3352Signs

3352.1SCOPE

Provide fabricated sign panels complete with border, legend, route markers , and legend components as individual items. Retroreflective sheeting, transparent film, imaging system, and legend shall be provided by the same manufacturer and shall be a matched component system. For the purpose of the Work specified in section 3352, “Signs,” the Department defines the term “Legend” as letters, numerals, arrows, and symbols that convey the message on signs.

3352.2REQUIREMENTS

Provide sign panels as specified in the Standard Signs and Markings Manual, Standard Signs and Markings Summary, the MN MUTCD, as detailed in the Contract, and in accordance with this section.

A Materials Fabricate sign panels in the colors meeting the FHWA Color Tolerance Charts unless otherwise specified in this section. The Department will determine color compliance by visual comparison with the appropriate chart. A.1 Sheet Aluminum Provide sheet aluminum for sign panels meeting the requirements of ASTM B209M, Standard Specification for Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Sheet and Plate (Metric) for Alloy 5052- H38 or Alloy 6061-T6. Use sign base Material with no warps or twists so the finished sign panel will lay flat against the post or mounting Structure. Provide sheet aluminum thickness for single section sign panels, panel sections of multiple section signs, and sign panel ove rlays in accordance with Table 3352.2-1. Table 3352.2-1 Sheet Aluminum Thickness Length of Longest Side Thickness < 18 0.063 + 0.004 >18 - 30 0.080 + 0.005 >30 0.100 + 0.005 Sign Panel Overlay 0.063 + 0.004 X4-3 Cylinder Delineator 0.040 + 0.005 A.2 Extruded Aluminum, Bolted Type Provide extruded aluminum panels meeting the requirements of ASTM B221M, Standard Specification for Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Extruded Bars, Rods, Wire, Profiles, and Tubes (Metric), for Alloy 6063-T6 and in accordance with the following sizes and weights:

Use aluminum alloy hardware or stainless steel hardware to assemble the extruded panel. Use Type 304 stainless steel post clip bolts in the post clips to attach the extruded panel to the supports. Use Type A304 stainless steel washers with nylon insert stainless steel locknuts meeting the requirements of ASTM F594, Standard Specification for Stainless Steel Nuts, Type 304 for the nuts for post clip bolts. A.3 Retroreflective Sheeting Provide retroreflective sheeting on the APL for “Traffic control devices” as specified in this section. Materials on this list meet the requirements of ASTM D4956, Standard Specification for Retroreflective Sheeting for Traffic Control, and 23 CFR 655 Appendix to Subpart F. Some standard sheeting types have been modified to reflect Department requirements. A.3.a Sign Sheeting Type III Provide Sign Sheeting Type III for traffic cones, tubular delineators, and yellow cylinder style delineators. Additionally, sheeting Material shall be tested to ensure that it meets the impact resistance of the Material at 32°F. A.3.b Sign Sheeting Type IV Provide Sign Sheeting Type IV for permanent signs, delineators, markers, tubular delineators, and traffic cones. Provide white and fluorescent orange Sign Sheeting Type IV for reboundable plastic drums and weighted channelizers . Additionally, sheeting Material shall be tested to ensure that it meets the impact resistance of the material at 32°F.

