1200 New Jersey Ave., SE

 Washington, D.C. 20590

1 

In Reply Refer To: 

HSST-1/WZ-441 

Greg Spear

The Cortina Companies, Cortina Safety Products 

10706 West Grand Ave, 

Franklin Park, IL 60131 

United States of America 

Dear Mr. Spear: 

We received your correspondence of November 12, 2021 requesting issuance of a 

reimbursement eligibility letter under the Federal-aid highway program for the roadside safety 

system, device, design, product, or hardware (collectively “device”) described below. This letter 

is assigned Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) control number WZ-441. 

ELIGIBILITY LETTERS

The FHWA issues Federal-aid reimbursement eligibility letters for new roadside safety devices

that are crash tested in accordance with the industry standard of the American Association of 

State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware 

(MASH). 

FHWA, the Department of Transportation, and the United States (government) do not regulate 

roadside safety devices, crash test facilities, or the manufacturing industry. Issuance of 

eligibility letters is discretionary and provided only as a service to the states. FHWA may, at its 

discretion, decline to issue, revise, or rescind an eligibility letter. Eligibility letters are only 

issued by the FHWA headquarters Office of Safety. 

Eligibility letters are issued only as notice to the states that a device is eligible for reimbursement 

under the Federal-aid highway program. They do not establish approval or certification for any 

other purpose. Issuance of an eligibility letter is not a prerequisite or requirement for state 

transportation agencies seeking to use Federal-aid funds for roadside safety devices. State 

agencies may use a device for which an eligibility letter has not been issued and seek Federal-aid 

reimbursement. 

FEDERAL-AID REIMBURSEMENT

The request for issuance of this letter certified the device was crash tested in accordance with the 

industry standard of AASHTO’s MASH. This eligibility letter is based on that certification and 

the material offered in support of its issuance. The device described below is eligible for 

reimbursement under the Federal-aid highway program. 

November 3, 2022
2 

Name of system: Cortina QuadraFlex VI Economy Tri-Pod Sign Stand with 48” X 48” 

Roll-Up Sign

Type of system: Work Zone 

Test Level: Test Level 3

 Testing conducted by: Applus IDIADA KARCO Engineering, LLC 

Date of request: November 12, 2021 

Information about the device, including material such as the eligibility request, crash test reports, 

drawings, or images are included in one or more attachment(s) to this letter. 

Eligibility letter WZ-441 is inapplicable to devices, optional equipment, alternate materials, or 

other features that were not crash tested in accordance with AASHTO’s MASH. 

This letter is issued only for the subject device as crash tested under AASHTO’s MASH. Later 

modification(s) of the device are not eligible for Federal-aid reimbursement under this letter. 

Notice of later modification(s) should be given to transportation agencies, facility owners, and 

operators (collectively “agencies”). 

Agencies should be provided appropriate information about the device’s design, installation, 

maintenance, materials, and mechanical properties. 

 

Issuance of this letter is discretionary, and it may be revised or rescinded at FHWA’s discretion. 

This letter is not a determination of compliance with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control 

Devices for Streets and Highways (MUTCD) or ownership of any intellectual property rights. 

This eligibility letter is not a determination by the government that a crash involving the subject 

device will result in any particular outcome. It is limited to only the device’s eligibility for 

Federal-aid reimbursement. 

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 

Issuance of this eligibility letter does not convey property rights of any sort nor any exclusive 

privilege. This letter is not authorization or consent by the government for the use, manufacture, 

or sale of any patented or proprietary system, device, design, product, or hardware for which the 

requester is not the patent owner. Eligibility letters are not an expression of any view, position, 

or determination by the government as to the validity, scope, or ownership of any intellectual 

property rights to a specific device. These letters do not grant, impute, suggest, or otherwise 

establish any ownership, distribution, or licensing rights to the requester. The government 

expresses no opinion about the intellectual property rights relating to any device for which this or 

any other eligibility letter is issued. 

PUBLIC DISCLOSURE

To prevent any misunderstanding, and as discussed above, this eligibility letter is assigned 

FHWA control number WZ-441. It should only be reproduced in full with its attachment(s). 

This letter and the material offered by the requester supporting its issuance is public information. 
3 

All eligibility letters and supporting material are subject to public disclosure under the Freedom 

of Information Act (FOIA). Eligibility letters are available to the public at 

https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/roadway_dept/countermeasures/reduce_crash_severity/. 

If you have any questions please contact Aimee Zhang at Aimee.Zhang@dot.gov. 

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

Submitter

 Date of Request: November 12, 2021 New Resubmission 

Name: Greg Spear 

Company: The Cortina Companies, Cortina Safety Products 

Address: 10706 West Grand Ave. Franklin Park, IL 60131 

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 Level ! - ! - ! 

