August 29 , 2006

Refer to: HSA-10/SS-141

Mr. Jeff Anderson
POCO Incorporated
42000 Van Born Road
Canton, Michigan 48188

Dear Mr. Anderson :

Thank you for your letter of June 3, 2005, and email correspondence of June 14, 2006, requesting the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) acceptance of your company's ground-mounted sign support as a breakaway device for use on the National Highway System (NHS). Accompanying your correspondence were reports from Karco Engineering and video documentation of the testing. You requested that we find the Poco Incorporated Driven Sign Stand acceptable for use on the NHS under the provisions of the 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' Standard Specifications for Structural Supports for Highway Signs, Luminaires and Traffic Signals.

The Poco Incorporated driven sign stand consists of two main parts: the sign panel and the support structure. The support structure is made up of two (2) vertical supports. These supports are composed of ninety-six inch (96") long by fourteen (14) gage wall thickness by one and one-half inch (1.5") square cold rolled steel tubing. Each support mast is stiffened with a 48" long section of nominal 1" schedule 40 steel pipe. This pipe is inserted into the 'bottom' portion of the mast and spot welded in place. Each mast is further drilled with four 3/8" diameter holes, placed 1" and 12" from each end.

The 5/8" thick plywood sign panel is attached to the masts with four (4) 5/16" diameter by 3-1/2" long hex head bolts and Nylok nuts. A 1/16" thick fender washer is placed between the head of each bolt and the face of the plywood and a 5/8" thick by 1-1/4" outside diameter by 3/8" inside diameter spacer is placed on the bolt between the back of the plywood and the mast.

The sign also has a Type A warning light (Empco-Lite Model 400) attached to one of the corners. This light is mounted with a 1/2"-13 bolt through a 9/16" hole, with a "cup washer" placed under the bolt head. The light is further held in position by the use of a "Z-bracket". The light contains at least one battery. The battery is placed in the outermost 'pocket' in the light case.

The masts are attached to 3 pound-per-foot 'U-channel' post sections, approximately forty-eight inches to sixty inches (48"-60") in length. These sections of 'U-channel' are embedded thirty-six to forty-eight inches (36"-48") in soil, with a minimum of twelve-and-one-half inches (12.5") protruding above ground.

Two (2) bolts are used to attach each mast to each 'U-channel' section. 5/16"-18 zinc plated bolts with Nylok nuts are placed through the holes drilled 1" and 12" from the bottom end of each mast, and through available holes in the 'U-channel' post section.

The total height of the assembly is approximately 128" and the total weight is approximately 95 pounds.

Testing

Full-scale automobile testing was conducted on your company's devices. The u-channel stubs were driven into standard soil. The complete devices as tested are shown in the enclosures.

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

Damage was limited to dents to the bumper, grille, and hood, with windshield cracking occurring in only the high-speed test. There was a maximum deflection of 1 inch to the windshield. Velocity changes were all within acceptable limits. As the u-channel anchor posts broke off below the ground line there were no stubs remaining. The results of testing met the FHWA requirements and, therefore, the devices described above and shown in the enclosed drawings for reference 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 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-141, 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 Poco Incorporated Driven Sign Stand includes features for which a patent has been applied for, and is therefore 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; (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 is enclosed.
• 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,

/original signed by /

John R. Baxter, P.E.
Director, Office of Safety Design
Office of Safety

Enclosure

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