U.S. Department 

of Transportation 

Federal Highway 

Administration 

February 22, 2021 

1200 New Jersey Ave., SE 

Washington, D.C. 20590 

In Reply Refer To: 

HSST-1/WZ-425 

Mr. Henry A. Ross 

Plasticade 

100 Howard Avenue, Des Plaines 

IL 60018 

USA 

Dear Mr. Ross: 

This letter is in response to your November 23, 2020 request for the Federal Highway 

Administration (FHWA) 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 FHWA control number WZ-425 and is valid until a subsequent letter is issued by 

FHWA that expressly references this device. 

Decision 

The following device is eligible within the length-of-need, with details provided in the form 

which is attached as an integral part of this letter: 

• Plasticade SS620A Sign Stand with corrugated plastic signs (84-in)

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 FHWA, 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 of the 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, FHWA agrees that the device described herein meets the crash test 

and evaluation criteria of the AASHTO’s 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 SS620A Sign Stand with corrugated plastic signs (84-in)

Type of system: Work Zone

Test Level: Test Level 3

Testing conducted by: Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI)

Date of request: November 23, 2020

FHWA concurs with the recommendation of the accredited crash testing laboratory on the 

attached form. 

In accordance with FHWA's Memo "Federal-aid Reimbursement Eligibility Process for Safety 

Hardware Devices" dated November 12, 2015, FHWA will make note of any reported damage to 

a test vehicle's fuel tank, oil pan, or other feature that might serve as a surrogate of the fuel tank. 

AASHTO's MASH states "Although not a specific factor in assessing test results, integrity of a 

test vehicle's fuel tank is a potential concern. It is preferable that the fuel tank remains intact and 

not be punctured. Damage or rupture of the fuel tank, oil pan, or other feature that might serve as 

a surrogate of the fuel tank should be reported". A test report included in this submittal 

documenting Test 3-71 at 90 degrees and 0 degrees states "there was a cut in the oil pan".

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. Any modifications to this device should be submitted to the user 

(i.e., state DOT) as per their requirements. 

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.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3 

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 

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 crashworthiness of the system. 

Standard Provisions 

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

control number WZ-425 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 FHWA to use,

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

• This FHWA eligibility letter is not an expression of any Agency view, position, or

determination of validity, scope, or ownership of any intellectual property rights to a

specific device or design. Further, this letter does not impute any distribution or licensing

rights to the requester. This FHWA eligibility letter determination is made based solely

on the crash-testing information submitted by the requester. The FHWA reserves the

right to review and revoke an earlier eligibility determination after receipt of subsequent

information related to crash testing.

Sincerely, 

Michael S. Griffith 

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: November 23, 2020 New 

Name: Henry A. Ross 

Company: Plasticade 

Address: 100 Howard Avenue, Des Plaines, IL 60018 

Country: U.S.A. 

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 L 

System Type Submission Type Device Name / Variant Testing Criterion Test 

Level 

'WZ':CrashWorthyWorkZon ' ' 

ZoneTrafficControl Devices 

PhysicalCrashTesting 

Engineering Analysis 

Plasticade®SS620A Sign 

Stand with corrugated 

plastic signs (84-in) 

 AASHTO MASH TL3

! - ! - !

 

 

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I r.  Resubmissio

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I I I I 

evel ! - ! - ! 

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: 100 Howard Avenue, DesPlaines, IL 60018 Same as Submitter 

Country: U.S.A. 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. 

TexasA&MTransportation Institute (TTI)wascontracted by Plasticade® to perform full-scalecrash testing of the 

Pasticade®SS620A Sign Stand with corrugated plastic signs. There are no shared financial interests in the 

Plasticade®SS620ASignStand with corrugated plasticsignsby TTI,or betweenPlasticade® andTTI,other than 

costsinvolved in theactual crash tests and reportsfor thissubmission toFHWA. 

690900-PLP 13-14-15 (84-in) 
A brief description of each crash test and its result: 

Version 10.0 (05/16) 

Page 2 of 5 

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION 

Modification to  Existing Hardware

ThePlasticade®SS620ASignStand isa proprietarysignstand tested to hold corrugated plasticsign panels at 

84 inches above grade. Each sign stand was tested with a 48 inch square diamond-shaped Plasticade® 

corrugated plasticsign panel.Above thesign, threeconspicuityflagswere mounted at the top of thestand.A 

40-lbsand bag wasplaced on each of the four legsof thesign stand to hold thestandsin place.Eachsign 

stand weighed 60.8lb (exclusiveof thesand bags). 

