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Safety Eligibility Letter WZ - 319

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U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
400 Seventh St., S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20590

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August 29, 2012

In Reply Refer To: WZ-319

Matt Racine
Accuform Signs
16228 Flight Path Drive
Brooksville, Florida 34604

Dear Mr. Racine:

This letter is in response to your request for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to review a roadside safety system for eligibility for reimbursement under the Federal-aid highway program.

Name of system: FRC786 Tilt Adjust Stand – Spring Version
Type of system: X-Footprint Portable Sign Stand
Test Level: NCHRP Report 350 Test Level 3
Testing conducted by: N/A
Date of request: April 24, 2012
Date initially acknowledged: May 8, 2012
Date of completed package: July 16, 2012

Decision
The following device is eligible, with details provided in the form which is attached as an integral part of this letter:

Based on a review of crash test results submitted by the manufacturer certifying the device and subsequent modifications described herein meets the crash test and evaluation criteria of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 350, the device is eligible for reimbursement under the Federal-aid highway program.  Eligibility for reimbursement under the Federal-aid highway program does not establish approval or endorsement by the FHWA for any particular purpose or use.

The FHWA, the Department of Transportation, and the United States Government do not endorse products or services and the issuance of a reimbursement eligibility letter is not an endorsement of any product or service.

To be found eligible for Federal-aid funding, roadside safety devices should meet the crash test and evaluation criteria contained in the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 350 or the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH).

Description
The initial device, the FRC750 stand, was the subject of FHWA Letter WZ-286 dated November 12, 2009.  Your present request is to modify that stand as follows:

  1. The locking mechanism changed from a push button to a pin sliding guide, as shown in the enclosed drawing, to be more user friendly.
  2. A spring mechanism was added to the base to add flexibility and shed wind gusts. It also helps to reduce the potential for tip-over of the stand from wind and reduce the amount of strain on the threaded stud.
  3. The clamp was changed from a tightening bracket to a weld nut on a threaded stud/arm know, making it easier to secure the roll up sign to the stand.

You also provided the following comparisons supporting the fact that the proposed changes are insignificant with regard to crash performance:

You provided this information in your “Request for Federal Aid Reimbursement Eligibility of Highway Safety Hardware” dated July 16, 2012. A copy is enclosed for reference.

Summary and Standard Provisions
Therefore, the system described in FHWA Letter WZ-286 and modified as described above, and detailed in the enclosed drawings is eligible for reimbursement and may be installed under the range of conditions initially crash tested.

Please note the following standard provisions that apply to FHWA eligibility letters:

Sincerely yours,

Signature of Mike S. Griffith

Michael S. Griffith
Director, Office of Safety Technologies
Office of Safety

Enclosures
Page last modified on June 24, 2011
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