Safety Eligibility Letter B-232

U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration

1200 New Jersey Ave. S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20590

May 4, 2012

In Reply Refer To:
HSST/B-232

Brian Smith
Trinity Highway Products, LLC
2525 North Stemmons Freeway
Dallas, Texas 75207

Dear Mr. Smith:

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.

Decision:
The following device is eligible, with details provided in your enclosed July 14, 2011, letter which is considered an integral part of this finding:

• CASS using S3 posts on 4H:1V slopes four rope cable median barrier to MASH TL-3

Based on a review of crash test results submitted by the manufacturer certifying the device described herein meets the crash test and evaluation criteria of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials' Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH), 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.

Requirements
To be found eligible for Federal-aid funding, roadside safety devices should meet the crash test and evaluation criteria contained in the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials' Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH).

Description and Crash Testing
The CASS four-rope cable median barrier, with S3 posts spaced at 10.5 feet, was tested on a 30-foot wide median with 4H:1V slopes.  The barrier was placed four feet down from the slope break point, and subjected to MASH tests 3-10 and 3-11.  The barrier system and tests are both described in your July 14, 2011, letter which is enclosed as an integral part of this finding.  Also enclosed are the test data summary sheets of both tests, and drawings of the barrier.

Findings
Therefore, the system described and detailed in the attached letter is eligible for reimbursement and may be installed under the range of conditions tested when located no further than four feet from the 4H:1V slope break point.  

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

• This letter provides a AASHTO/ARTBA/AGC Task Force 13 designator that should be used for the purpose of the creation of a new and/or the update of existing Task Force 13 drawing for posting on the on-line ‘Guide to Standardized Highway Barrier Hardware' currently referenced in AASHTO Roadside Design Guide. 
• This finding of eligibility does not cover other structural features of the systems, nor conformity with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.
• Any changes that may influence system conformance with MASH will require a new reimbursement eligibility letter.
• Should the FHWA discover that the qualification testing was flawed, that in-service performance reveals safety problems, or that the system is significantly different from the version that was crash tested, we reserve the right to modify or revoke this letter.
• You are expected to supply potential users with sufficient information on design and installation requirements to ensure proper performance.
• You are expected to certify to potential users that the hardware furnished has the same chemistry, mechanical properties, and geometry as that submitted for review, and that it will meet the test and evaluation criteria of the MASH.
• To prevent misunderstanding by others, this letter of eligibility is designated as number B-232 and shall not be reproduced except in full.  This letter and the test documentation upon which it is based are public information.  All such letters and documentation may be reviewed at our office upon request.
• This letter shall not be construed as authorization or consent by the FHWA to use, manufacture, or sell any patented system for which the applicant is not the patent holder.  The finding of eligibility is limited to the crashworthiness characteristics of the candidate system, and the FHWA does not become involved in issues concerning patent law.  Patent issues, if any, are to be resolved by the applicant.
• The CASS barriers are patented products and considered proprietary.  If proprietary systems 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 the 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.  Our regulations concerning proprietary products are contained in Title 23, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 635.411.
• Although the barrier performed well under ideal test impact conditions with the two test vehicles, the likelihood of passenger car underrides of any cable system may increase as the post spacing increases, particularly when the barrier is installed on non-level or slightly irregular terrain and the cables are not restrained from lifting at each post.  Consequently, some transportation agencies have limited post spacing to approximately 6m (20 feet) for cable barriers.  The dynamic deflection of the barrier is likely to increase when it is installed along the convex sides of horizontal curves, and when distances between anchorages exceed the 195 meter (640-foot) test length.

Enclosures