CRASH TESTING 

Bysignature below, theEngineeraffiliated with the testing laboratory,agreesin support of thissubmission that 

all of the critical and relevant crash tests for this device listed above were conducted to meet the MASHtest 

criteria. The Engineer has determined that no other crash tests are necessary to determine the device meets 

theMASHcriteria. 

Engineer Name: D.LanceBullard,Jr.,P.E.

Engineer Signature: Digitally signed by D.LanceBullard,Jr. 

Date: 2020.11.2208:07:38 -06'00' 

Address: 

Country: 

1254AvenueA,Bldg 7091,Bryan,Texas77807 

U.S.A. 

Same asSubmitter 

Same asSubmitter 

D.LanceBullard,Jr.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I 

  New Hardware or

Significant Modification 

I I 

Required Test 

Number 

Narrative 

Description 

Evaluation 

Results 

3-70 (1100C) 

3-70 MASH states that Test 3-70 for small 

vehicles is considered optional for workzone traffic control devices weighing less 

than 220 lb, because velocity changes 

during low-speed impacts with freestanding, lightweight featureswill be within 

acceptable limits. The Plasticade®SS620A 

Sign Stand weighed 60.8 lb (excluding the 

sand bags). Therefore, MASHTest 3-70 was 

not performed on thistrafficcontrol device. 

Non-critical, notconducted 

Non-Critical, not conducted 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Version 10.0 (05/16) 

Page 3 of 5 

Required Test 

Number 

Narrative 

Description 

Evaluation 

Results 

3-71 (1100C) 

The results of test 690900-PLP14 are found 

in TTI Test Report number 690900-

PLP13-18.In this test, two signstandswith 

corrugated plasticsignsmounted 84 inches 

from grade to the bottom of sign were 

impacted. The first was aligned 90° to the 

test vehicle, and the second was aligned 

0° to the test vehicle. The test vehicle was 

traveling at an impact speed of 63.5 mi/h 

when it contacted the first sign standat an 

impact angle of 90°. During this test, the 

first sign stand interfered with the 

performance of thesecondsign stand. 

Therefore, the 0° test was repeated and is 

discussed below in test number 690900-

PLP15. For the first impacted sign stand at 

90 degrees, part of the post, sign, and one 

leg remainedat the impact site, with a1.5-ft 

long section of the post landing 180 ft 

downstream,and the remainder of the base 

landing 60 ft downstream and in line with 

the impact.Therewas acut in the oil pan. 

No fuel tank damage was observed. The 

windshield was cracked at the upper right 

corner but suffered no hole or tear, and the 

rear glass was shattered and separated 

from the frame. There was no measurable 

exterior crush to the vehicle, and no 

occupant compartment deformation or 

intrusion occurred. 

Theresultsof test 690900-PLP15arefound 

inTTITestReport number 690900-

PLP13-18. In this test, a sign stand with a 

corrugated plastic sign mounted 84 inches 

from grade to the bottom of sign was 

impacted. The sign stand was aligned 0° to 

the test vehicle. The test vehicle was 

traveling at an impact speed of 61.8 mi/h 

when it contacted the sign stand at an 

impact angle of 0°. The post of the sign 

stand landed 4 ft to the right and 3 ft 

downstream of the impact. The base came 

to rest 115 ft downstream and 4 ft to the 

right of the impact. No damage to the fuel 

tank or windshield was observed. Maximum 

exterior crush to the vehicle was too small 

to measure. No occupant compartment 

deformation or intrusion was observed. 

PASS 

MASHdoes not require instrumentation of 

the vehicle when impacting lightweight, 

freestanding work zone traffic control 

devicesweighing lessthan 220 lb, therefore 

the occupant risk factors were not 

calculated forthese tests. 

The device performed acceptably for MASH 

test 3-71 with impact angles of 90° and 0°. 
 

 

3-72 (2270P)

The results of test 690900-PLP13 are found 

in TTI Test Report number 690900- 

PLP13-18. In this test, a sign stand with a 

corrugated plastic sign mounted 84 inches 

from grade to the bottom of sign was 

impacted. The test vehicle was traveling at 

an impact speed of 61.9 mi/h when it 

contacted the first sign stand at an impact 

angle of 90°.Thevehicle wastraveling at an 

impact speed of 61.0mi/h and impact angle 

of 0° when it contacted the second sign 

stand. The base of the first impacted sign 

standseparated from the post and landed 8 

ft downstream and in line with the impact. 

The remaining leg from that sign stand 

landed 100 ftdownstream and 25 ft tothe 

left of impact. The post of the second 

impacted sign stand and two of the legs 

landed 3ft downstream, and the sign panel 

and the other two legs landed 60 ft 

downstream and in line with the impact. 