A.3.c Sign Sheeting Type V Provide Sign Sheeting Type V for cylinder style delineators and tubular delineators. Additionally, sheeting Material shall be tested to ensure that it meets the impact resistance of the Material at 32°F. A.3.d Sign Sheeting Type VI Provide Sign Sheeting Type VI for temporary roll-up signs and traffic cones. A.3.e Sign Sheeting Type VIII Provide white and fluorescent orange Sign Sheeting Type VIII for reboundable plastic drums, weighted channelizers, tubular delineators, and white cylinder style delineators. Additionally, sheeting Material shall be tested to ensure that it meets the impact resistance of the material at 32°F. A.3.f Sign Sheeting Type IX Provide fluorescent orange Sign Sheeting Type IX for rigid substrate construction signs. A.3.g Sign Sheeting Type XI Provide Sign Sheeting Type XI for permanent signs, delineators, markers, barricade sheeting. Provide fluorescent orange Sign Sheeting Type XI for rigid substrate construction signs. A.4 Sheeting Warranty Requirements Ensure the sign sheeting Materials are included on the APL at the time of letting. Ensure the warranty provided by the sign sheeting Materials manufacturer meets or exceeds the requirements in Table 3352.2-2, and flows down to and is enforceable by the Department. All warranties commence upon Project acceptance unless otherwise noted. Table 3352.2-2 Reflective Sheeting Warranties Material Warranty Prismatic sign sheeting for permanent signs and white cylinder style delineators (non-fluorescent) Twelve years total. The first 7 years covers 100 percent full replacement of Material and labor costs associated with fabricating and installing the sign or device. The final 5 years covers 100 percent of sheeting replacement. Fluorescent prismatic sign sheeting for permanent signs Ten years total. The first 7 years covers 100 percent full replacement of Material and labor costs associated with fabricating and installing the sign or device. The final 3 years covers 100 percent of sheeting replacement. Encapsulated lens sign sheeting for permanent signs and yellow cylinder style delineators Ten years total. The first 7 years covers 100 percent full replacement of Material and labor costs associated with fabricating and installing the sign or device. The final 3 years covers 100 percent of sheeting replacement. Prismatic sign sheeting for rigid signs (work zone use) Three years covers 100 percent sheeting replacement. Prismatic sign sheeting for reboundable plastic drums and weighted channelizers Replacement of defective products. Prismatic sign sheeting for work zone barricades Prorated warranty for 3 years covers sheeting replacement. Rollup sign sheeting (work zone use) Prorated warranty for 3 years covers sheeting replacement.

Use inks and overlays that are part of the sign sheeting Materials manufacturer’s integrated components system. Fabricate sign in accordance with Material manufacturer’s requirements so that the sign sheeting Materials manufacturer honors the required warranty covering the loss of retroreflectivity, loss of color, cracking, and other conditions that cause ineffectiveness in meeting the intended use. Sign sheeting must maintain retroreflectivity values during the warranty in accordance with Table 3352.2-3.

Table 3352.2-3 Minimum Retroreflectivity Values Sign Sheeting Type Warranty Period Minimum Allowable Retroreflection Total Daytime Luminance Factor Minimum Type III From Project acceptance until 7 years after Project acceptance 80 percent — Type III 7 years after Project acceptance until 10 years after Project acceptance 70 percent — Type III Traffic Cones None — — Type III Tubular Delineators None — — Type IV Drums and Channelizers From installation until Project acceptance or removal, whichever is longer — — Type VI From Project acceptance until 3 years after Project acceptance 50 percent 20 percent Type VIII Cylinder Style Delineators From Project acceptance until 7 years after Project acceptance 80 percent — Type VIII Cylinder Style Delineators From 7 years after Project acceptance until 12 years after Project acceptance 70 percent — Type VIII Fluorescent Orange None — — Type IX From Project acceptance until 7 years after Project acceptance 80 percent — Type IX From 7 years after Project acceptance until 12 years after Project acceptance 70 percent — Type IX Fluorescent Yellow- Green From Project acceptance until 10 years after Project acceptance 70 percent 60 percent Type IX Fluorescent Yellow From Project acceptance until 10 years after Project acceptance 70 percent 40 percent Type IX Fluorescent Orange From Project acceptance until 3 years after Project acceptance 70 percent 20 percent Type XI From Project acceptance until 7 years after Project acceptance 80 percent — Type XI From 7 years after Project acceptance until 12 years after Project acceptance 70 percent — Type XI Fluorescent Yellow Green From Project acceptance until 10 years after Project acceptance 70 percent 60 percent Type XI Fluorescent Yellow From Project acceptance until 10 years after Project acceptance 70 percent 40 percent Type XI Fluorescent Orange From Project acceptance until 3 years after Project acceptance 70 percent 20 percent Type XI Barricades From Project acceptance until 3 years after Project acceptance 50 percent — Note: Percentages are based on minimum original values meeting the requirements of ASTM D4956, Standard Specification for Retroreflective Sheeting for Traffic Control and 23 CFR 655 Appendix to Subpart F. A.5 Transparent Overlay Film Ensure the transparent overlay film sign sheeting Materials are included on the APL at the time of letting. Ensure the warranty provided by the sign sheeting manufacturer meets the requirements of the retroreflective sign sheeting Material to which it is applied.