System Type Submission Type Device Name / Variant Testing Criterion Test 

Level 

'WZ': Crash Worthy Work 

Zone Traffic Control Devices 

Physical Crash Testing 

Engineering Analysis 

Cortina QuadraFlex VI 

Economy Tri-Pod Sign 

Stand with 48" x 48" RollUp Sign 

AASHTO MASH 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: Greg Spear Same as Submitter 

Company Name: The Cortina Companies, Cortina Safety Products Same as Submitter 

Address: 10706 West Grand Ave. Franklin Park, IL 60131 Same as Submitter 

Country: United States of America Same as Submitter 

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

Eligibility Process for Safety Hardware Devices' document. 

The Cortina Companies, Cortina Safety Products is the manufacturer and marketer of device. 

Applus IDIADA KARCO Engineering, LLC (IDIADA KARCO) is an independent research and testing laboratory 

having no affiliation with any other entity. IDIADA KARCO is actively Involved In data acquisition and 

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

principals and staff of IDIADA KARCO have no past or present financial, contractual or organizational interest in 

any company or entity directly or indirectly related to the products that KARCO tests. If any financial interest 

should arise, other than receiving fees for testing, reporting, etc., with respect to any project, the company will 

provide, In writing, a full and immediate disclosure to the FHWA. 
 Version 10.0 (05/16) 

Page 2 of 5 

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION 

New Hardware or 

Significant Modification


Modification to 


Existing Hardware

Product Description of QuadraFlex VI Economy Tri-Pod Sign Stand with 48" x 48" Roll-Up Sign 

(Reference Drawing 07-822-1 Economy Tri-Pod, Standard Roll-Up Sign) 

The QuadraFlex VI Economy Tri-Pod Sign Stand is a work-zone traffic control device used to display traffic 

control signs. 

Further Description: 

The Cortina Companies QuadraFlex VI Economy Tri-Pod Sign Stand with 48" x 48" Roll-Up Sign is a work-zone 

traffic control device. For this test, a 48” x 48” roll-up sign was installed on the sign stand. The as-tested device 

consisted of a base assembly, and 48” x 48” roll-up sign. The assembled device had a total mass of 8 lbs. (3.63 

kg) and total height of 79 in. (2.01 m) from the ground. For this test, one (1) 30 lbs (13.6 kg) sandbag was used. 

The base assembly consists of, three (3) 1” steel tube legs, one (1) plate, one (1) anchor, and four (4) catch 

brackets. The two (2) front legs are 60.23 in. (1.53 m) long with two (2) catch brackets on each leg to allow the 

sign to rest on it. The one (1) rear leg is 61.51 in. (1.56 m) long. The three (3) legs of the Economy Tri-Pod are 

secured together by an anchor and plate. For this test, the two (2) front legs of the tripod were placed on the 

ground 62.32 in. apart (1.58 m) and at an angle of 60 degrees. The rear leg was placed 42.98 in. (1.09 m) apart 

from the front two (2) legs and at an angle of 45 degrees. 

The QuadraFlex VI Economy Tri-Pod Sign Stand was tested with a 48” x 48” roll-up sign for this test. The roll-up 

sign is made up of the flexible substrate sign mounted to two (2) fiberglass cross brace ribs measuring 1.25 in. 

wide by 65.0 in. long each. 

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: Noah Partida 

Engineer Signature: Noah Partida Digitally signed by Noah Partida 

DN: cn=Noah Partida, o, ou, email=noah.partida@idiada.com, c=US 

Date: 2022.06.01 15:56:28 -07'00' 

Address: 9270 Holly Road, Adelanto, CA 92301 Same as Submitter 

Country: United States of America Same as Submitter

 A brief description of each crash test and its result: 

Required Test 

Number 

Narrative 

Description 

Evaluation 

Results 

3-70 (1100C) 

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 lbs (100 kg). 

The as-tested device weighed 10 lbs (5 kg) 

and therefore Test 70 was not performed. 

Non-Relevant Test, not conducted 
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Page 3 of 5 

Required Test 

Number 

Narrative 

Description 

Evaluation 

Results 

3-71 (1100C) 

An 1100C test vehicle approached the test 

article at a nominal speed of 62 mph (100 

km/h). The QuadraFlex VI Economy Tri-Pod 

Sign Stand impact was oriented at 90° and 

0°. The test vehicle impacted the 90° CIA 

device at a speed of 62.96 mph (101.33 km/ 

h). The vehicle’s front bumper first made 

contact with the lower mast's front left leg. 

Upon impact, the roll-up sign and the leg 

deformed around the vehicles's front 

bumper. As the vehicle proceeded forward, 

the upper and lower masts separated and 

overpassed the vehicle. The occupant 

compartment was not penetrated and the 

MASH deformation limits were not 

exceeded. The test vehicle impacted the 0° 

CIA device at a velocity of 61.55 mph (99.05 

km/h). The vehicle’s front bumper made 

contact with the lower masts front legs and 

the roll-up sign. The legs deformed around 

the vehicle’s front end and remained intact. 

