U.S. Department 

of Transportation 

Federal Highway 

Administration 

June 3, 2020 

1200 New Jersey Ave., SE 

Washington, D.C. 20590 

In Reply Refer To: 

HSST-1/WZ-411 

Mr. Henry A. Ross 

Plasticade 

100 Howard Avenue 

Des Plaines, IL 60018 

USA 

Dear Mr. Ross: 

This letter is in response to your February 24, 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-411 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: 

• Plasticade® Verticade® Vertical Panel Barricade

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. 
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: Plasticade® Verticade® Vertical Panel Barricade 

Type of system: Work Zone 

Test Level: MASH Test Level 3 (TL3) 

Testing conducted by: Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI). 

Date of request: February 24, 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 of eligibility designated as FHWA 

control number WZ-411 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 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 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 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Request for Federal Aid Reimbursement Eligibility 

of Highway Safety Hardware 

Submitter 

Date of Request: February24,2020 New Resubmission 

Name: HenryA.Ross 

Company: Plasticade 

Address: 100HowardAvenue,DesPlaines,IL60018 

Country: U.S.A. 

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&TestingCriterion-Enter from right to left starting with TestLevel ! -! - ! ! -! -! 

SystemType SubmissionType DeviceName / Variant TestingCriterion Test 

Level 

' 

'

WZ'':CrashWorthyWorkZon 

ZoneTrafficControl Devices 

PhysicalCrashTesting 

Engineering Analysis 

Plasticade®Verticade® 

Barricade 

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: HenryA.Ross SameasSubmitter 

CompanyName: Plasticade SameasSubmitter 

Address: 100Howard Avenue,DesPlaines,IL60018 SameasSubmitter 

Country: U.S.A. SameasSubmitter 

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

Eligibility Process for Safety Hardware Devices' document. 

TexasA&MTransportation Institute(TTI)wascontracted byPlasticade®toperform full-scalecrash testing of the 

Plasticade®Verticade®. Thereare noshared financial interests in thePlasticade®Verticade®byTTI,or between 

Plasticade®andTTI,other than costsinvolved in theactual crash testsandreportsfor thissubmission toFHWA. 

690900-PLP11&12 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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PRODUCT DESCRIPTION 

New Hardware or Modification to 

Significant Modification ExistingHardware 

TheVerticade®barricade is43.5inchestall, 21 incheswide,and 36 incheslong (base/feet). Thetestarticle 

consistedof threemain componentsmadefromHDPE(High DensityPolyethylene) plastic connected at the 

bottom with hinges,steel hardware,andaspring oneach foot to keep thesign portion upright andallow for 

rotation. Asafetylight (Empco-LiteModel 2006with fourD-cell batteries)wasattached to the top of the test 

article, bringing the total height of thebarricadeto 51inchesto the top of thesafetylight. Each barricade 

weigheda total of 32 lb (including 14 lb of internal ballast sand in thefeet (7 lb each foot)and the3-lbsafety 

light). 

CRASH TESTING 

Bysignaturebelow, 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: D.LanceBullard,Jr.,P.E. 

EngineerSignature: 

Address: 3100SH47,Bldg 7091,Bryan,TX,77807 SameasSubmitter 

Country: U.S.A. SameasSubmitter 

A brief description of each crash test and its result: Help 

D.LanceBullard,Jr. Digitally signed by D.LanceBullard,Jr. 

Date:2020.03.02 08:42:13-06'00' 

RequiredTest 

Number 

Narrative 

Description 

Evaluation 

Results 

3-70(1100C) 

MASHstatesthat Test3-70 forsmall 

vehiclesisconsideredoptional for workzone trafficcontrol devicesweighing less 

than 220 lb, because velocity changes 

during low-speed impactswith freestanding, lightweight featureswill be within 

acceptable limits. ThePlasticade® 

Verticade®Barricade traffic control device 

weighed 32 lb (including14 lb of internal 

ballastsand in thefeet (7 lb eachfoot)and 

the3-lbsafetylight).Therefore,MASHTest 

3-70 was not performed on this traffic 

control device. 

Non-Critical,not conducted 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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RequiredTest 

Number 

3-71(1100C) 

Narrative 

Description 

MASHTest3-71 involved an 1100Cvehicle 

weighing 2420 lb ±55 lb impacting the 

trafficcontrol deviceat an impactspeedof 

62 mi/h ±2.5 mi/h. Per MASH 

recommendations,thedevice wastestedat 

critical impactangles(CIAs)of 90°±1.5°and 

0°±1.5°. 