Use sign faces made of pigmented, flexible, weather-resistant plastic film free from blemishes. Use a transparent acrylic film that is part of the sign sheeting manufacture ’s system of matched, compatible components. The transparent acrylic film shall have a pressure sensitive, transparent adhesive. Once the border, legend, route markers, and other legend components have been placed on the sheet aluminum, apply the transparent overlay film. Apply the film in accordance with the sign sheeting Materials manufacturer’s recommendations. Cure the film for 48 hours between 70°F and 90°F. Ensure the film meets the following characteristics:

for 48 hours

immersion in distilled water for 24 hours

A.6 Legend Apply sign sheeting Material to demountable shapes before they are applied to sign panel. A.6.a Direct Applied Legend Provide a legend consisting of shapes cut from sign sheeting. A.6.b Screen Processed Painted Legend Use a direct or reverse screening process to apply the painted legend to the sheeting. Use screen process paints approved by the sign sheeting Materials manufacturer that will adhere to the retroreflective sheeting surface in accordance with sign sheeting Materials manufacturer’s recommendations. Digitally printed legend and border will not be accepted. For the sign face Material on the State route markers, obtain the gold color with a screen-processed color using a transparent gold paint. Obtain the blue color with a screen-processed color using transparent blue paint. Ensure the overlap of the blue and gold screen-processed colors does not exceed 3/32 inches. A.6.c Transparent Overlay Film Legend Provide a legend consisting of shapes cut from transparent overlay film. A.7 Fasteners A.7.a 3/16 inch Rivet Use dome head stainless steel open end blind rivet with a stainless steel mandrel. Head diameter shall be 3/8 inch. Drilled hole shall be between 0.192 and 0.196 inch diameter. The body shall be 3/16 inch diameter. A.7.b 1/4 inch Rivet Use dome head aluminum structural with locking stem blind rivet and aluminum mandrel. Head diameter shall be 0.525 inch. Drilled hole shall be between 0.261 and 0.272 inch diameter. The body shall be 1/4 inch diameter. A.7.c Stainless Steel Bolts Use stainless steel bolts as specified in 3391.2E, “Stainless Steel Bolts,” with zinc coated steel nylon insert lock nuts. When used to attach sign panels place a stainless steel washer and nylon washer on the sign sheeting surface.

