U.S. Deportment 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE 

of Transportation Washington, D.C. 20590 

Federal Highway 

Administration 

September 6, 2017 In Reply Refer To: 

HSST-1/ WZ-356 

Henry A. Ross, Director 

Government Relations 

Plasticade 

7700 N. Austin Avenue 

Skokie, IL 60077 

Dear Mr. Ross: 

This letter is in response to your April 7, 2017 request for the Federal Highway Administration 

(FHW A) 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 FHW A control number WZ-356 and is valid until a subsequent letter is issued by 

FHW A that expressly references this device. 

Decision 

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

integral part of this letter: 

• Plasticade SS520 Sign Stand System with Industry Standard 48" x 48" Rollup 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 FHW A, 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 ofthe 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, FHW A agrees that the device described herein meets the crash test 

and evaluation criteria of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation 

Officials' Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (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 SS520 Sign Stand System with Industry Standard 48" x 48" 

Rollup Sign 

Type of system: Work Zone Traffic Control Devices 

Test Level: MASH Test Level 3 

Testing conducted by: E-Tech 

Date of request: April 7, 2017 

Date of completed package: June 29, 2017 

FHWA concurs with recommendation of the accredited crash testing laboratory as stated within 

the attached form on determination of eligibility for the sign substrate that was physically tested 

(Industry Standard 48"x48" Roll up Sign). This determination of eligibility does not apply to 

other sign substrates not physically tested, but recommended by the laboratory. If an eligibility 

letter is requested on these other sign substrates, this will require successful physical crash 

testing as per 2016 AASHTO MASH. 

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 and will need to be tested in accordance with all recommended tests 

in AASHTO's MASH as part of a new and separate submittal. 

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 
3 

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 crash worthiness of the system. 

Standard Provisions 

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

control number WZ-356 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. 

• 	 Ifthe subject device is a patented product it may be considered to be 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, 

Acting 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 

Date of Request: 

Name: 

April 05, 2017 

Henry A. Ross 

I r. New (' Resubmission 

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Company: 

Address: 

Country: 

Plasticade 

7700 N. Austin Avenue, Skokie, IL 60077 

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 Fl 

System Type Submission Type Device Name I Variant Testing Criterion Test 

Level 

'WZ': Crash Worthy Work 

Zone Traffic Control Devices 

(9 Physical Crash Testing 

(' Engineering Analysis 

Plasticade SS520 Sign 

Stand System 

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: Henry A. Ross Same as Submitter ~ 

Company Name: Plasticade Same as Submitter ~ 

Address: 7700 N. Austin Avenue, Skokie, IL 60077 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 Plasticade SS520 Sign Stand System is the commercial embodiment of intellectual property that is not 

protected by patents. Plasticade does not pay royalties for sales of the Plasticade SS520 Sign Stand System. The 

Plasticade SS520 Sign Stand System was designed and developed by engineers at Plasticade. 

Plasticade sponsored certain crash tests of the Plasticade SS520 Sign Stand System; such tests were conducted 

by E-Tech Testing Services, an independent, wholly-owned subsidiary ofTrinity Highway. E-Tech Testing 

Services is an International Standards Organization (ISO) 17025 accredited laboratory with American Association 

for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) Mechanical Testing certificate 989.01. Full-scale crash testing on the 

Plasticade SS520 Sign Stand System was performed in accordance with testing criteria, as set forth by the 

Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH), 2009. 
Version 10.0 (05/16) 

Page 2 of 5 

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION 

(9 New Hardware or 

Significant Modification 

(' Modification to 

Existing Hardware 

Plasticade's SS520 Sign Stand System is a work zone traffic control device designed to regulate, warn, and 

advise road users to traverse a section of highway or street in the proper manner. The sign stand consists of a 

base frame with two upright springs and four fixed length aluminum legs and components to secure an 

industry standard 1.22 m x 1.22 m or sma ller rollup fabric sign. The roll up signs were attached to the stand 

using roll up sign brackets attached to the vertical mast. The mast also has a bracket to hold three wooden 

handled vinyl flags. The as tested mounting height of the sign measures 2. 13 m above grade. The SS520 stand 

weighs 21.0 kg, excluding the 2.3 kg rollup sign. 

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: Paul Kruse 

Paul Kruse Digitally signed by Paul l<fl.lse 

Engineer Signature: ON: cnzPcivl Kru!>e, a>:Trinity Highway. ou=E· TECH Te stmg Services, 

emciil=p;iut.kruse@eted1testirlg.corn, c=US 

Oite:2017.04.061l:Q9:36·07'00' 

Adobe A<.robit DC versioo: 201 S.023.20070 

Address: 36 l 7B Cincinnati Ave, Rocklin, CA 95765 Same as Submitter D 

Country: United States Same as Submitter D 

A brief description of each crash test and its result : 

Required Test Narrative Evaluation 

Number Description Results 

3-70 (l lOOC) Non-C ritical, not conducted 
Version 10.0 (05/16) 

Page 3 of 5 

Required Test Narrative Evaluation 

Number Description Results 

Test of Plasticade SS420 Sign Stand device 

with a MASH specified 11 OOC test vehicle. 

