1200 New Jersey Ave., SE

 Washington, D.C. 20590

May 4, 2012 

FHWA: HSST: NArtimovicht: sf: x61331:4/13/12: Revised 5/3/12

File: s: //directory folder/HSST/Artimovich/ WZ-314.docx

cc: HSST (NArtimovich; JDewar) 

In Reply Refer To:

 HSST / WZ-314

Glenda Bleau

Sales Supervisor & Product Manager

MDI Traffic Control Products

38271 W Twelve Mile Road

Farmington Hills, Michigan 48331

Dear Ms. Bleau:

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

review a roadside safety system for eligibility for reimbursement under the Federal-aid highway 

program. 

Name of system: 4814CAMA

Type of system: X-Footprint compact portable sign stand

Test Level: NCHRP Report 350 Test Level 3

Testing conducted by: N/A

Date of request: July 14, 2011

Decision:

The following device is eligible, with details provided in the form which is attached as an 

integral part of this letter:

• 4814CAMA X-Footprint compact portable sign stand

Based on a review of past crash test results and a description of the non-significant modification 

submitted by the manufacturer certifying the device described herein meets the crash test and 

evaluation criteria of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 

350, the device is eligible for reimbursement under the Federal-aid highway program. Eligibility 

for reimbursement under the Federal-aid highway program does not establish approval or 

endorsement by the FHWA for any particular purpose or use.

The FHWA, the Department of Transportation, and the United States Government do not 

endorse products or services and the issuance of a reimbursement eligibility letter is not an 

endorsement of any product or service.

Requirements

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

and evaluation criteria contained in the National Cooperative Highway Research Program 

(NCHRP) Report 350 or the American Association of State Highway and Transportation 

Officials’ Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH). 
2

Description

The crash tested stand, Model Number 4814DLK (FHWA Letter WZ-3) was modified by 

including an upright with a camlock (FHWA Letter WZ-20) instead of a “drop and lock.” We 

concur that this stand qualifies as a “compact sign stand” requiring no additional crash testing. 

Summary and Standard Provisions

Therefore, the system described and detailed in the attached form is eligible for reimbursement 

and may be installed under the range of conditions tested. 

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

• This finding of eligibility does not cover other structural features of the systems, nor 

conformity with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.

• Any changes that may influence system conformance with NCHRP Report 350 

criteria will require a new reimbursement eligibility letter.

• Should the FHWA discover that the qualification testing was flawed, that in-service 

performance reveals safety problems, or that the system is significantly different from 

the version that was crash tested, we reserve the right to modify or revoke this letter.

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

installation 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 crash test and evaluation criteria of the NCHRP Report 350.

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

number WZ-314 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. 

• This letter shall not be construed as authorization or consent by the FHWA to use, 

manufacture, or sell any patented system for which the applicant is not the patent 

holder. The FHWA does not become involved in issues concerning patent law. 

Patent issues, if any, are to be resolved by the applicant.
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• MDI portable sign stands are patented products and considered proprietary. If 

proprietary systems are specified by a highway agency for use on Federal-aid 

projects: (a) they 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. 

Sincerely yours,

Michael S. Griffith 

Director, Office of Safety Technologies

Office of Safety

Enclosures