1200 New Jersey Ave., SE

 Washington, D.C. 20590

1 

In Reply Refer To: 

HSST-1/SS-188 

Bret R. Eckert

Trinity Highway Products, LLC 

15601 Dallas Parkway, Suite 525 

Addison, TX 75001 

USA

Dear Mr. Eckert: 

We received your correspondence of December 8, 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 SS-188. 

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. 

October 5, 2022
2 

Name of system: SQR-LOC Perforated Dual Post Sign Support System

Type of system: Sign Support

Test Level: Test Level 3

Testing conducted by: Applus IDIADA KARCO Engineering, LLC 

Date of request: December 8, 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 SS-188 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 SS-188. 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. All 

eligibility letters and supporting material are subject to public disclosure under the Freedom of 
3 

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 4

Request for Federal Aid Reimbursement Eligibility

of Highway Safety Hardware

 Date of Request: December 08, 2021 New Resubmission

Name: Bret R. Eckert, P.E.

Company: Trinity Highway Products, LLC

Submitter

Address: 15601 Dallas Parkway, Suite 525, Addison, TX 75001

Country: USA

 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 ! - ! - !

Test System Type Submission Type Device Name / Variant Testing Criterion Level

'SS': Breakaway Sign SQR-LOC® Perforated, AASHTO MASH Physical Crash Testing TL3

Supports, Mailboxes, & Dual Post Sign Support Engineering Analysis other small sign supports System

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: Jim Crowley Same as Submitter

Company Name: Trinity Highway Products, LLC Same as Submitter

Address: 15601 Dallas Parkway, Suite 525, Addison, TX 75001 Same as Submitter

Country: USA 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 SQR-LOC® Perforated Dual Post Sign Support System technology is the commercial embodiment of 

intellectual property that is owned by Trinity Highway Products, LLC ("THP"). THP does not pay royalties for sales 

of the SQR-LOC® Perforated Dual Post Sign Support System. The SQR-LOC® Perforated Dual Post Sign Support 

System was designed and developed by engineers at THP. 

Applus IDIADA KARCO Engineering, LLC (KARCO) conducted the certification tests of the SQR-LOC® Perforated 

Dual Post Sign Support System. KARCO is an internationally accredited third party crash testing laboratory. 

Physical crash testing of the SQR-LOC® Perforated Dual Post Sign Support System was performed in accordance 

with testing criteria, as set forth by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials 

(AASHTO) in the Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware ("MASH") (2016). Other than fees paid to KARCO to 

conduct the tests and then analyze and report the test results, KARCO and THP do not share financial interests. 

The fees paid to KARCO were not dependent or contingent on the results of the tests.

 ! - ! - !
 Version 10.0 (05/16)

Page 2 4 of

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION 

New Hardware or 

Significant Modification

Modification to 

Existing Hardware

The SQR-LOC® Perforated, Dual Post Sign Support system consists of two, 2 inch x 12 gauge perforated square 

steel tube signposts inserted 13 inches into 2-1/4 inch x 12 gauge square steel tube anchor sleeves. The 

signposts and anchor sleeves are punched with Ø7/16 inch holes spaced on one inch centers along the length 

on all four sides. The signposts are secured to the anchor sleeves using Ø5/16 inch corner bolts and nuts. The 

anchor sleeves are 36 inches long and embedded in soil with the top 1 inch above grade. A 36 inch tall x 84 

inch wide x 0.080 inch thick aluminum sign panel is secured to the signposts with a U-channel and clamp 

system. The sign is secured to two U-channel sections using Ø3/8 inch bolts and nuts. The sign is mounted at a 

height of 7 ft. above grade to the bottom of the sign. The steel for the anchor sleeves and signposts conforms 

to ASTM A653.

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: Antonio Reyes

Engineer Signature: 

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

Country: USA Same as Submitter

 A brief description of each crash test and its result:

Required Test 

Number

Narrative 

Description

Evaluation 

Results

3-60 (1100C)

Applus IDIADA KARCO Test No. P40157-01. 

Test Date December 17, 2020. Crash Test 

Report No. TR-P40157-01-B for MASH 2016 

Test 3-60 Crash Test of Trinity Highway 

Products SQR-LOC® Perforated, Dual Post 

Sign Support, TL-3. 

The SQR-LOC® Perforated, Dual Post Sign 

Support system (P40157-01) was impacted 

by a 2016 Kia Rio 4-door sedan at a velocity 

of 18.89 mph (30.40 km/h) and a CIA of 0°. 

