FHWA Acceptance Letters for Category II Work Zone Devices
For information on the procedure for requesting FHWA's acceptance of crashworthy Category 2 work zone devices, click here
View list of all FHWA Acceptance Letters covering Work Zone Devices starting with those most recently posted.
The new search feature for crashworthy work zone traffic control devices allows you to zero in more quickly on the acceptance letter or letters that include the hardware you are interested in. Every FHWA Acceptance Letter has been reviewed for the following information, and the appropriate keywords have been associated with each Acceptance Letter:
- Sign Substrate or Barricade Rail (Roll up, plywood, aluminum laminate, plastic, etc.)
- Sign Mounting Height (height to bottom of sign for portable sign stands)
- Auxiliary Device (was the device crash tested with flags or lights?)
- Type of Device (sign stand, barricade, etc)
- Manufacturer (you may also select "generic")
To sort these letters to find those associated with the keywords you are interested in you may choose the Keyword Table method, or the Dropdown Menu method.
If you choose the Keyword Table method you will see five tables showing all the keywords in the categories listed above. Click on any keyword of interest. The program will then sort out those letters associated with your keyword of interest, and present you with a revised set of tables.
For example, if you are interested in x-footprint sign stands that have been crash tested with plywood signs, begin by clicking on "X-Footprint Sign" in the "Type of Device" table. You will then see that the keywords now available in the tables has been reduced. Only those letters that include x footprint signs are sorted. Click on "Plywood" in the "Sign Substrate or Barricade Rail" table and you will see the short list of Acceptance Letters that cover X-Footprint Signs and Plywood Sign Substrates. Please note that this does not necessarily mean that all those letters cover plywood signs mounted on x-footprint sign stands. The letters may deal with tripod stands that support plywood signs and x-footprint stands supporting roll-up signs. You will have to review the content of the letter to ensure that the hardware meets your needs.
If you choose the Dropdown Menu method, you may select keywords from any or all of the menus, then click "Search by Keyword" to get the list of letters that meet all of your criteria. If you get "No records meet your search criteria" as a response, change one or more of the Dropdown Menus to "All" and try again.
FHWA streamlined its procedure for accepting crashworthy Category 2 work zone traffic control devices in its memorandum dated November 18, 2005. Under the new procedures that go into effect on January 1, 2006, developers who want the Federal Highway Administration to acknowledge the crashworthiness of their new or redesigned hardware must complete the form [PDF - 75KB] available on the website and submit it along with the appropriate attachments. In addition to electronic drawings and a detailed description of the device, the form requires a signature from the crash test laboratory that conducted the NCHRP Report 350 assessment. It also includes a selection of keywords that will allow users of FHWA website to locate the letter easily.
If the form is filled out completely, and all required items on the form's checklist are included, the form will be assigned a "WZ" number, dated, and added to the agency's web list of Category 2 Acceptance Letters. The new procedure will improve the turn around time of crashworthiness acceptance, and ensure that new hardare is posted to the web site in a timely manner. FHWA will conduct periodic in-depth reviews of the crash testing on a spot basis.
