1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E. 

Washington, DC 20590 February 27, 2009 

In Reply Refer To: HSSD/LS-68 

Mr. John F. Boozer III, P.E. 

Engineering Manager 

Shakespeare Composite Structures 

19845 US Highway 76 

Newberry, SC 29108 

Dear Mr. Boozer: 

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

acceptance of roadside safety devices for use on the National Highway System (NHS). 

 Name of devices: Shakespeare decorative poles (14) 

 Type of device: Luminaire Support 

 Test Level: Test Level 3 

 Testing conducted by: Texas Transportation Institute 

 Date of request: January 20, 2009 

 Date of follow-up: January 27, 2009 

The 14 devices submitted with your request include: 

Series: Name, Base Diameter (inches) Series, Name, Base Diameter (inches)

AA15: Adams, 15 AM20: Madison, 20 

AAN19: Anaheim, 19 AMB18: Monterey, 18 

ABO19: Boise, 19 ASB10: Steamboat, 10 

ACH9: Charleston, 9 AP13: Washington, 13 

APB17: Pittsburg, 17 AP17: Washington, 17 

AJ20: Jefferson, 20 AP20: Washington, 20 

AM17: Madison, 17 AP24: Washington, 24 

You requested that we find these 14 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.” 

Requirements

Roadside safety devices should meet the guidelines contained in the NCHRP Report 350, 

"Recommended Procedures for the Safety Performance Evaluation of Highway Features". The 

FHWA memorandum “ACTION: Identifying Acceptable Highway Safety Features” of 

July 25, 1997, provides further guidance on crash testing requirements of luminaire supports. 
2

Description 

From the 14 devices listed above to be considered for acceptance, the Shakespeare AP20 

luminaire support was determined to be reasonably representative of this product series. This 

product series of decorative luminaire supports conforms to the general construction details 

enclosed as a reference. Two AP20 decorative luminaire supports were tested and evaluated for 

crashworthy performance at the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) outdoor pendulum testing 

facility. The weight of the pole base was 111 pounds and the round light fixture was 22 pounds, 

totaling a weight of 133 pounds. The pole base is a 20-inch diameter fiberglass reinforced 

composite with a 7-inch diameter hole at the center to accommodate wiring. For the first test, 

the base was attached to a rigid mounting plate with 3/4-inch bolts and standard 3/4-inch round 

washers. For the second test, the base was attached with 3/4-inch bolts and standard 3/4-inch 

round washers and shop made 1/8-inch by 2-inch by 2-inch washers. In the first test, the hand 

hole was placed to the opposite side of impact and for the second test it was placed on the impact 

side. Drawings of the AP20 support are enclosed. 

Crash Testing

Your company’s decorative lighting pole was tested at TTI’s outdoor pendulum testing facility, 

as a surrogate for full-scale crash testing. The pendulum bogie was built according the 

specifications of the Federal Outdoor Impact Laboratory's pendulum, and the frontal crush of the 

aluminum honeycomb nose of the bogie simulated the crush of an actual vehicle. Tests with 

pendulums are acceptable for most breakaway supports, exceptions being base bending or 

yielding supports. 

Two low speed pendulum tests were conducted on Shakespeare’s AP20 decorative luminaire 

support. Summaries of the two test results are enclosed. The tested AP20 decorative luminaire 

support met the NCHRP Report 350 occupant risk criteria. In addition, TTI extrapolated the 

high-speed performance of the AP20 luminaire support from the low speed pendulum tests. The 

test articles appear to perform appropriately to make such high-speed extrapolations. The 

high-speed extrapolations yield lower change in velocity values than the paired low speed 

pendulum test. 

In the two tests with the AP20 decorative luminaire supports, the base separated from the ground 

and the lighting pole separated from the decorative base section. The base fractured at ground 

line and this performance satisfies the FHWA limit of maximum 3.9 inch stub height remaining 

after a support breaks away. 

Findings

In summary, the Shakespeare series of decorative luminaire supports listed above, including the 

AP20 support, meet the appropriate evaluation criteria for NCHRP 350 Test Level 3. 

Installations should include breakaway wiring connections that will not interfere with the 

crashworthy performance of these devices. These devices may be used at all appropriate 

locations on the NHS when selected by the contracting authority, subject to the provisions of 

Title 23, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 635.411 as they pertain to proprietary products. 
3

Standard provisions 

Please note the following standard provisions that apply to the FHWA letters of acceptance: 

 This acceptance is limited to the crashworthiness characteristics of the device 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, 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, 

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 

LS-68 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 Shakespeare decorative luminaire supports are patented products and considered 

proprietary. If proprietary devices are specified by a highway agency for use on Federal-aid 

projects, except exempt, non-NHS 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 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 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, 

David A. Nicol 

Director, Office of Safety Design 

Office of Safety 

Enclosures 
.. 

~Shakespeare 

~:Composite Structures 

19845 US Highway 76, Newberry, South Carolina 29108 

800.800.9008 . 803.276.5504 . f/803.276.8940 

www.skp-cs.com 

General construction details for Shakespeare anchor base decorative light poles 

Shaft: 7 inch 00 at bottom end, made from two layers of 34 oz per square yard stitched 

fiberglass fabric and thermoset polyester resin. 