Upon impact, the support structure broke 

away. The occupant compartment was not 

penetrated and the deformation limits were 

not exceeded. The vehicle experienced a 

maximum occupant impact velocity (OIV) of 

13.5 ft/s (4.1 m/s) and a maximum ridedown 

acceleration (RA) of 1.7 g. 

The Trinity Highway Products SQR-LOC® 

Perforated, Dual Post Sign Support, TL-3 

Support Structure met all the requirements 

for MASH 2016 Test 3-60.

PASS
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Page 3 4 of

Required Test 

Number

Narrative 

Description

Evaluation 

Results

3-61 (1100C)

Applus IDIADA KARCO Test No. P40158-01. 

Test Date December 17, 2020. Crash Test 

Report No. TR-P40158-01-B for MASH 2016 

Test 3-61 Crash Test of Trinity Highway 

Products SQR-LOC® Perforated, Dual Post 

Sign Support, TL-3. 

The SQR-LOC® Perforated, Dual Post Sign 

Support system (P40158-01) was impacted 

by a 2015 Kia Rio 4-door sedan at a velocity 

of 64.41 mph (103.65 km/h) and a CIA of 0°. 

Upon impact, the sign support yielded and 

broke away. The occupant compartment 

was not penetrated and the deformation 

limits were not exceeded. The vehicle 

experienced a maximum occupant impact 

velocity (OIV) of 10.2 ft/s (3.1 m/s) and a 

maximum ridedown acceleration (RA) of 0.5 

g. 

The Trinity Highway Products SQR-LOC® 

Perforated, Dual Post Sign Support, TL-3 

Support Structure met all the requirements 

for MASH 2016 Test 3-61.

PASS

3-62 (2270P)

Applus IDIADA KARCO Test No. P40159-01. 

Test Date December 30, 2020. Crash Test 

Report No. TR-P40159-01-B for MASH 2016 

Test 3-62 Crash Test of Trinity Highway 

Products SQR-LOC® Perforated, Dual Post 

Sign Support, TL-3. 

The SQR-LOC® Perforated, Dual Post Sign 

Support system (P40159-01) was impacted 

by a 2014 Ram 1500 4-door pickup truck at 

a velocity of 61.29 mph (98.64 km/h) and a 

CIA of 0°. Upon impact, the support 

structure yielded and maintained contact 

with the vehicle as the vehicle came to rest 

downstream of the impact site. The 

occupant compartment was not penetrated

and the deformation limits were not 

exceeded. 

The Trinity Highway Products SQR-LOC® 

Perforated, Dual Post Sign Support, TL-3 

Support Structure met all the requirements 

for MASH 2016 Test 3-62.

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.):
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Page 4 4 of

Laboratory Name: KARCO Engineering, INC

Laboratory Signature: 

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

Country: USA Same as Submitter

Accreditation Certificate International Accreditation Services (IAS) 

Number and Dates of current ISO 17025 Accreditation Certificate #TL-371 

Accreditation period : Expires July 1, 2023

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
 

MASH 2016 Test 3-60 Summary 

0.000 seconds 0.150 seconds 0.450 seconds 0.750 seconds 1.350 seconds 

GENERAL INFORMATION 

Test Agency Applus IDIADA KARCO 

Test Number P40157-01 

Test Designation 3-60

Test Date 12/17/20 

..................... 

..................... 

............... 

......................... 

TEST ARTICLE 

Name / Model SQR-LOC®Perforated Dual 

Sign Support TL-3 

Type Support Structure 

Mounting Height 7.0 ft. (2.1 m) 

Key Elements 2.00" 12 GA Signposts 

2.25" 12GA Anchor Sleeves 

36" x 84" Aluminum Sign

Road Surface Smooth, clean concrete 

..................... 

................................. 

............... 

..................... 

 

..................... 

TEST VEHICLE 

Type / Designation 1100C 

Year, Make, and Model 2016 Kia Rio 

Curb Mass 2,559.5 lbs (1,161.0 kg) 

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

Gross Static Mass 2,620.1 lbs (1,188.5 kg) 

............ 

......... 

........................ 

............... 

............... 

Impact Conditions 

Impact Velocity 18.89 mph (30.40 km/h) 

Impact Angle 0.0° 

Kinetic Energy 29.2 kip-feet (39.6 Kilojoules) 

Maximum KE Allowed 34.0 kip-feet (46.0 Kilojoules) 

Location / Orientation 0.0 in.(0 mm) Offset from 

Centerline 

.................. 

..................... 

.................. 

....... 

......... 

