U.S. Department 

of Transportation 

Federal Highway 

Administration 

June 12, 2020 

1200 New Jersey Ave., SE 

Washington, D.C. 20590 

In Reply Refer To: 

HSST-1/WZ-416 

Steve Marcotte 

Ash Creek Manufacturing 

2840 NE Airport Way 

Portland, OR 97230 

USA 

Dear Mr. Marcotte: 

This letter is in response to your May 7, 2020 request for the Federal Highway Administration 

(FHWA) 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-416 and is valid until a subsequent letter is issued by FHWA 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: 

• MS 1000X Sign Stand with 48”x48” Vinyl Roll-up Sign

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 FHWA, 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 of this 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 crashworthiness of the system and does not cover other 

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

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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: MS 1000X Sign Stand with 48”x48” Vinyl Roll-up Sign 

Type of system: Work Zone 

Test Level: MASH Test Level 3 (TL3) 

Testing conducted by: KARCO 

Date of request: May 7, 2020 

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 ofeligibility designated as FHWA 

control number WZ-416 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 FHWA to use, 

manufacture, or seU-any patented system for which the applicant is not the patent holder. 

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

determination ofvalidity, 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 FHWA eligibility letter determination is made based solely 

on the crash-testing information submitted by the requester. The FHWA 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 4 

Request for Federal Aid Reimbursement Eligibility 

of Highway Safety Hardware 

Submitter 

Date of Request: May 07, 2020 New Resubmission 

Name: Bruno Haesbaert 

Company: Applus IDIADA KARCOEngineering. LLC. 

Address: 9270 Holly Rd, Adelanto, CA 92301 

Country: United States of America 

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 L 

System Type Submission Type Device Name / Variant Testing Criterion Test 

Level 

'WZ':CrashWorthyWorkZon PhysicalCrashTesting 

EngineeringAnalysis 

MS 1000XSign Stand 

with 48" x 48"VinylRollUpSign 

AASHTO MASH TL3 

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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: Steve Marcotte Same asSubmitter 

Company Name: Ash Creek Manufacturing Same asSubmitter 

Address: 2840 NEAirport Way, Portland, OR97230 Same asSubmitter 

Country: United States of America Same asSubmitter 

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

Eligibility Process for Safety Hardware Devices' document. 

Ash Creek Manufacturing is the manufacturer and marketer of device. 

Applus IDIADA KARCOEngineering, LLC (IDIADA KARCO)isan independent research and testing laboratory 

having no affiliation with any other entity. IDIADA KARCOisactively Involved In data acquisition and 

compliance/certification testing for a variety of government agenciesand equipment manufacturers. The 

principalsandstaff of IDIADAKARCOhaveno past or present financial,contractual or organizational interest in 

anycompanyor entity directly or indirectly related to the products that KARCOtests.If anyfinancial interest 

shouldarise,other than receiving feesfor testing,reporting,etc., with respect to any project, thecompany will 

provide,In writing,a full and immediate disclosure to theFHWA. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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PRODUCT DESCRIPTION 

A brief description of each crash test and its result: 

Help 

New Hardware or Modification to 

Significant Modification Existing Hardware 

TheAshCreek Manufacturing MS1000Xsignstand isa work-zone traffic control device.Theas-tested device 

consisted of one (1)48.0 in.(1.2m)squarevinyl roll upsign, one (1) fiberglasscrossbraceassembly,one (1) flag 

yolk, three(3) flags,and one (1) baseassembly.Theas-tested device weighed approximately 26.0 lbs(11.8kg). 

Thedevice hada height of 84.0in.(2.1m) measured to the top of thesign.TheMS1000Xsignstand wastested 

with four (4)25.0 lb.(11.3kg)sand bags;one(1)for each of its legs. 

Thesquare vinyl roll-upsign wasattached to a fiberglasscrossbraceand wasset at a mounting height of 16.0 

in.(406mm) measured to the bottom corner.The top corner mounted the flag yolk which held the three(3) 

woodenstaff flagsin place.The vertical fiberglasscrossbracemember wasmounted to asquare tube which 

fed into the baseassembly. 

The baseassemblyconsisted of one (1)square tube upright, one (1) baseplate,and four (4) telescoping legs. 

The baseplate mounts the upright and telescoping legs together.Thelegsconsisted of two (2) portions: one 

(1)0.75 in.(19mm)square tube pieceand one (1)1.0 in.(25mm)squareextension tube piece.In its deployed 

state, the baseassemblyhad a footprint measuring48.0 in.(1.2m) by73.0 in.(1.8m). 