Half of the basefrom thesecond impacted 

signstand landed 75ftdownstream and in 

line with the impact. There were scuff 

marks on the windshield and roof. No fuel 

tank damage was observed. Maximum 

exterior crush to the vehicle was0.5inches 

in the front plane to the right and left of the 

centerline of thevehicleat bumper height. 

No occupant compartment deformation or 

intrusionwas observed. 

MASHdoes not require instrumentation of 

the vehicle when impacting lightweight, 

freestanding work zone traffic control 

devicesweighing lessthan 220 lb, therefore 

the occupant risk factors were not 

calculated for this test. The Plasticade® 

SS620A Sign Stand weighed 60.8 lb 

(excluding the sand bags). The device 

performed acceptably for MASHtest 3- 72 

with impact angles of0°and90°. 

PASS 

Version 10.0 (05/16) 

Page 4 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.):
 

 

Eligibility Letter 

Number Date Key Words 

Nk: 

□ 

er

Version 10.0 (05/16) 

Page 5 of 5 

Laboratory Name: Texas A&M Transportation Institute 

LaboratorySignature: Digitally signed by Darrell L. Kuhn 

'Date: 2020.11.20 16:14:15-06'00 

Address: 1254 Avenue A, Bldg 7091, Bryan, Texas 77807 Same as Submitte

Country: U.S.A Same as Submitt

Accreditation Certificate 

Number and Dates of current

Accreditation period : 

ISO 17025-2017 Laboratory 

A2LA Certificate Number: 2821.01 

Valid To: April 30, 2021 

SubmitterSignature*:Henry A.RossDigitallysigned by Henry A.Ross 

Date:2020.12.0310:09:05-06'00' 

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: 
rl-----,,-255' jj 

11 

11 

1 1 

11 

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II 

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TR No. 690900-PLP13-18 31 2020-12-02 0.000 s 0.150 s 0.300 s 

General Information Test Agency....................... Test Standard Test No....... TTI Test No. ...................... Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) MASH Test 3-71 at 0° 690900-PLP15 Test Vehicle Type/Designation ............... 1100C Make and Model ................ 2014 Nissan Versa Curb................................... 2436 lb Post-Impact Trajectory Stopping Distance......

Maximum Test Debris 

Test Date...........................

Test Article

Type ..................................Name.................................

Installation Height..................

Material or Key Elements ...

Soil Type and Condition .....

2020-06-11Work-Zone Traffic Control DevicePlasticade® SS620A sign stand with

corrugated plastic signs mounted at 84

inches 84 inches to bottom of sign panel48-inch square diamond-shapedPlasticade® sign panel mounted on a fourlegged 13-ft 83⁄4-inch stand and held inplace by two slim, rigid sign holders

Concrete pavement, dry; 4 sand bags

Test Inertial ........................ 2444 lb

Dummy .............................. 165 lbGross Static ....................... 2609 lb

Impact Conditions

Speed Sign Stand #1 ......... 61.8 mi/hAngle Sign Stand #1 .......... 0°

Kinetic Energy #1 ................ 312 kip-ft

Exit Conditions

Speed Sign Stand #1 ......... 60.8 mi/h

Sign Stand #1 ............

Vehicle Damage

VDS..........................CDC..........................Max. Exterior DeformaOCDI.........................Max. Occupant Compa

Deformation ..........

Windshield Damage...

Figure 7.6. Summary of Results for MASH Test 3-71 at 0 Degrees on Plasticade® SS620A Sign Stand with 

Signs Mounted at 84 inches.
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11 

11 

11 

11 

ll 

\\ 

\\ 

11 

11 

11 11 

11 

JJ 

II 

278' - J' 

13" 

Impact Path 

TR No. 690900-PLP13-18 26 2020-12-02 0.000 s 0.150 s 0.300 s 

General Information Test Agency....................... Test Standard Test No....... Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) MASH Test 3-71 at 90° Test Vehicle Type/Designation ............... 1100C Make and Model ................ 2014 Nissan Versa Post-Impact Trajectory Stopping Distance......

