August 11, 2004

Refer to: HSA-10/WZ-182

Mr. William Korman
Korman Signs
3029 Lincoln Avenue
Richmond, Virginia 23228

Dear Mr. Korman:

Thank you for your letter of March 31, 2004, requesting Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) acceptance of your company's Alpolic® 350 sign substrate on Dicke Tool Model No. QFV60 sign stands as crashworthy traffic control devices for use in work zones on the National Highway System (NHS). Accompanying your letter were drawings of the proposed stand and a discussion of prior crash testing. You requested that we find these devices 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
The FHWA guidance on crash testing of work zone traffic control devices is contained in two memoranda. The first, dated July 25, 1997, titled "INFORMATION: Identifying Acceptable Highway Safety Features," established four categories of work zone devices: Category I devices are those lightweight devices which are to be self-certified by the vendor, Category II devices are other lightweight devices which need individual crash testing but with reduced instrumentation, Category III devices are barriers and other fixed or heavy devices also needing crash testing with normal instrumentation, and Category IV devices are trailer mounted lighted signs, arrow panels, etc. for which crash testing requirements have not yet been established. The second guidance memorandum was issued on August 28, 1998, and is titled "INFORMATION: Crash Tested Work Zone Traffic Control Devices." This later memorandum lists devices that are acceptable under Categories I, II, and III.

The QFV60 stand is a heavy duty extension spring mounted sign support that carries a 48x48 inch square vinyl sign mounted at 58 inches plus. The base consists of rigid aluminum legs 1.25 inches square and 60 inches long attached to the steel bracket holding the extension spring system. The mast is 1.5 inch square aluminum tubing. It was crash tested with three wood flagstaffs in a bracket attached to the top.

Testing
Full-scale automobile testing was conducted on the Dicke Tool QVF60 stand with a roll up sign. six meters downstream turned at 90 degrees, as called for in our guidance memoranda. It was the subject of the FHWA acceptance letter WZ-17 dated July 20, 1999. There was no damage to the windshield in the test of this stand.

Your present request is to substitute 48x48 Alpolic® 350 signs for the roll up signs that were crash tested. Crash testing of the QVF60 stand shows that the 5-foot mounting height causes the sign to impact the roof. In the 90-degree test the leading corner of the roll up sign impacted on the roof well beyond the windshield. Because of the good performance of the stand, and the similar good performance of Alpolic® 350 substrates at various heights, we concur in your assertion that signs fabricated of Alpolic® 350 material will perform in an acceptable manner if mounted no less than 5 feet above the ground on the Dicke Tool QVF60 stand. We have contacted Dicke Tool, Inc., and they confirm that they are in agreement with this usage. Therefore, the device described above and detailed in the enclosed drawings are acceptable for use on the NHS under the range of conditions tested, when proposed by a State.

Please note the following standard provisions that apply to 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 FHWA and NCHRP Report 350.
• To prevent misunderstanding by others, this letter of acceptance, designated as number WZ-1 shall not be reproduced except in full. This letter, and the test documentation upon which this letter is based, is public information. All such letters and documentation may be reviewed at our office upon request.
• Alpolic® 350 signs and Dicke Tool stands are proprietary products. The use of proprietary work zone traffic control devices in Federal-aid projects is generally of a temporary nature. They are selected by the contractor for use as needed and removed upon completion of the project. Under such conditions they can be presumed to meet requirement "a" given below for the use of proprietary products on Federal-aid projects. On the other hand, if proprietary devices are specified by a highway agency for use on Federal-aid projects they: (a) 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. These provisions do not apply to exempt Non-NHS projects. 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