Safety Eligibility Letter B-97A

U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration

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

April 4, 2008

In Reply Refer To: HSSD/B-97A

Mr. Leo J. Yodock, III
1000 Market Street
Bloomsburg, PA 17815

Dear Mr. Yodock:

This letter is in response to your request for Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) acceptance of a modified roadside safety system for use on the National Highway System (NHS).

You requested that we find this system 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.”

Requirements
Roadside safety systems should meet the guidelines contained in the NCHRP Report 350, "Recommended Procedures for the Safety Performance Evaluation of Highway Features". FHWA Memorandum “ACTION: Identifying Acceptable Highway Safety Features” of July 25, 1997 provides further guidance on crash testing requirements of longitudinal barriers.

Description
The Yodock Barrier Wall is comprised of 1170-mm long low-density polyethylene units that are 1170-mm tall, 610-mm wide at the base, and 280-mm wide at the top. The individual units are connected at the ends with polyethylene couplers and along the sides by 89 mm x 89 mm x 6.4 mm structural steel tubes supported by steel brackets which extend through two forklift holes in each unit. These tubes are mounted at a centerline height of 706 mm. In the original design the structural steel tubes rested on 102-mm square wood blocks. Your present request is to replace the wood block design with an all-steel bracket assembly as shown on the enclosed drawings.

You are in the process of developing a permanently installed configuration but wish to gain FHWA acceptance for this modification of the support bracket. To support this request you sent drawings, video of the test, and the test data summary sheet. Mr. Nicholas Artimovich of my staff verbally concurred in this design change on August 10, 2007, and you subsequently requested formal documentation. The full crash test report will be submitted when your present development efforts have been completed.

Crash Testing
A 30.6-meter long Yodock Water Cell Barrier was subjected to NCHRP Report 350 test 3-11. The pickup was successfully contained by the system which had a deflection of 4.09 m. The results of the test are summarized in the enclosed test data summary sheet.

Findings
The test met the requirements of the FWHA and NCHRP Report 350. Therefore the requested modification is acceptable for use on the NHS, when permitted by a highway or transportation authority, under the range of conditions the original design was tested.

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

• This acceptance is limited to the crashworthiness characteristics of the systems 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 system 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 system being marketed is significantly different from the version that was crash tested, we reserve the right to modify or revoke our 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 it will meet the crashworthiness requirements of the FHWA and the NCHRP Report 350.
• To prevent misunderstanding by others, this letter of acceptance is designated as number B-97C 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.
• Yodock Walls are patented products and considered proprietary. If proprietary systems are specified by a highway agency for use on Federal-aid projects, except exempt, non-NHS 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 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.
• This acceptance 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 acceptance letter is limited to the crashworthiness characteristics of the candidate system, 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.