TTI Test No. ...................... 690900-PLP14 Curb................................... 2418 lb Maximum Test Debris Test Date........................... Test Article Type .................................. Name................................. Installation Height.................. Material or Key Elements ... Soil Type and Condition ..... 2020-06-11 Work-Zone Traffic Control Device Plasticade® SS620A sign stands with corrugated plastic signs mounted at 84 inches 84 inches to bottom of sign panel 48-inch square diamond-shaped Plasticade® sign panel mounted on a four- legged 13-ft 83⁄4-inch stand and held in place by two slim, rigid sign holders Concrete pavement, dry; 4 sand bags Test Inertial ........................ 2420 lb Dummy .............................. 165 lb Gross Static ....................... 2585 lb Impact Conditions Speed Sign Stand #1 ......... 63.5 mi/h Angle Sign Stand #1 .......... 90° Speed Sign Stand #2 ......... 60.2 mi/h Angle Sign Stand #2 .......... NA Kinetic Energy #1

& #2........ 326 kip-ft

Exit Conditions

Speed Sign Stand #1 ......... 60.2 mi/hSpeed Sign Stand #2 ......... NA

Sign Stand #1 ............

Sign Stand #2 ............

Vehicle Damage

VDS..........................CDC..........................Max. Exterior Deforma

OCDI.........................Max. Occupant Compa

Deformation ..........

Windshield Damage...

Figure 6.7. Summary of Results for MASH Test 3-71 at 90 Degrees on Plasticade® SS620A Sign Stands 

Plastic Signs Mounted at 84 inches.
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TR No. 690900-PLP13-18 19 2020-12-02 0.000 s 0.150 s 0.300 s 

General Information Test Agency....................... Test Standard Test No....... Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) MASH Test 3-72 at 90° and 0° Test Vehicle Type/Designation ............... 2270P Make and Model ................ 2014 RAM 1500 Post-Impact Trajectory Stopping Distance......

TTI Test No. ...................... 690900-PLP13 Curb................................... 4962 lb Maximum Test Debris Test Date........................... Test Article Type .................................. Name................................. Installation Height .............. Material or Key Elements ... Soil Type and Condition ..... 2020-06-11 Work-Zone Traffic Control Device Plasticade® SS620A sign stands with corrugated plastic signs mounted at 84 inches 84 inches to bottom of sign panel 48-inch square diamond-shaped Plasticade® sign panel mounted on a four- legged 13-ft 83⁄4-inch stand and held in place by two slim, rigid sign holders Concrete pavement, dry; 4 sand bags Test Inertial ........................ 5008 lb Dummy .............................. No dummy Gross Static ....................... 5008 lb Impact Conditions Speed Sign Stand #1 ......... 61.9 mi/h Angle Sign Stand #1 .......... 90° Speed Sign Stand #2 ......... 61.0 mi/h Angle Sign Stand #2 .......... 0° Kinetic Energy #1 & #2........ 641 & 623 kip-ft Exit Conditions Speed Sign Stand #1 ......... 61.0 mi/h Speed Sign Stand #2 ......... 60.7 mi/h Sign Stand #1 ............

Sign Stand #2 ............

Vehicle Damage VDS..........................

CDC..........................Max. Exterior Deforma

OCDI.........................Max. Occupant Compa

Deformation ..........

Windshield Damage...

Figure 5.6. Summary of Results for MASH Test 3-72 at 0° and 90° on Plasticade® SS620A Sign Stands wit

Signs Mounted at 84 inches.
.393" [10mm] 

f 

PLASTICADE" 

"

 176.7" (+- 1") 

B 

)1-+("52.83

SLIM RIGID 

SIGN HOLDERS 

CORRUGATED POLYPROPYLENE

 PLASTIC SUBSTRATE 

84" 

RSMA296 [2133.6 mm] RSMA295 FROM GROUND LEVEL 

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 

D D 

N 

48" 

[1219.2 mm] DETAIL N 

SCALE 1 : 5 

C C 

TO BOTTOM OF SIGN 

BREAKAWAYS 

ON ALL FOUR SIDES OF TUBE 

B 

20.375 (+- 1") 

PLASTICADE INC. 

7700 N AUSTIN AVE NAME DATE SKOKIE IL DRAWN BAS 11/04/2020 A 40lb Sand bag 1-800-470-3300 UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED: 

will be placed on DIMENSIONS ARE IN

INCHES[mm].

each leg for TOLERANCES: SS620A with 10mm Corrugated FRACTIONAL: X/X ± 1/16

[1.6mm] Plas�c Substrate at 84 A a total of 4 bags DECIMAL X.X ± .0625

X.XX±.032 A

56.44" 130.6" .XXXX±.015" SIZE DWG. NO. REV DEGREES: ±0.5o 

PROPRIETARY AND CONFIDENTIAL SS620A CRASH TEST {1432.56 mm} [3317.24 mm] THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS 

DRAWING IS THE SOLE PROPERTY OF 

B G PLASTICADE INC. SCALE:1:20 SHEET 1 OF 1 

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1