Theresultsof test690900-PLP11conducted 

on October 28, 2019 are found in TTI Test 

Report number690900-PLP11&12.Thetest 

vehicle wastravelingat an impactspeedof 

63.6 mi/h when it contacted the first 

barricade at an impact angle of 0°. The 

vehicle wastravelingat an impactspeedof 

62.7 mi/h and impact angle of 90° when it 

contacted thesecondbarrier.Brakeson the 

vehicle were applied after loss of contact 

with the second barricade, and the vehicle 

came to rest 228 ft downstream of the 

impact. The barricades fractured into 

several pieces. For the first barricade, one 

foot came to rest 15 ft downstream of 

impact and 4 ft to the right of the vehicle 

path,and thesecond foot cameto rest75ft 

downstream of impact and 6 ft to the right 

of the vehicle path. The panel of the first 

barricadecameto rest135 ft downstream of 

impact and 60 ft to the left of the vehicle 

path. For the second barricade, one foot 

came to rest 37 ft downstream of impact 

and the second foot came to rest 192 ft 

downstream of impact. The panel came to 

rest141ft downstream of impactand5 ft to 

the left of the vehicle path. The front 

bumper and hood were damaged. The 

hood sustained two indentations: one 

measuring14inches× 20inches× 1.0inch 

deep on the left side, and asecond 

measuring 1 inches × 2 inches × 0.25 inch 

deep at the right rear of the hood. There 

was no damage to the windshield. No 

occupant compartment deformation or 

intrusionwas observed. 

MASH does not require instrumentation of 

the vehicle when impacting lightweight, 

freestanding work zone traffic control 

devicesweighing lessthan220lb, therefore 

the occupant risk factors were not 

calculated for this test. The Plasticade® 

Verticade®Barricade weighed 32 lb 

(including 14 lb of internal ballast sand in 

thefeet (7lb each foot)and the3-lbsafety 

light). 

The Verticade®performed acceptably for 

MASHtest3-71with impactanglesof 0°and 

90°. 

Evaluation 

Results 

PASS 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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3-72(2270P) 

MASHTest3-72 involvesa2270Pvehicle 

weighing 5000 lb ±110 lb impacting the 

trafficcontrol deviceat an impactspeedof 

62 mi/h ±2.5 mi/h. Per MASH 

recommendations,thedevice wastestedat 

critical impactangles(CIAs)of 90°±1.5°and 

0°±1.5°. 

Theresultsof test690900-PLP12conducted 

on October 28, 2019 are found in TTI Test 

Report number690900-PLP11&12.Thetest 

vehicle wastravelingat an impactspeedof 

64.0 mi/h when it contacted the first 

barricade at an impact angle of 0°. The 

vehicle wastravelingat an impactspeedof 

62.9 mi/h and impact angle of 90° when it 

contacted thesecondbarrier.Brakeson the 

vehicle were applied after loss of contact 

with the second barricade, and the vehicle 

came to rest 395 ft downstream of the 

impact and 12 ft to the left of the vehicle 

path. For the first barricade, one foot came 

to rest90ft downstream of impactand36ft 

to the right of the vehicle path, and the 

remainderof thebarricadecameto rest210 

ft downstream of impact. For the second 

barricade, one foot came to rest 120 ft 

downstream of impact and 6 ft to the right 

of thevehicle path,and theremaindercame 

to rest 180 ft downstream of impact. The 

front bumperand hood were damaged.The 

front bumper received aslight scrape. The 

hood sustained asmall indentation 

measuring 2 inches × 2 inches × 0.25 inch 

deep at the front right edge. There was no 

damage to the windshield. No occupant 

compartment deformation or intrusionwas 

observed. 

MASH does not require instrumentation of 

the vehicle when impacting lightweight, 

freestanding work zone traffic control 

devicesweighing lessthan220lb, therefore 

the occupant risk factors were not 

calculated for this test. The Plasticade® 

Verticade®Barricade weighed 32 lb 

(including 14 lb of internal ballast sand in 

thefeet (7lb each foot)and the3-lbsafety 

light). 

The Verticade®performed acceptably for 

MASHtest3-72with impactanglesof 0°and 

90°. 

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: TexasA&MTransportation Institute 

LaboratorySignature: Digitally signed by DarrellL.Kuhn 

'Date:2020.02.2816:54:37-06'00 

Address: 3100SH47,Bldg 7091,Bryan,TX,77807 SameasSubmitter 

Country: U.S.A SameasSubmitter 

Accreditation Certificate 

Number and Dates of current 

Accreditation period : 

ISO17025-2017Laboratory 

A2LACertificate Number:2821.01 

ValidTo:April 30,2021 

DigitallysignedbyHenryRoss 

SubmitterSignature*: HenryRoss Date:2020.03.0316:26:57 

-06'00' 

Submit Form 

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