As the vehicle proceeded forward, the 

upper and lower masts separated and then 

overpassed the vehicle. The occupant 

compartment was not penetrated and the 

MASH deformation limits were not 

exceeded. The QuadraFlex VI Tri-Pod Sign 

Stand met all the requirements for MASH 

Test 3-71. 

PASS 
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Page 4 of 5 

3-72 (2270P) 

A 2270P test vehicle approached the test 

article at a nominal speed of 62 mph (100 

km/h). The QuadraFlex VI Economy Tri-Pod 

Sign Stand impact was oriented at 90° and 

0°. The test vehicle impacted the 90° CIA 

device at a velocity of 65.54 mph (105.48 

km/h). The vehicle’s front bumper first 

made contact with the upper mast's roll-up 

sign and the lower mast's front left leg. 

Upon impact, the lower and upper masts 

wrapped around the front of the vehicle. As 

the vehicle proceeded forward, the upper 

and lower masts separated and then 

overpassed the vehicle. The occupant 

compartment was not penetrated and the 

MASH deformation limits were not 

exceeded. The test vehicle impacted the 0° 

CIA device at a velocity of 63.97 mph 

(102.95 km/h). The vehicle’s front bumper 

first made contact with upper mast's roll-up 

sign and the lower mast's front left leg. 

Upon impact, the device deformed around 

the vehicle’s front end and broke apart. The 

occupant compartment was not penetrated 

and the MASH deformation limits were not 

exceeded. The QuadraFlex VI Economy TriPod Sign Stand met all the requirements for 

MASH Test 3-72. 

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: Applus IDIADA KARCO Engineering, LLC. 

Laboratory Signature: Noah Partida Digitally signed by Noah Partida 

DN: cn=Noah Partida, o, ou, email=noah.partida@idiada.com, c=US 

Date: 2022.06.01 15:56:07 -07'00' 

Address: 9270 Holly Road, Adelanto, CA 92301 Same as Submitter 

Country: United States of America Same as Submitter 

Accreditation Certificate 

Number and Dates of current 

Accreditation period : 

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

Submitter Signature*:Greg Spear Digitally signed by Greg Spear

Date: 2022.06.02 07:35:28 

-05'00'

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 
13 TR-P40339-01-C 

MASH 2016 Test 3-71 Summary

90° CIA 0° CIA

0.000 seconds 0.100 seconds 0.200 seconds 0.600 seconds 0.700 seconds 0.800 seconds

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GENERAL INFORMATION

Test Agency Applus IDIADA KARCO

Test Number P40339-01

Test Designation MASH 3-71

Test Date 3/30/21

TEST ARTICLE

Name / Model Quadraflex VI Economy Tri-Pod Sign Stand 

with 48" x 48" Roll-Up Sign

Type Work-Zone Device

Device Height 5.1 ft. (1.6 m)

Key Elements Leg Assembly, Roll-Up Sign

Road Surface ...Smooth, clean concrete

TEST VEHICLE

Type / Designation ...1100C

Year, Make, and Model ...2015 Kia Rio

Curb Mass 2,528.7 lbs (1,147.0 kg)

Test Inertial Mass 2,449.3 lbs (1,111.0 kg)

Gross Static Mass ...2,622.4 lbs (1,189.5 kg)

Impact Conditions

Impact Velocity Device 1 62.96 mph (101.33 km/h)

Impact Velocity Device 2 61.55 mph (99.05 km/h)

Device 1 Location / Orientation 19.0 in. (483 mm) From Vehicle 

Centerline on Passenger Side

Device 2 Location / Orientation 13.7 in. (349 mm) From Vehicle 

Centerline on Driver Side

Device 1 Angle 90.0°

Device 2 Angle 0.0°

Device 1 Kinetic Energy 324.6 kip-feet (440.1 Kilojoules)

Device 2 Kinetic Energy 310.1 kip-feet (420.5 Kilojoules)

Minimum KE Required 288 kip-feet (390 Kilojoules)

Exit Conditions

Device 1 Exit Velocity 62.40 mph (100.4 km/h)

Device 2 Exit Velocity 60.74 mph (97.8 km/h)

Vehicle Resting Position 297.7 ft. (90.7 m) Downstream

2.2 ft. (0.7 m) Left

90° - Vehicle Stability Satisfactory

0° - Vehicle Stability Satisfactory

90° - Maximum Roll Angle Did Not Exceed 75°

90° - Maximum Pitch Angle Did Not Exceed 75°

0° - Maximum Roll Angle Did Not Exceed 75°

0° - Maximum Pitch Angle Did Not Exceed 75°

Occupant Risk

Longitudinal OIV Not Applicable*

Lateral OIV Not Applicable*

Longitudinal RA Not Applicable*

Lateral RA Not Applicable*

THIV Not Applicable*

PHD Not Applicable*

ASI Not Applicable*

.........

