1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E. 

Washington, DC 20590 

US. Department 

of Transportation 

Federal Highway 

Administration . 

December 6,2007 

In Reply Refer To: 

HSSD/SS-157 

Mr. Reinhardt F. Cyphers 

Addresses of Distinction, LLC 

907 New Franklin Road 

LaGrange, GA 30240 

Dear Mr. Cyphers: 

In your mail correspondence of October 18,2007, you requested the Federal Highway 

Administration's (FHWA) acceptance of your company's aluminum tubes as a breakaway sign 

support. You referenced our acceptance letter SS-28 which reported on small sign support 

testing conducted in "weak" soil by the Florida Department of Transportation (DOT). In that 

letter we accepted as breakaway 3 inch (89 mrn) diameter, 606 1-T6 alloy aluminum tubes of 

0.187 inches (4.75 mm) thickness when no more than one sign support was used within a seven 

foot span. The posts pulled out of the ground partially or completely, allowing the vehicle to 

gradually come to a stop. The two sign supports that you request to use have: (1) a diameter of 

2.875 inches (73 mm) with a wall thickness of 0.203 inches (5.16 mm) and (2) a diameter of 

2.375 inches (60 mm) with a wall thickness of 0.154 inches (60 mm). The three sign posts are 

compared in the following table: 

In addition to the Florida DOT sponsored testing to which you referred, earlier tests of 4 inch 

(100 mm) diameter thin-walled aluminum tubes were conducted in "strong" soil. These posts, 

which were fitted with anti-rotation hardware below the ground, fractured upon impact and were 

found to be crashworthy. 

Sign Post 

Diameter 

Wall Thickness 

Alloy 

Tensile Strength 

Yield Strength 

Cross Sectional 

Area 

Anti-Rotation 

Hardware 

AMERICAN 

ECONOMY 

Florida DOT 

3.5 in (89 mm) 

0.187 in (4.75 mm) 

606 1 -T6 

45 ksi (3 10 MPa) 

40 ksi (275 MPa) 

1.95 1 in2 (1257 

mm2) 

Unknown 

Addresses of 

Distinction, LLC 

2.875 inches (73 mm) 

.203 inches (5.16 mm) 

6063-T52 

30 ksi (207 MPa) 

25 ksi (173 MPa) 

1.70 in2 (1 099mm2) 

Yes 

Addresses of 

Distinction, LLC 

2.375 inches (60 mm) 

0.154 inches (60 mm) 

6063-T52 

27ksi (1 86MPa) 

2 1 ksi (145Pa) 

1.70 in2 ( 1099 mm') 

Yes 
Your com&ny9s aluminum tube sign supports are smaller diameter and made of weaker alloy 

than the posts already found to be crashworthy in either strong or weak soil. Therefore your 

request regarding the two aluminum tube sizes to be used as sign supports as stated above is 

acceptable for use on Federal-aid highway projects when requested by a State. 

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

This acceptance is limited to the crashworthiness characteristics of the devices and does not 

cover their structural features, nor conformity with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control 

Devices. 

Any changes that may adversely influence the crashworthiness of the device will require a 

new acceptance letter. 

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

performance reveals unacceptable safety problems, or that the device being marketed is 

significantly different from the version that was crash tested, it reserves the right to modify or 

revoke its acceptance. 

You will be expected to supply potential users with sufficient information on design and 

installation requirements to ensure proper performance. 

You will be expected to certify to potential users that the hardware furnished has essentially 

the same chemistry, mechanical properties, and geometry as that submitted for acceptance, 

and that they will meet the crashworthiness requirements of the FHWA and the NCHRP 

Report 350. 

To prevent misunderstanding by others this letter of acceptance designated as number SS-157 

shall not be reproduced except in full. This letter and the test documentation upon which this 

letter is based, is public information. All such letters and documentation may be reviewed at 

our office upon request. 

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

manufacture, or sell any patented device for which the applicant is not the patent holder. The 

acceptance letter is limited to the crashworthiness characteristics of the candidate device, and 

the FHWA is neither prepared nor required to become involved in issues concerning patent 

law. Patent issues, if any, are to be resolved by the applicant. 

Sincerely yours, 

George E. Rice, Jr. 

Acting Director, Office of Safety Design 

Office of Safety 

FHWA:HSSD:MLupes:tb:x66994: 1 1/27/07 

File: s://directory folder/mlupes/SS 157-Addressees of Distinction Alum Tube.doc 

CC: HSSD (Reader, HSA; Chron File, HSSD; M.Lupes, HSSD 

M.Bloschock, HSSD; M.McDonough, HSSD)