Exit Conditions 

Exit Velocity 6.03 mph (9.70 km/h) 

Final Resting Position 14.8 ft. (4.5 m) Downstream 

1.3 ft. (0.4 m) Right 

Vehicle Stability Satisfactory 

Maximum Roll Angle 2.2° 

Maximum Pitch Angle 6.8° 

Maximum Yaw Angle 4.1° 

.................... 

......... 

............... 

............ 

......... 

......... 

Occupant Risk 

Longitudinal OIV 13.5 ft/s (4.1 m/s) 

Lateral OIV -0.3 ft/s (-0.1 m/s)

Longitudinal RA -1.7 g

Lateral RA -0.9 g

THIV 13.5 ft/s (4.1 m/s)

PHD 1.7 g

ASI 0.30

.............................. 

.................................... 

........................... 

................................. 

............................................. 

......................................... 

.............................................. 

Test Article Deflections 

Debris Field (longitudinal) Not Applicable 

Debris Field (lateral) Not Applicable 

..................... 

............................. 

Vehicle Damage 

Vehicle Damage Scale 12-FD-1

CDC 12FDEW1

Maximum Deformation None

................... 

............................................. 

..................... 

Figure 2 MASH 2016 Test 3-60 Summary 

14 TR-P40157-01-B 
 

MASH 2016 Test 3-61 Summary 

0.000 seconds 0.070 seconds 0.140 seconds 0.210 seconds 0.280 seconds 

GENERAL INFORMATION 

Test Agency Applus IDIADA KARCO 

Test Number P40158-01 

Test Designation 3-61

Test Date 12/17/20

..................... 

.................. 

............... 

......................... 

TEST ARTICLE 

SQR-LOC®Perforated Dual Sign Name / Model

Support TL-3 

Type Support Structure 

Mounting Height 7.0 ft. (2.1 m) 

Key Elements 2.00" 12 GA Signposts 

2.25" 12GA Anchor Sleeves 

36" x 84" Aluminum Sign 

Road Surface Smooth, clean concrete 

 

..................... 

................................. 

 ............... 

..................... 

..................... 

TEST VEHICLE 

Type / Designation... 1100C

Year, Make, and Model 2015 Kia Rio

Curb Mass 2,552.9 lbs (1,158.0 kg)

Test Inertial Mass 2,451.5 lbs (1,112.0 kg)

Gross Static Mass 2,620.1 lbs (1,188.5 kg)

............ 

......... 

........................ 

............... 

............... 

Impact Conditions

Impact Velocity 64.41 mph (103.65 km/h)

Impact Angle 0.0° 

Kinetic Energy 339.9 kip-feet (460.9 Kilojoules) 

Minimum KE Required 288.0 kip-feet (309.1 Kilojoules) 

Location / Orientation... 0.0 in.(0 mm) Offset from Centerline 

.................. 

..................... 

.................. 

....... 

...... 

Exit Conditions 

Exit Velocity 57.99 mph (93.33 km/h) 

Final Resting Position 196.5 ft. (59.9 m) Downstream 

5.6 ft. (1.7 m) Right 

Vehicle Stability Satisfactory 

Maximum Roll Angle 1.3° 

Maximum Pitch Angle -1.7°

Maximum Yaw Angle -1.0°

.................... 

......... 

 ............... 

............

......... 

......... 

Occupant Risk 

Longitudinal OIV 10.2 ft/s (3.1 m/s) 

Lateral OIV -1.0 ft/s (-0.3 m/s)

Longitudinal RA 0.3 g

Lateral RA 0.5 g

THIV 10.2 ft/s (3.1 m/s) 

PHD 0.5 g 

ASI 0.38 

.............................. 

.................................... 

........................... 

................................. 

............................................. 

......................................... 

.............................................. 

Test Article Deflections 

Debris Field (longitudinal) Not Applicable 

Debris Field (lateral) Not Applicable 

..................... 

............................. 

Vehicle Damage 

Vehicle Damage Scale 12-FR-1

CDC 12FDEW1

Maximum Deformation 2.5 in.(64 mm) Windshield 

................... 

............................................. 

..................... 

Figure 2 MASH 2016 Test 3-61 Summary 

14 TR-P40158-01-B 
 

MASH 2016 Test 3-62 Summary 

0.000 seconds 0.070 seconds 0.140 seconds 0.245 seconds 0.350 seconds 

GENERAL INFORMATION 

Test Agency Applus IDIADA KARCO 

Test Number P40159-01 

Test Designation 3-62

Test Date 12/30/20

..................... 

..................... 

............... 

......................... 

TEST ARTICLE 

Name / Model SQR-LOC®Perforated Dual 

Sign Support TL-3 

Type Support Structure 

Mounting Height 7.0 ft. (2.1 m) 

Key Elements 2.00" 12 GA Signposts 

2.25" 12GA Anchor Sleeves 

36" x 84" Aluminum Sign 

Road Surface Smooth, clean concrete 

..................... 