Base: Outside dimensions as shown in catalog data, made from two layers of 24 oz per square 

yard woven fiberglass roving and polyester resin 

Anchor plate: Fits inside the bottom of the base, made from two layers of the 34 oz. per sq. 

yard fabric and polyester resin. 

The shaft attaches to the base via a telescopic joint that is bonded with polyester adhesive. 

The anchor plate is bonded into the bottom of the base with polyester adhesive. 

Shakespeare Composite Structures is a Philips group brand PHILIPS 
3' o.D· 1 '=-13' 

ALUMINUM TENON 

4 3/4' DIA. 

NOM. 

FLUTED TAPERED SHAFT 

16 FLUTES 

7' DIA. 

NOM. 

3 112' X 5 112' --"" 

X 6 1/2' HANDHoLE 

7' DIA. \JIRING 

ENTRANCE HOLE 

20' ~ DIA. 

14'-0' 

NOTES: 

l-COlOR - BLACK 

2-FINISH - SEMI-GLOSS 

3-MATERIAL - FIBERGLASS REINFORCED 

COMPOSITE EXCEPT AS NOTED 

HAND HOLE LOCATION 

13/16' 'WIDE X 2-5/ 16' LONG SLOTS 

<TYP 4 PLACES) EQUALLY SPACED 

ON A 12' TO IS' BHC 

ANCHOR PLATE DETAIL 

1--4----------+--+----i DESCRIPTIONI 

LET WAS BY DATE 

14'-0" SEMI-GLOSS BLACK 

ORN LIGHT POLE 

~ITH 20" ~ASHINGTON BASE 

AP20-14FSll 
Tahle l) 1. Summary of results for pendululll test 400001-SCS PI. 

-~ 

General Information 

Test Agency .. ........ .......... .. Texas Transportation Institute 

Test No. ..... .. .... .......... .. ..... ................... 400001 -SCS P1 

Date ... .. ..... ................................ ... ................... 2008-09-05 

Test Article 

Type............. .................. ...... .... ........... . ..... . Light Support 

Name ...... Shakespeare 14.5 ft AP20-14 FS 11 Light Support 

Installation Height .. ........ ...... .. ... ................................. 14 .5 ft 

Material of Key Element ... . Fiberglass Reinforced Composite 

Soil Type ......................... . ................... Rigid Mounting Plate 

Test Vehicle 

Type.................... ..... . .. ........... . .............. ... ... Bogie 

Designation . ..... . . ........ . ... ......... Pendulum i 

Test Inertia Mass ............................ ......... ............... ... . 839 kg 

Impact Conditions 

Speed ..... . ..................... .............. ............... .... 21.4 mi/h 

Angle . .............. ..... .............. ............ ..... ....... ......... 90 deg 

Occupant Risk Values 

Impact Velocity 

Longitudinal direction ....... ............... ........................ .. . 8.9 ft/s 

Ridedown Accelerations 

'-r-___ ~...,....;. ........... ;,._----..-', Longitudinal direction ............................. ...... ............... -14 g's I Maximum Change in Velocity...... ........ .... . .... .......... 8.9 fUs I Predicted High-Speed Change in V~locity '" .53 ftls 

I . - - - . 

I 

, 

~ '- - ~ .. , - .. 

0.240 5 
Tahl\.' D2. Summary of results for pendulum test 4()()OOl-SCS 1'2. 

i 

1 General Information 

; Test Agency... ...... . ... ......... .. Texas Transportation Institute 

I Test No. ..... ... ... .. . . .. .... .. ...... .. 400001-SCS P2 

: Date .. .. ....... ........ . . ........ ...... .. .... ........ ... .... . .. .. 2008-09-05 

Test Article 

Type ........ ...... .... .. ... ... ... ....... ....... ...... .. .......... ...... Light Support 

Name ...... Shakespeare 14.5 ft AP20-14FS11 Light Support 

Installation Height .... ... ....... ..... . .. ........... ....... .. .. ...... .. 14.5 ft 

Material of Key Element ..... Fiberglass Reinforced Composite 

"""'l":" ....... -,.-; 

Soil Type ............. .. . . .... .. ........ ........ ... Rigid Mounting Plate 

. Test Vehicle 

Type .... . .. .... ............ ......... ........ ... ... .. .. ...... .. ..... Bogie 

Designation .. .... . ... .. .......... .. ... .... ........ ....... .... .. Pendulum 

Test Inertia Mass .. · ...... ..... ..... ... . ....... ...... ... .. ....... .... 839 kg 

Impact Conditions 

Speed .. .. .. · .... ··· .... ··· .. .. ·· .. .. ........ .. .. .... .... ....... 21 .4 mi/h 

Angle. .. ........ ... .. .............. .. ...... ...... ... .. ..... ........... 90 deg 

Occupant Risk Values 

Impact Velocity 

Longitudinal direction .. ... ... .... ' .. ...... .. .............. ............ 9.8 ft/s 

Ridedown Accelerations 

Longitudinal direction .... . ......... ............. ......... .. ... ..... -1 .2 g's 

Maximum Change in Velocity .............. ... ... .... .......... 7.9 ftls 

Predicted High-Speed Change in V~locity ............ .4.96 ft/s 

- "I . I 

;1 

.' ~." "" -" T . ~~ r::. 

~I 

0.252 s 

._- - ------'---. __ .. _-........ _-- - - --_ _ --1