Authorization Criteria for Sign Panel List

General:

All sign panels which are to be permanently installed on the State Highway System must be procured from manufacturers who are on the Caltrans Authorized Facility Audit List (AFAL) before incorporation into any Caltrans construction project.

Manufacturers included on the AFAL must be able to manufacturer sign panels capable of meeting specifications as required by the project the sign panels are purchased for. These specifications may include any of the following: Caltrans Standard Specifications (section 82), Statewide NSSP, or District NSSP.

Manufacturers approved for the AFAL will be included for 3 calendar years from the date of approval. If a manufacturer wishes to remain on the AFAL after the 3 calendar years, they must contact the Materials Engineering and Testing Services (METS) Statewide Materials Support Branch (SMS) 25 work weeks prior to the approval expiration date. If the manufacturer is again approved, the listing will be extended another 3 calendar years from the end of that expiration date.

Sign Panel Authorization Criteria:

The following is required for a manufacturer to be included on the Caltrans Authorized Facility Audit List (AFAL):

1. Completed Facility Audit Self-Evaluation which is approved by METS.
2. Facility-specific sign panel quality control plan which is authorized by METS.
3. Approved Facility Audit conducted by METS of the manufacturer’s facility.

The sign panel QC plan for each fabrication site must include:

1. Contact information for the person responsible for sign QC
2. Acceptance criteria for incoming raw materials at the fabrication plant
3. Type, method, and frequency of QC testing at the fabrication plant
4. Types and brand names of retroreflective sheeting
5. List of the retroreflective sheeting manufacturer’s approved process colors and digital-print system inks, protective-overlay film, and black nonreflective film, including the manufacturer’s name and product name for each item
6. Manufacturer’s installation and splicing instructions for the retroreflective sheeting
7. Manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning each product
8. Method of packaging, transporting, and storing signs
9. Example certificates of compliance for each applicable material
10. Schematic of imprint with sign information and nomenclature

Note: Caltrans reserves the right to perform an audit or remove a manufacturer from the Authorized Facility Audit List at any time.