Test Article Deflections

90° - Device Debris Field (longitudinal) 74.0 ft. (22.6 m)

90° - Device Debris Field (lateral) 31.7 ft. (9.6 m)

0° - Device Debris Field (longitudinal) 156.5 ft. (47.7 m)

0° - Sign Debris Field (lateral) 9.7 ft. (3.0 m)

Vehicle Damage

Vehicle Damage Scale 12-FD-1

CDC............................................. 12FDAW1

90° - Maximum Deformation MASH Deformation Limits Not 

Exceeded 0.0 in. (0 mm) 

0° - Maximum Deformation MASH Deformation Limits Not 

Exceeded 0.0 in. (0 mm) 

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

Figure 2 Summary of Test 3-71 
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13 TR-P40340-01-C 

MASH 2016 Test 3-72 Summary

90° CIA 0° CIA

0.000 seconds 0.060 seconds 0.120 seconds 0.630 seconds 0.690 seconds 0.750 seconds

General Information

Test Agency Applus IDIADA KARCO

Test Number P40340-01

Test Designation... MASH 3-72

Test Date 4/6/21

Test Article

Name / Model QuadraFlex VI Economy Tri-Pod Sign 

Stand with 48" x 48" Roll-Up Sign

Type Work-Zone Traffic Device

Device Height 6.6 ft. (2 m)

Key Elements Leg Assembly, Roll-Up Sign

Road Surface Smooth, clean concrete

Test Vehicle

Type / Designation 2270P

Year, Make, and Model 2015 Ram 1500

Curb Mass 5,044.1 lbs (2,2880.0 kg)

Test Inertial Mass 5,009.9 lbs (2,272.5 kg)

Gross Static Mass 5,009.9 lbs (2,272.5 kg)

Impact Conditions

Impact Velocity Device 1 65.54 mph (105.48 km/h)

Impact Velocity Device 2 63.97 mph (102.95 km/h)

Device 1 Location / Orientation 23.2 in. (591 mm) From Vehicle 

Centerline on Passenger Side

Device 2 Location / Orientation 20.5 in. (521 mm) From Vehicle 

Centerline on Driver Side

Device 1 Angle 90.0°

Device 2 Angle 0.0°

Device 1 Kinetic Energy 719.4 kip-feet (975.5 Kilojoules)

Device 2 Kinetic Energy 685.4 kip-feet (929.2 kilojoules)

Minimum Required KE 594.0 kip-feet (806.0 Kilojoules)

Exit Conditions

Device 1 Exit Velocity 65.08 mph (104.7 km/h)

Device 2 Exit Velocity 63.75 mph (102.6 km/h)

Vehicle Resting Position 349.3 ft. (106.5 m) Downstream

5.8 ft. (1.8 m) Left

90° - Vehicle Stability Satisfactory

0° - Vehicle Stability Satisfactory

90° - Maximum Roll Angle Did Not Exceed 75°

90° - Maximum Pitch Angle Did Not Exceed 75°

0° - Maximum Roll Angle Did Not Exceed 75°

0° - Maximum Pitch Angle Did Not Exceed 75°

Occupant Risk

Longitudinal OIV Not Applicable*

Lateral OIV Not Applicable*

Longitudinal RA Not Applicable*

Lateral RA Not Applicable*

THIV Not Applicable*

PHD Not Applicable*

ASI Not Applicable*

Test Article Deflections

90° Sign Debris Field (longitudinal) 92.4 ft. (28.2 m)

90° Sign Debris Field (lateral) 39.9 ft. (12.1 m)

0° Sign Debris Field (longitudinal) 161.2 ft. (49.1 m)

0° Sign Debris Field (lateral) 14.8 ft. (4.5 m)

Vehicle Damage

Vehicle Damage Scale 12-FD-1

CDC 12FDAW1

90° - Maximum Deformation MASH Deformation Limits Not 

Exceeded (0.0 in.) 0 mm 

0° - Maximum Deformation MASH Deformation Limits Not 

Exceeded (0.0 in.) 0 mm 

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

Figure 2 Summary of Test 3-72 
CORTINA SAFETY PRODUCTS 

QUADRAF LEX VI ECONOMY 

TRI-POD SIGN STAND 

/ 

0 

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N 

0 

0

"' 

"' 

0 

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.... 

10706 West Grand Avenue? Franklin Park, IL 60131 ? workzone@cortinaco.com 

195 Edward Street? St. Thomas, ON N5P 124? 519-631-2900? workzonecanada@cortinaco.com