the 

right to review and revoke an earlier eligibility determination after receipt of subsequent 

information related to crash testing. 

Sincerely, 

Michael S. Griffith 

Director, Office of Safety Technologies 

Office of Safety 

Enclosures 

• 
Version 10.0 (05/16) 

Page 1 of 5 

Request for Federal Aid Reimbursement Eligibility 

of Highway Safety Hardware 

Date of Request: 

Name: 

April 20, 2018 

Troy Tapley 

I C- New r Resubmission 

... 

cu....

.... ·e 

.a 

:I 

II) 

Company: 

Address: 

Country: 

MDI Worldwide 

38271 W. Twelve Mile Road, Farmington Hills, Ml 48331 

United States 

To: Michael S. Griffith, Director 

FHWA, Office of Safety Technologies 

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

highway program. 

Device &Testing Criterion - Enter from right to left starting with Test Level Fl 

System Type Submission Type Device Name/ Variant Testing Criterion Test 

Level 

'WZ': Crash Worthy Work 

Zone Traffic Control Devices 

(e Physical Crash Testing 

(' Engineering Analysis 

S0SM-NS 

AASHTOMASH TL3 

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. 

Individual or Organization responsible for the product: 

Contact Name: Troy Tapley Same as Submitter cgj 

Company Name: MDI Worldwide Same as Submitter cgj 

Address: 38271 W. Twelve Mile Road, Farmington Hills, Ml 48331 Same as Submitter cgj 

Country: United States Same as Submitter cgj 

Enter below all disclosures of financial interests as required by the FHWA ' Federal-Aid Reimbursement 

Eligibility Process for Safety Hardware Devices' document. 

Marketing Displays, Inc., doing business as MDI Worldwide ("MDI"), whose principal place of business is 38271 

West Twelve Mile Road, Farmington Hills, Michigan 48331-3041, and Karco Engineering, LLC., whose principal 

place of business is 9270 Holly Road, Adelanto, CA 92301 share no ($0.00) financial interests between the two 

organizations. This includes no ($0.00) financial interest but not limited to: 

i. Compensation, including wages, salaries, commissions, professional fees, or fees for business referrals (dollar 

values are not needed); 

ii. Consulting relationships; 

iii. Research funding or other forms of research support; 

iv. Patents, copyrights, and other intellectual property interests; 

v. Licenses or contractual relationships; or 

vi. Business ownership and investment interest. 
Version 10.0 (05/16) 

Page 2 of 5 

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION 

(e New Hardware or 

Significant Modification 

(' Modification to 

Existing Hardware 

Product Description of 50SM-NS 

(Reference drawing ZA-07795-03) 

The 50SM-NS temporary sign support is a work-zone traffic control device used in displaying light weight sign 

substrates; primarily 48" x 48" (1219 mm x 1219 mm] diamond shape or up to 16 sq. ft. (1 .5 sq. m] vinyl roll up 

signs. 

Further description: .

The 50SM-NS temporary sign support is a portable/fold-up sign stand manufactured without the use of wind 

deflecting springs. The sign stand consists of a .188" (5 mm] thick steel base with a vertically welded upright 

tube, four steel telescoping legs, and a steel telescoping upright that inserts into the base upright tube. The 

two piece telescoping legs are constructed of 1.25" x 1.25" x .06" (32 mm x 32 mm x 1.5 mm) and 1.00" x 1.00" 

x .06" (25 mm x 25 mm x 1.5mm), respectively. The two piece telescoping uprights are constructed of 1.00" x 

1.00" x .06" (25 mm x 25 mm x 1.5 mm) and .75" x .75" x .06" [20 mm x 20 mm x 1.5mm], respectively. A roll up 

sign is attached to the telescoping mast with the use of an adjustable roll up sign bracket. The sign can be 

raised and lowered to the desired height. 

The overall height of the stand is 98" [2489 mm). The test was conducted with the sign mounted 54" [1372 

mm] above grade to the bottom of the sign. The total weight of the stand is approximately 31.0 lbs [14.1 kg), 

which includes the stand of 23.5 lbs [10.7 kg] and the sign (including sign bracket) of7.5 lbs [3.4 kg). Sand bags 

can be placed on the legs as needed for ballast. 

CRASH TESTING 

By signature below, the Engineer affiliated with the testing laboratory, agrees in support of this submission that 

all of the critical and relevant crash tests for this device listed above were conducted to meet the MASH test 

criteria. The Engineer has determined that no other crash tests are necessary to determine the device meets 

the MASH criteria. 

