U.S. Department 

Of Transportation 

Federal Highway 

Administration

400 Seventh St., S.W. 

Washington, D.C. 20590 

November 8, 1993 

Refer to: HNG-14/SS-41 

Richard Strizki, P.E. 

Box 66-K, R.R. #1 

Uniondale, Pennsylvania 18470 

Dear Mr. Strizki: 

Thank you for your September 13 letter requesting the Federal highway Administration’s 

(FHWA) acceptance of the “Adjustable Anchor and Bracket Assembly” for use with load 

concentrating breakaway couplings. The load concentrating couplings are of the type 

used in the New Jersey breakaway sign supports and the Transpo-Safety Break-Safe 

breakaway devices. Your design is essentially an alternative method of connecting the 

coupling to the post and to the foundation. The key modifications include the use of 

roller “T’s” welded to each side of a post to form stiffened web brackets that serve as the 

post base plate, pop rivets to hold the eccentric load washers in their correct orientation 

on the base plate, and an anchor assembly that allows vertical and horizontal adjustments 

to be made during the final placement of the sign. Drawings of the brackets and anchor 

assemblies are enclosed. 

We have reviewed the material you submitted and concur that the modifications to the 

brackets and use of the “adjustable Anchor and Bracket Assembly” should have no affect 

on breakaway performance. Thus, it is acceptable for use on National Highway System 

(NHS) projects when used with an acceptable load concentrating coupling, if proposed by 

a State. However, we do have two recommendations regarding installation and use of 

these assemblies. When two or more of the “C” shaped shims that are provided for 

adjusting the height of the couplings are they should be oriented 180 degrees from one 

another. Also, we believe the axis of symmetry of the washers should be perpendicular 

to the centerline of the highway. These orientations would help to ensure proper bearing 

for the coupling during impact. 

Our acceptance is limited to the characteristics of the assembly when used with a 

matching acceptable breakaway coupling, and does not cover the structural features of 

the coupling, nor the assembly. Presumably, you will supply potential users with 

sufficient information on structural design and installation requirements to ensure proper 

performance. We anticipate that the States will require certification from you that the 

hardware furnished is compatible with couplings, and that the combination of couplings 
and your hardware will meet the FHWA change in velocity requirements when used with 

your hardware. 

Because your adjustable anchor and bracket assembly is proprietary, to be used in 

Federal-aid projects on the NHS it must be: (a) supplied through competitive bidding 

with equally suitable unpatented items; (b) the highway agency must certify that it is 

essential for synchronization with existing highway facilities or that no equally suitable 

alternate exists; or (c) it 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 is enclosed. 

 Sincerely yours, 

 Lawrence A. Staron, Chief 

 Federal-Aid and Design Division 

2 Enclosures 

Geometric and Roadside Design Acceptance Letter SS-41