Subject:

D

Transportation
Institute

esignovations, 2nd Impact Test Condirions

Project #:

400001-XYZ1

& Global Units - Mon Feb 06 16:30:37 2006

Designovations!.xmed

2/14/2006
3:14 PM

William Williams, P.E.
979-862-2297
w-williams@tamu.edu



: March 9, 2006 400 Seventh St., S.W.

US.Department Washington, D.C. 20590
of Transportation

Federal Highway

Administration In Reply Refer To:

HSA-10/SS-136

Mr. Jim Anderson
Designovations, Inc.

7339 Wildwood Road
Stillman Valley, IL 61084

Dear Mr. Anderson:

This is in response to Mr. William Williams’ letter of March 2, 2006, requesting the Federal
Highway Administration’s (FHWA) acceptance of a modification to the Designovation
Snap-N-Safe breakaway coupler for use with sign support systems on the National Highway
System (NHS). Accompanying your letter was a letter report on the pendulum test conducted
by the Texas Transportation Institute. Mr. Williams requested that we find the Designovation
device acceptable for use on the NHS under the provisions of National Cooperative Highway
Research Program (NCHRP) Report 350 “Recommended Procedures for the Safety
Performance Evaluation of Highway Features.”

Introduction

Testing of the supports was in compliance with the guidelines contained in the NCHRP Report
350, Recommended Procedures for the Safety Performance Evaluation of Highway Features.
Requirements for breakaway supports are those in the American Association of State Highway
and Transportation Officials' (AASHTO) Standard Specifications for Structural Supports for
Highway Signs, Luminaires and Traffic Signals.

Testing

Full-scale automobile testing was conducted on the original Designovations Snap-N-Safe grey
iron breakaway coupler in 2004. This design was found acceptable in the FHWA acceptance
letters numbered SS-120 (larger coupler) and SS-123 (smaller coupler), dated April 1, 2004.

The present modification of the 2-/ inch square version consists of a coupler and mounting
plate manufactured from a single grey iron casting. This design is intended for bolting directly
to concrete surfaces such as sidewalks and medians. Testing using an 839-kg pendulum with a
honeycomb impact nose was conducted. The 2-1/2 inch device was attached to a rigid steel
plate on the pendulum platform. The tested is shown in the Enclosure for reference.



Test # NCHRP 350 | Speed Article Occup. Speed

400001-DES-P Test 3-61 34.7 km/hr | Snap N Safe | 2.3 m/s

Occup. Speed: Occupant Impact Speed: Speed at which a theoretical front seat occupant will
contact the windshield. In meters per second.
Delta V: Speed change of the test vehicle. In meters per second.

Findings

Velocity change was within acceptable limits, and the stub remaining was approximately
16 mm (5/8 inch). The results of testing met the FHWA requirements and, therefore, the
devices described above and shown in the enclosed drawings for reference, as well as the

smaller square sizes of 2 1/4", 2" and 1 3/4", are acceptable for use as Test Level 3 devices on

the

NHS under the range of conditions tested, when proposed by a State.

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

Our 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
anew 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-136 shall not be reproduced except in full. As this letter and the supporting
documentation which support it become public information, it will be available for
inspection at our office by interested parties.

The Designovations Snap-N-Safe coupler is a patented device and is considered
“proprietary.” When proprietary devices 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 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, a copy of which was provided with earlier correspondence.


¢ 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,

G

hn R. Baxter, P.E.
irector, Office of Safety Design
Office of Safety

Enclosure