Engineer Name: Alex Beltran 

Dlgltally signed by Alex Beltran 

ON: cn:Alex Beltran, o=KARCO Engineering, ou::Testing Laboratory,

ema ll=abeltran@karco.com, c:::US 

Date: 20 18.04.26 11 :20:08-07'00' 

Engineer Signature: 

Address: 9270 Holly Rd. Adelanto, CA 92301 Same as Submitter D 

Country: United States Same as Submitter D 

A brief description of each crash test and its result: 

Required Test 

Number 

Narrative 

Description 

Evaluation 

Results 

3-70 (1100() 

Designed to evaluate the ability of a small 

vehicle to activate any breakaway, fracture, 

or yielding mechanism. Is considered 

optional for work-zone traffic control 

devices weighing less than 220 lb (100 kg). 

Non-Relevant Test, not conducted 
Version 10.0 (05/16} 

Page 3 of 5 

Required Test 

Number 

Narrative 

Description 

Evaluation 

Results 

(2) Separate test runs conducted 

3-71 (11 00C) 

A 2,589.3 lb (1,174.5 kg) small car 

approached the test article at an impact 

speed of 61 .86 mph (99.55 km/h) with a 

critical impact angle of 0°. 

For this test, a 50SM-NS sign stand was 

impacted. The article was aligned at 0° and 

to the test vehicle's direction of travel. 

Upon impact the 50SM-NS vertical mast 

separated from its base upright assembly. 

The roll up sign remained attached to the 

upright and dropped to impact the 

windshield . After impact, the roll up sign 

and mast brushed over the roof and 

dropped off the passenger side. There was 

no penetration into the test vehicles 

occupant compartment nor were the 

deformation limits exceeded. The 50SM-NS 

sign stand yielded with the sign and upright 

separating away from the base assembly. 

Debris from the test articles did not cause a 

hazard to the driver's vision. The vehicle 

remained upright and did not exceed 75° 

roll angle throughout the test. The vehicle 

did not leave its lane and its trajectory was 

stable after the sign stand was impacted. 

A 2,595.9 lb (1,177.5 kg) small car 

approached the test article at an impact 

speed of 62.19 mph (100.08 km/h) with a 

critical impact angle of 90° . 

For this test, a 50SM-NS sign stand was 

impacted. The article was aligned at 90° 

and to the test vehicle's direction of travel. 

Upon impact the 50SM-NS vertical mast 

separated from its base upright assemble. 

The roll up sign remained attached to the 

upright and dropped to impact the 

windshield. After impact, the roll up sign 

and mast brushed over the roof of the 

vehicle before permanently losing contact 

with the vehicle. There was no penetration 

into the test vehicles occupant 

compartment nor were the deformation 

limits exceeded. The 50SM-NS sign stand 

yielded with the sign and upright 

separating away from the base assembly. 

Debris from the test articles did not cause a 

hazard to the driver's vision. The vehicle 

remained upright and did not exceed 75° 

roll angle throughout the test. The vehicle 

did not leave its lane and its trajectory was 

stable after the sign stand was impacted. 

PASS 
Version 10.0 (05/16) 

Page 4 of 5 

3-72 (2270P) 

A 5,012.1 lb (2,273.5 kg) pickup truck 

approached the test article at an impact 

speed of 63.90 mph (102.83 km/h) with a 

critical impact angle between 0° and 90°. 

For this test, two 50SM-NS sign stands were 

impacted. The first article was aligned at 0° 

and the second was aligned to 90° to the 

test vehicle's direction of travel. 

Upon impact the 50SM-NS vertical mast 

deformed around the vehicle bumper and 

released from the base upright assemble in 

both the 0° and 90° positions. 

The mast and roll up sign from the first 

article slid along the windshield and over 

the roof without causing occupant 

compartment deformation. The mast and 

roll up sign from the second article slid 

along the windshield and over the roof in 

the same manner. The test vehicles 

occupant compartment deformation limits 

were not exceeded. The 50SM-NS sign 

stand yielded with the sign and upright 

separating away from the base assemble. 

Debris from the test.articles did not cause a 

hazard to the driver's vision. The vehicle 

remained upright and did not exceed 75° 

roll angle throughout the test. The vehicle 

did not leave its lane and its trajectory was 

stable after both sign stands were impacted. 

PASS 

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

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

Laboratory Name: KARCO Engineering 

Laboratory Signature: d\A Dlgltatly signed by Alex Beltran 

DN : cn=Alex Beltran, o=KARCO Engineering, ou=Testing ~bOfatory, 

emall "'abeltran@karco.com, c:::: US 

Date: 2018.04.26 11 :20:27 -07'00' 

Address: 9270 Holly Rd. Adelanto, CA. 92301 Same as Submitter D 

Country: United States Same as Submitter D 

Accreditation Certificate 

Number and Dates of current 

Accreditation period : 

October 12, 2017 - July 1, 2018 

Digitally signed by Troy Tapley 

Submitter Signature*: Date: 20t 8.04.20 t 5:49:52 

-04'00' 

Submit Form 

ATTACHMENTS 
Version 10.0 (05/16) 

Page 5 of 5 

Attach to this form: 

1) Additional disclosures of related financial interest as indicated above. 