The test was run on 12/6/16. The curb mass 

of the vehicle was 1116.5 kg and the final 

test inertial mass was 1125.0 kg . Impact 

speeds were 101.1 km/h and 98.0 km/h for 

the O and 90 degree sign stands, 

respectively. For the 0 degree test, the 

11 OOC vehicle's front bumper impacted the 

vertical member of the sign stand just 

above the springs. The vertical upright 

immediately fractured above the springs, 

releasing the upright and sign from the 

stand. The lower portion of the mast was 

pushed forward by the vehicle's bumper 

and the upright with sign rotated over the 

vehicle. The fiberglass sign supports 

released from the upright and the sign. The 

vertical fiberglass support struck the roof 

just behind the windshield and caused 

minor deformation. The roof contact caused 

minor windshield cracking although no 

direct contact was made. The lower portion 3-71 (1100() PASS of the stand passed under the vehicle and 

was pushed forward until the vehicle 

stopped. For the 90 degree test, the 11 OOC 

vehicle's front bumper impacted the vertical 

member of the sign stand just above the 

springs. The vertical upright immediately 

fractured above the springs, releasing the 

upright and sign from the stand. The lower 

portion of the mast was pushed forward by 

the vehicle's bumper and the upright 

rotated over the vehicle. The sign with 

fiberglass supports released from the 

upright, dropped down onto the vehicle 

roof and came to rest behind the vehicle. 

The lower portion of the stand passed 

under the vehicle and was pushed forward 

until the vehicle stopped. The test vehicle 

sustained minor damage to the bumper, 

hood, and roof; there was no damage to the 

undercarriage of the test vehicle. There was 

minor cracking to the windshield. There was 

no penetration or deformation of the 

occupant compartment. 
Version 10.0 (05/16) 

Page 4 of 5 

Test of the Plasticade SS420 Sign Stand 

device with a MASH specified 2270P test 

vehicle. The test was run on 12/7 / 16. The 

curb mass of the vehicle was 2265.0 kg and 

the final test inertial mass was 2273.5 kg. 

Impact speeds were 100.4 km/h and 97.4 

km/h for the 0 and 90 degree sign stands, 

respectively. For the 0 degree test, the 

2270P vehicle's front bumper impacted the 

vertical member of the sign stand just 

above the springs. The vertical upright 

immediately fractured above the springs, 

releasing the upright and sign from the 

stand. The lower portion of the mast was 

pushed forward by the vehicle's bumper 

and the upright with sign rotated towards 

the vehicle. While still attached to the 

uprights, the vertical fiberglass sign support 

struck the top of the windshield, causing 

moderate cracking. The top of the upright 

struck the leading edge of the roof causing 

minor deformation. The lower portion of 

the stand passed under the vehicle and was 

pushed forward until the vehicle stopped. 

For the 90 degree test, the 2270P vehicle's 

bumper impacted the lower section of the 

aluminum sign prior to impacting the 3-72 (2270P) PASS vertical member of the sign stand just 

above the springs. The vertical upright 

immediately fractured just above the 

springs releasing the upright and the sign 

from the stand. The lower portion of the 

mast.was pushed forward by the vehicle's 

bumper and the upright rotated towards 

the vehicle. The top of the upright struck 

the windshield, causing moderate cracking 

and negligible deformation. The upright 

contacted the hood and the side of the sign 

bracket pierced the engine compartment. 

The sign with fiberg lass supports released 

from the upright, dropped down onto the 

vehicle roof and came to rest behind the 

vehicle. The lower portion of the stand 

passed under the vehicle and was pushed 

forward until the vehicle stopped. The test 

vehicle sustained moderate damage to the 

front bumper, hood and windshield. There 

was no penetration through the windshield. 

There was no penetration or deformation of 

the occupant compartment. The Plasticade 

SS520 was judged by E-TECH to have 

successfully met MASH evaluation criteria 

for Test Level 3 under the criteria for work 

zone traffic control devices. 
Version 10.0 (05/16) 

Page 5 of 5 

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: E-Tech Testing Services, Inc.

Laboratory Signature: Paul Kruse Dt!Ptany ~·gned by P•ul Kru~ 

ON· cn-P11ul Kru~. o-Tnroty Highw•y. ou-E·TECH Tut1ng S@fV!cei, 


l'fNil-pautkru~techt~tongcom.c -US 

~le: 2017 04.06 l) 13·0 -01tl0' 

Adobe Au~t 0C ~t'fSK>n 201 S 023 20070 

Address: 36178 Cincinnati Ave, Rocklin, CA 95765 Same as Submitter D 

Country: United States Same as Submitter D 

Accreditation Certificate 

Number and Dates of current A2LA Certificate #989.0 1, November 20, 2015 thru November 30, 2017 

Accreditation period : 

Dig1!11lty signtd by Henry A. Ross 

Submitter Signature*: Henry A. Ross ~~,::.:;,~:;'.;;,::~~·~;:; 00 

011te: 2017.04.0615:36:35 -05'00' 

Submit Form 

ATTACHMENTS 

Attach to this fo rm : 