A.7.d Galvanized Steel Screw Anchor Bolts Use galvanized screw anchor bolts as specified in plans. Galvanize screw anchor bolts in accordance with 3392, “Galvanized Hardware.” A.8 Aluminum Stringers Use extruded aluminum alloy 6061-T6 with mill finished surface for stringers used to mount sign panels to square tube posts. The stringer shall have 3/8 inch holes provided at one inch intervals on center. The nominal thickness of the stringer shall be 1/ 8 inch. A.9 Stainless Steel Clamps Use to clamp stringers to square tube posts. Use 11 gauge Type 304, #2B finished stainless steel with 3/8 inch diameter 16 threads per inch 2 inch long carriage bolt & serrated flange nut. B Fabrication B.1 General Fabricate sign panels as shown on the Plans and with details and alphabets contained in the Standard Signs and Markings Manual and Federal Standard Highway Signs and Markings book. Fabricate sign panels free of cracks, wrinkles, blisters, and other blemishes while adhering to sign sheeting Material manufacturer’s recommendations. Ensure that sign Materials are handled in accordance with directions and recommendations of the sign sheeting Materials manufacturer(s). Sign fabricators shall be certified by sign sheeting Materials manufacturers. Construct sign panels from one sheet of sign base material. If sign is larger than a single sign base material sheet, than construct the sign panel with sheets placed horizontally adjacent so that only vertical splices are used. For sign panel overlays a horizontal splice is allowed for sign panels with a height that exceeds 144 inches. B.2 Design and Dimensions Fabricated finished sign panels must be in accordance with the designs, dimensions, and punching as shown in the contract and Standard Signs and Markings Manual . B.3 Surface Treatment of Metal Clean and treat the metal in accordance with sign sheeting Materials manufacturer’s recommendations before applying the sign sheeting Material. Do not use chromate type chemical conversion treatment. Apply cleaning or treatment chemicals or detergents as directed by the sign sheeting Materials manufacturer. Maintain laboratory facilities to test and control the concentration of the solutions used at the treatment plant. Maintain a log of the concentration of treating solutions. After treatment and cleaning, use a device or clean canvas gloves to handle sign base Material until after the application of sign sheeting Material. B.4 Applying Sign Face and Legend Sheeting Apply retroreflective sheeting, transparent overlay film, and legend Material to the sign face as recommended by the sign sheeting Materials manufacturer. For sign panels with brown backgrounds, provide white retroreflective sheeting for sign face material and brown transparent overlay film.

Before applying the transparent overlay film to the sign face Material, cut and weed-out the legend and border from the transparent overlay film as shown on the sign panel details in the Contract. Then apply the weeded transparent overlay film to the white, retroreflective sheeting sign-face Material. Then apply the transparent overlay film “corner” pieces located outside the border that fill in the square corners of the sign panel. Sign panels for signs with black, blue, green, and red backgrounds may be provided through the method described for sign panels with brown sheeting. Do not splice retroreflective sign sheeting on panels with either the height or width less than 48 inches. If the retroreflective sheeting material is not available in a 48 inch width, then use the widest width material available for that type. If splicing is required to apply transparent overlay film on sign panels, provide vertical butt splices spaced so splices do not occur through letters or arrows. Splice the retroreflective sign sheeting so that sheeting joints are vertical. Use the least number of seams possible. Butt-joint gaps so that gap does not exceed 1/32 inch. Match colors of adjacent sheets of retroreflective sign sheeting on sign panels so that there is no noticeable difference in color. Do not splice transparent overlay film sign Materials except on sign panels where the background changes color. B.5 Fabrication Stickers Provide and affix fabrication stickers to the backside of sign panels except delineators and markers. Screen a fabrication sticker with the following information:

Indicate the month and year of fabrication of the sign panel on the sticker using one of the following methods:

sticker

black ink so that the month and year of fabrication will not be displayed The fabrication sticker shall measure 3 inch by 1 1/2 inch with a black legend on a white, reflectorized background. Provide a sample to the Engineer for approval. Affix the fabrication sticker to the backside of each sign panel in the lower right corner when facing the back of the sign panel. For installations of sign panels less than 42 inches wide mounted on two posts, install the sticker at the bottom center of the sign panel. C Packaging Before packaging, allow signs to stand for at least 12 hours. Pack single panel signs in corrugated paper cartons or other containers to prevent the package from breaking and to protect the signs from damage during shipment. Separate signs with coated paper that will not stick to the sign face Material . Package single-panel signs in packages weighing no greater than 125 pounds and no thicker than 3 1/2 inches. Package multiple panels, for the same sign, together. Deliver signs without damage.

3352.3SAMPLING AND TESTING

The Engineer may inspect sign fabrication and Materials at the fabrication site, at the sign sheeting Materials manufacturer’s plant, or at the Project. Notify the Engineer at least 14 Calendar Days before fabricating the signs. The Engineer may send an Inspector to the plant to inspect the raw Materials or the fabrication. If the sign is inspected during fabrication, the Inspector will stamp each package of signs with the Department inspection mark or with the mark of its delegated representative.