2) A copy of the full test report, video, and a Test Data Summary Sheet for each test conducted in 

support of this request. 

3) 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 illustrate the product, with detailed specifications, intended use, and contact 

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

are relevant to understanding the dimensions and performance of the device should also be submitted 

to facilitate our review. 

FHWA Official Business Only: 

Eligibility Letter 

Number Date Key Words 
MASH Test 3-71 0° CIA SUMMARY 

- -

0.350 s 0.200 s 0.125 s 0.070 s 0.035 s 0.000 s 

Sign Bo.se 

ae743 ft. (114.1 M>-----~

X □ 

General Information 

Test Agency .............. ... .... . KARCO Engineering, LLC. 

KARCO Test No .. .. ...... ... ... . P38054-01 

Test Designation ....... .. ....... 3-71 

Test Date ......................... 02/28/18 

Test Article 

Name/ Model. ................... 50SM-NS 

Type............................... Work-Zone Traffic Control Device 

Installation Length .............. N/A 

Sign Height. ... ......... .... .. .. .. 122.0 in. (4.8 m) 

Road Surface ... ... ... .... ... ... . Concrete 

Test Vehicle 

Type I Designation ...... ..... .. . 1100C 

Year, Make, and Model... ..... 2014 Hyundai Accent 

Curb Mass ... ... .. ...... ..... ..... 2,379.9 lbs (1 ,079.5 kg) 

Test Inertial Mass ... ...... ...... 2,423.9 lbs (1 ,099.5 kg) 

Gross Static Mass .. .. .... ...... 2 589.3 lbs (1 174.5 kal 

Figure 3 Test 3-71 0° CIA Summary 

Impact Conditions 

Impact Velocity ..... ...... .... ... 61 .86 mph (99.55 km/h) 

Impact Angle ... .................. o• 

Impact Location.... ............. Offset 16.7 in. (424 mm) 

Kinetic Energy ................... 310.1 kip-ft (420.4 kJ) 

Exit Conditions 

Exit Velocity (0°) ......... .... .... 59.75 mph (96.16 km/h) 

Exit Angle (0°) ................... N/A 

Final Vehicle Position ... ....... 374.3 ft. (114.1 m) downstream 

Occupant Risk* 

Longitudinal OIV. ..... ... ...... . N/A 

Lateral OIV........... .. ..... .... . N/A 

Longitudinal RA .... .... .. .. ..... N/A 

Lateral RA.... .................. .. N/A 

THIV. ... ... ...... .. .. ... ......... .. N/A 

PHO.. .... ...... ..... ....... ... .... . N/A 

ASI. .................... .. ....... .. . NIA 

Test Article Deflections 

Maximum Debris Field..... .. 96.8 fl. (29.5 m) downstream 

4.4 ft. (1.4 m) right 

Vehicle Damage 

Vehicle Damage Scale ..... .... N/A 

CDC ... .. ................. ......... N/A 

Maximum Intrusion.. ... .. ... Windshield 0.2 in. (6 mm) 

*Not Applicable, device weighs less than 220 lbs (100 kg) 

14 TR-P38054-01-A 
MASH Test 3-71 90° CIA Summary 

0.300 s 0.185 s 0.090 s 0.060 s 

Sign 

IZI 

Bo.se 

\ 

Bose Leg 

\ 

ft. (104 .0 M)>--------~~ 

General Information Impact Conditions 

Test Agency ................ ..... . KARCO Engineering, LLC. lmpactVelocity...... ..... ....... 62.19 mph (100.08 km/h) 

KARCO Test No ... ....... ... ... P38054-02 

Test Designation .......... .... .. 3-71 Impact Angle ............ ......... 90° 

Test Date ........................ . 03/01/18 

Impact Location .. .... ... ... ..... Offset 12.8 in. (325 mm) 

Test Article 

Name / Model .... ... .. ..... .. .... 50SM-NS Kinetic Energy ...... .. .. .... ... .. 314.0 kip-ft (425.7 kJ) 

Type .. ..... ... ............ ......... Work-Zone Traffic Control Device 

Installation Length ......... ..... N/A 

Sign Height... .... ....... .. ....... 122.0 in. (4.8 m) Exit Conditions 

Road Surface....... .. ........ .. . Concrete Exit Velocity (0°) .. ...... .........61 .59 mph (99.12 km/h) 