CRASH TESTING 

Bysignature below, theEngineeraffiliated with the testing laboratory,agreesin support of thissubmission 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 testsare necessary to determine the device meets 

theMASH criteria. 

Engineer Name: Bruno Haesbaert 

Digitally signed by Bruno Haesbaert EngineerSignature: Bruno Haesbaert Date: 2020.05.07 09:46:58 -07'00' 

Address: 9270 Holly Rd, Adelanto, CA 92301 Same asSubmitter 

Country: United States of America Same asSubmitter 

Help 

Required Test 

Number 

Narrative 

Description 

Evaluation 

Results 

3-70 (1100C) 

Designed to evaluate the ability of asmall 

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). 

The MS 1000X sign stand weighed 

approximately 26.0 lbs (11.8 kg) and 

therefore the test was non-relevant and not 

conducted. 

Non-Relevant Test, not conducted 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Required Test 

Number 

Narrative 

Description 

Evaluation 

Results 

3-71 (1100C) 

Applus IDIADA KARCOTest No. P40021-01. 

Test Date January 14, 2020. Crash Test 

Report No.TR-P40021-01-NCfor MASHTest 

3-71 of AshCreek Manufacturing MS1000X 

SignStand. 

Two (2) MS 1000X sign stands were 

impacted on thesame test run.Thedevices 

werespaced 60.0 ft.(18.3m)apart and set 

at two (2)critical impact angles(CIA),0°and 

90°. The 1100Csmall car used for this test 

wasa2015KiaRio 4-doorsedanwith a test 

inertial weight of 2,437.2lbs(1,105.5kg). 

The test vehicle impacted the 0° testsign at 

aspeed of 62.11 mph (99.96 km/h) and 

proceeded to impacted the 90° testsign at a 

speed of 59.90 mph (96.40 km/h). Upon 

impact, both MS 1000X's vinyl signs broke 

away from its upright assembly. The 

occupant compartment wasnot penetrated 

and the deformation limits were not 

exceeded. The MS 1000X sign stand broke 

away in a predictable manner. Debris from 

the test articles did not cause a hazard to 

the driver’s vision. The vehicle remained 

stableand upright throughout the test.The 

MS 1000X sign stand met all the 

requirementsfor MASHTest 3-71. 

PASS 

3-72 (2270P) 

Applus IDIADA KARCOTest No. P40022-01. 

Test Date January 14, 2020. Crash Test 

Report No.TR-P40022-01-NCfor MASHTest 

3-72 of AshCreek Manufacturing MS1000X 

SignStand. 

Two (2) MS 1000X sign stands were 

impacted on thesame test run.Thedevices 

were spaced 60.0 ft. (18.3 m) apart and set 

at two (2)critical impact angles(CIA),0°and 

90°.The2270Pvehicleusedfor this test was 

a2014RAM15004-door pick-up truck with 

a test inertial weight of 5,013.2lbs(2,274.0 

kg). 

The test vehicle impacted the 0° testsign at 

aspeed of 64.12 mph (103.19 km/h) and 

proceeded to impacted the 90° testsign at a 

speed of 62.63 mph (100.80 km/h). Upon 

impact, both MS 1000X's vinyl signs broke 

away from its upright assembly. The 

occupant compartment wasnot penetrated 

and the deformation limits were not 

exceeded. The MS 1000X sign stand broke 

away in a predictable manner. Debris from 

the test articles did not cause a hazard to 

the driver’s vision. The vehicle remained 

stableand upright throughout the test.The 

MS 1000X sign stand met all the 

requirementsfor MASHTest 3-72. 

PASS 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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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: Applus IDIADA KARCOEngineering, LLC. 

Digitallysigned byBruno Haesbaert LaboratorySignature: Bruno Haesbaert Date: 2020.05.07 09:46:41 -07'00' 

Address: 9270 Holly Rd, Adelanto, CA 92301 Same asSubmitter 

Country: United States of America Same asSubmitter 

Accreditation Certificate 

Number and Dates of current 

Accreditation period : 

TL 371: July 1, 2019 - July 1, 2022 

Haesbaert 

Digitally signed by Bruno 

SubmitterSignature*: Bruno Haesbaert Date: 2020.05.07 09:46:48 -07'00' 

ATTACHMENTS 

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 
CREEK MFG. INC. 

TOP VIEW 

71" 

SIGN-UP 

MS-lOOOX 

MIN~STANO 

U"tO IOP 

of stand 

L 

Fiber/lex 

verticle brace 

16" 

to bottom 

of sign 

84" 

to top of 

sign 

Figure 1: Ash Creek Manufacturing MS 1000X Sign Stand 

 B-1