I) 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 understand ing 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 
Normal (0 °) Orientation 	 Perpendicular (90 °) Orientation 

t = 0.000 sec t = 0.036 sec t = 0.126 sec t = 0.189 sec t = 0.000 sec t = 0.077 sec t = 0.155 sec t = 0.271 sec 

54 

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Plasticade® SS520 Sign Stand 

General Info rmation Test Vehicle 
 Vehicle Damage 

Test Agency ............ ..... E-TECH Testing Services Type .............. .. .............. ....................... .. Production Model 
 Exterior 

Test Designation .. .... .. MASH Test 3-7 1 Dcsignation ............... .. ........................ ... 11 OOC 
 VOS ................................... FC- 1 


Test No ............. ..... ..... 76-0460-001 Model... ..................... .... ............. .......... .. 20 I 0 Kia Rio 
 CDC .... .. ........... .......... ......... I 2FCEN I 


Date ........................... 12/6/201 6 Curb ....................................... ............. . 1116.5 kg 
 Notable Defom1ation .......... I 50mm Roof Deformation 


Test lncrtial. ........................................... 11 25.0 kg 
 Minor Windshield Cracking 

Test Article Dummy ................... . .............. ........ ..NIA 


Type ................... .. 	 Plasticade Gross Static .......................................... 1125.0 kg 
 Interior 

Stand with Double Spring Base, Maximum Deformation ...... Negligible 

Aluminum Legs (SS520) Impact Conditions 

Work-Zone Traffic Control Device Speed (Normal Orientation) ................ 10 I. I kph 

Dimensions ............ .. .... 386 cm OA Height x 173 cm Wide 
 Speed (Perpendicular Oricntation) ........ 98.0 kph 

Installation Details ....... Industry Standard 48"x48" Rollup Sign 
 Impact Severity (Normal Orientation) . .443 .3 kJ 

2134 mm Sign Height (Bottom of Sign to Grade) Impact Severity (Perp. Orientation) ..... .417.1 kJ 

Material and Key .. ....... 21 .3 kg Stand, Aluminum Legs 

Elements 2.3 kg Rollup Sign with Fiberglass Supports Exit Conditions 

Foundation Type ... .. .... Asphalt. clean and dry Speed (Normal Orientation) .................. 98.0 kph 

and Condition Speed (Perpendicular Oricntation) ........ 95 .1 kph 

Angle(°) ..... . 

£-TECH Testing Services, Inc. ============================================ 

Figure 2 - Summary of Results - Plasticade® SS520 Sign Stand Test 76-0460-001 

Plasticade® SS520 Sign Stand Crash Test Results - Page 14 of 33 
r.: ,. 

Normal (0°) Orientation 	 Perpendicular (90°) Orientation 

~ \~ "' t = 0.000 sec t = 0.064 sec t = 0.127 sec t = 0. 191 sec t = 0.000 sec t = 0.097 sec t = 0.195 sec t = 0.341 sec 

TH REE FlAG 54 HOLDER 

-: 

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N 

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Plasticade® SS520 Sign Stand 

General Information Test Vehicle 
 Vehicle Damage 

Test Agency .. . E-TECH Testing Services Type ... ... .. . ............. .......... ..... .......... ..... Production Model 
 Exterior 

Test Designation .......... MASH Test 3-72 Designation .......................................... 2270P 
 VOS ............. . ...... FC-1 

Test No .................... ... .. 76-0460-002 Model ........... . ......... ............... ............ 2010 Dodge Ram 
 CDC 12FCENI 

Date ..................... ...... 1217/201 6 Curb.. ....... ..................... . ....... 2265.0 kg 
 Notable Deformation .......... Minor bumper damage, cracked 

Test Inertial ... . ......... ... ........................ 2273.5 kg 
 windshield wi th no penetration 

Test Article Dummy ...................................... ..........NIA 


Type 	 Plasticade Gross Static .. ........................................ 2273.5 kg 
 Interior 

Stand with Double Spring Base. Maximum Deformation ...... Negligible 

Aluminum Legs (SS520) Impact Conditions 

Work-Zone Traffic Control Device Speed (Normal Orientation) .................. 100.4 kph 

Dimensions ............... . 386 cm OA Height x 173 cm Wide Speed (Perpendicular Oricntation) .... .. .. 97.4 kph 

Installation Details ...... Industry Standard 48"x48" Rollup Sign Impact Severity (Normal Orientation) .. 884.6 kJ 

2134 mm Sign Height (Bonom of Sign to Grade) Impact Severity (Perp. Orientation) ...... 832.3 kJ 

Material and Key ......... 21 .3 kg Stand, Alumin um Legs 

Elements 2.3 kg Rollup Sign with Fiberglass Supports Exit Conditions 

Foundation Type ......... Asphalt, clean and dry Speed (Normal Orientation) .................. 97.4 kph 

and Condition Speed (Perpendicular Orientation) ........ 94.5 kph 

Angle (

0 ) 

Figure 7 - Summary of Results - Plasticade® SS520 Sign Stand Test 76-0460-002 

£-TECH Testing Services, Inc. ============================================ 

Plasticade® SS520 Sign Stand Crash Test Results - Page 21of33