................................. 

............... 

..................... 

..................... 

TEST VEHICLE 

Type / Designation 2270P 

Year, Make, and Model 2014 Dodge Ram 1500 

Curb Mass 4,961.4 lbs (2,250.5 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 61.29 mph (98.64 km/h) 

Impact Angle 0.0° 

Kinetic Energy 629.2 kip-feet (853.1 Kilojoules) 

Minimum KE Required 594.0 kip-feet (805.3 Kilojoules) 

Location / Orientation 0.0 in.(0 mm) Offset from 

Centerline 

.................. 

..................... 

.................. 

....... 

......... 

Exit Conditions 

Exit Velocity 56.30 mph (90.61 km/h) 

Final Resting Position 345.1 ft. (105.2 m) Downstream 

1.2 ft. (0.4 m) Left 

Vehicle Stability Satisfactory 

Maximum Roll Angle -1.8°

Maximum Pitch Angle 2.0°

Maximum Yaw Angle 0.4

.................... 

......... 

............... 

............ 

.........

.........

Occupant Risk 

Longitudinal OIV 3.9 ft/s (1.2 m/s) 

Lateral OIV 0.98 ft/s (0.3 m/s) 

Longitudinal RA 0.0 g 

Lateral RA 0.0 g 

THIV Not Applicable 

PHD Not Applicable 

ASI 0.25 

.............................. 

.................................... 

........................... 

................................. 

............................................. 

......................................... 

.............................................. 

Test Article Deflections 

Debris Field (longitudinal) 345.1 ft. (105.2 m) 

Debris Field (lateral) 1.2 ft. (0.4 m) 

..................... 

............................. 

Vehicle Damage 

Vehicle Damage Scale 12-FR-1

CDC 12FDEW1

Maximum Deformation None

................... 

............................................. 

..................... 

13 TR-P40159-01-B 
2023 

SQR-LOC® YIELDING SIGN SUPPORT SYSTEM - DUAL POST 

SSFXXa 

SHEET NO. DATE 

1 of 4 1/31/2023 

QMS-FE-051 Rev 0, 6/29/22 
 __________

INTENDED USE 

The SQR-LOC® perforated steel tubular sign support system is a dual post sign support system. 

The system utilizes drivable perforated anchor sleeves in standard soil. The sign support system was

successfully crash tested to TL-3 in accordance with MASH 2016 guidelines. This system meets the

requirements of the AASHTO LRFD Specifications for Structural Supports for Highway Signs, 

Luminaires, and Traffic Signals, 1st Edition. 

FEATURES 

The SQR-LOC® perforated steel tubular sign support system consists of two (2) 2.00 inch 12 GA 

square perforated steel signposts and two (2) 2.25 12 GA square perforated steel anchor sleeves 

(sheet 3 of 4). The signposts slide into the anchor sleeves and are secured in place by a 5/16" corner

bolt and nut. The material for the pre-coated steel for both, anchor sleeves and signposts conforms 

to ASTM A653. The exterior surface is coated with minimum 0.5 mils clear acrylic polymer. 

ELIGIBILITY 

The SQR-LOC® dual post, perforated steel tubular sign support system has been tested to MASH

2016 Test Level 3 and is eligible for Federal reimbursement by FHWA. 

FHWA Eligibility Letter(s): XX-XXX dated for MASH 2016 Test Level 3. 

REFERENCES 

Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH), American Association of State Highway and 

Transportation Officials (AASHTO), 2016. 

CONTACT INFORMATION

 15601 Dallas Parkway, Suite 525 Addison, TX 75001

Telephone: (888) 323-6374

www.valtir.com 

SQR-LOC® YIELDING SIGN SUPPORT SYSTEM - DUAL POST 

SSFXXa 

SHEET NO. DATE 

2 of 4 1/31/2023 

QMS-FE-051 Rev 0, 6/29/22 
DETAIL A: SIGNPOST/ANCHOR SLEEVE CONNECTION 

2023 

SQR-LOC® YIELDING SIGN SUPPORT SYSTEM - DUAL POST 

SSFXXa 

SHEET NO. DATE 

3 of 4 1/31/2023 

QMS-FE-051 Rev 0, 6/29/22 
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SQR-LOC® YIELDING SIGN SUPPORT SYSTEM - DUAL POST 

SSFXXa 

SHEET NO. DATE 

4 of 4 1/31/2023 

QMS-FE-051 Rev 0, 6/29/22