Test Vehicle Exit Angle (0°) .... ............... N/A 

Type/ Designation .. .. ... .. ... .. 1100C 

Year, Make, and Model. .. .. .. . 2014 Hyundai Accent Final Vehicle Position ... ....... 341 .2 ft. (104.0 m) downstream 

Curb Mass ............... ......... 2,485.7 lbs (1 ,127.5 kg) 

Test Inertial Mass ... ... ...... ... 2,428.4 lbs (1 ,101.5 kg) 

Gross Static Mass... ...... ... .. 2 595.9 lbs 11 177.5 ka) 

Figure 4 Test 3-71 90° CIA Summary 

-

0.030 s 0.000 s 

7oP 

Occupant Risk* 

Longitudinal OIV. .. .... .. .... ... N/A 

Lateral OIV.... ................... N/A 

Longitudinal RA......... .... ... . N/A 

Lateral RA.... .. ........ ....... ... N/A 

THIV...... ..... ...... .. .... ....... . N/A 

PHD .. ... ....... ... .............. ... N/A 

ASI. ....... ....... ...... ..... ....... N/A 

Test Article Deflections 

Maximum Debris Field.... .. . 299.4ft. (91.2 m) downstream 

26.8 ft. (8.2 m) right 

Vehicle Damage 

Vehicle Damage Scale ...... .. . N/A 

CDC ...... ....... .. ... ............. NIA 

Maximum Intrusion.... ... ... Windshield 0.2 in. (6 mm) 

*Not Applicable, device weighs less than 220 lbs (100 kg) 

15 TR-P38054-01-A 
________________________ 

MASH 2016 Test 3-72 Summary 

90° CIA 0° CIA 

0.940 s 0.700 0.636 s 0.300 s 0.045 s 0.000 s 

23.3ft [7.lM) ◊ ◊ 

,__ ,502.4ft. [1 53.lM 1--------------------------' 

General Information 

Test Agency ..... ....... ..... .... . KARCO Engineering, LLC. 

KARCO Test No ........... ..... P38060-01 

Test Designation ...... ....... .. . 3-72 

Test Date ............ ..... ... ..... 02/28/18 

Test Article 

Name/ Model.. ... .. .... ...... 50SM-NS 

Type ....... .. .. .. ............... ... Work-Zone Traffic Control Device 

Installation Length ...... ........ Signs 60 ft. (18.3 m) apart 

Sign Height... ............... 10.2 ft. (3.1 m) 

Road Surface.............. ..... . Concrete 

Test Vehicle 

Type I Designation .............. 2270P 

Year, Make, and Model. ....... 2013 Ram 1500 

Curb Mass .... .................... 4,994.5 lbs (2,265.5 kg) 

Test Inertial Mass ......... ...... 5,012.1 lbs (2,273.5 kg) 

Gross Static Mass ........ ... ... 5 012.1 lbs (2 273.5 kg) 

Figure 2 Summary of Test 3-72 

Impact Conditions 

Impact Velocity (0°) .. .. .. ...... 63.90 mph (102.83 km/h) 

Impact Velocity (90°)........... 62.57 mph (100.70 km/h) 

Impact Angle Sign 1 ........ .... 90° 

Impact Angle Sign 2...... o• 

Sign 1 Impact Location Offset 19.6 in. (498 mm) 

Sign 2 Impact Location Offset 19.6 in. (498 mm) 

Kinetic Energy (0°)..... 684.1 kip-ft (927.5 kJ) 

Kinetic Energy (90°) ........... 656.0 kip-ft (889.4 kJ) 

Exit Conditions 

Exit Velocity (0°) ...... ....... ... . 63.43 mph (1 02.08 km/h) 

Exit Velocity (90°) ............... 61.94 mph (102.08 km/h) 

Exit Angle (0°) ................... N/A 

Exit Angle (90°) ..................N/A 

Final Vehicle Position .. .. ...... 502.4 ft. (153.1 m) downstream 

23.3 ft. (7.1 ml riaht 

Occupant Risk* 

Longitudinal OIV. ... ... .. ....... N/A 

Lateral OIV ........ .... ........... NIA 

Longitudinal RA...... .. .... ..... N/A 

Lateral RA........................ N/A 

THIV......... .. ........... ...... .. . N/A 

PHO.. ..... ......................... N/A 

ASI. ...................... .. .. ...... N/A 

Test Article Deflections 

Maximum Debris Field.. ..... 155.3 ft. (47.3 m) downstream 

28.8 ft. (8.8 m) right 

Vehicle Damage 

Vehicle Damage Scale ........ .N/A 

CDC............................ N/A 

Maximum Intrusion.......... N/A 

*Not Applicable, device weighs less than 220 lbs (1 00 kg) 

14 TR-P38060-01-A 
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