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                Safety Eligibility Letter B-134D
  
  **Hardware Type:**
            Longitudinal Barriers and Bridge Rails
                          **Code:**
            B-134D
                          **Date:**
            08/29/2008
                          **Testing Criteria:**
            NCHRP 350
                          **Manufacturer:**
            Energy Absorption, Inc.
                          **Device Description:**
            TL-4 Vulcan
                          **View PDF:**
            b134d.pdf (592.87 KB)
    
    Safety Eligibility Letter B-134D

			 
			**Download Version**PDF [655 KB]
			
			DOT logoU.S. Department of Transportation**Federal Highway Administration**
			1200 New Jersey Ave. S.E.Washington, D.C. 20590
			August 29, 2008
			In Reply Refer To: HSSD/B-134D
			
			Barry D. Stephens, P.E.
				Sr. Vice President Engineering
				Energy Absorption Systems, Inc.
				3617 Cincinnati Avenue
				Rocklin, CA  95678
				
			Dear Mr. Stephens:
			This letter is in response to your request for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) acceptance of a roadside safety system for use on the National Highway System (NHS).
			Name of  system:
					12M and 4M Vulcan BarrierTMManufacturer:
					Energy Absorption Systems, Inc. (EASI)Type of system:
					Portable Steel Thrie Beam Longitudinal BarrierTest Level:
					NCHRP Report 350 TL-4Testing  conducted by:
					LIER (Inrets Road Equipment Test Laboratory, France)Date of  request:
					June 13, 2008You requested that we find this system  acceptable for use on the NHS under the provisions of the 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. The FHWA Memorandum “ACTION:  Identifying Acceptable Highway Safety Features” of July 25, 1997 provides  further guidance on crash testing requirements of longitudinal barriers.
			**Description**The system is a portable steel  longitudinal barrier intended for use as a temporary barrier in highway  construction zones. The EASI developed  the Vulcan BarrierTM to prevent vehicle penetration at Test Level 4 (TL-4)  conditions for vehicles up to 8,000 kg with impact speeds up to 80 km/h (50  mph) and impact angles up to 15 degrees.  The Vulcan BarrierTM segments are available in two lengths, 4 meter (13  feet, 1 1⁄2 inches) and 12 meter (39 feet, 4 1⁄2 inches). It should be noted that the FHWA initially  found this same Vulcan BarrierTM acceptable as a TL-3 barrier in our acceptance  letter B-134 dated February 14, 2005, which included a successful crash test of  a 2000p vehicle.
			The test installation was 70.5 m (231.3  feet) long, consisting of six 12-meter-long Vulcan BarrierTM units pinned  together with only the leading and trailing edge  segments anchored. The dimensions of the  4 and 12 meter Vulcan BarrierTM units are as follows:
			4m Vulcan BarrierTM
					12m Vulcan BarrierTMHeight:
					813  mm (32 in)813 mm (32 in)Width:
					546  mm (21.5 in)546 mm  (21.5 in)Length*:
					4115 mm (162 in)11750 mm (463 in)Weight:
					395 kg (871 lbs)1017 kg (2243 lbs)* *Length measured pin to pin*
			The  Vulcan BarrierTM consists of multiple barrier sections pinned together using a  48 mm (OD) steel connecting pin. When  installed in continuous straight segments, a gap-filling steel plate is used  which further reduces lateral deflection to optimize impacting vehicle  redirection. The stackable steel  construction allows for reductions in shipping and storage space  requirements. All steel components are  hot-dipped galvanized to prevent corrosion and extend product life.
			**Crash  Testing**Full-scale crash testing was conducted  on the Vulcan BarrierTM.  We concur that conducting two full-scale “capacity” EN 1317 (European  Norm) tests (in addition to prior tests in the U.S.) was adequate to validate  the performance of the system as equivalent to the NCHRP 350 TL-4.
			The first test you completed was EN 1317  Test TB11 (900kg/100kph/20 deg) which is comparable to NCHRP 350 Test 4-10  (820P/100kph/20 deg). The test resulted  in a maximum permanent deflection of 0.83 m (2.72 ft) and a maximum dynamic  deflection of 1.1 m (3.61 ft).
			The second test completed was EN 1317  Test TB51(H2) (13000kg/70kph/20 deg) which is comparable to NCHRP 350 Test 4-12  (8000S/80kph/15 deg). This test, using  the heavier vehicle, utilized test conditions which require the test unit to withstand  approximately 117 percent greater impact severity as  compared to the NCHRP 350 Test 4-12. The  test resulted in a maximum permanent deflection of 1.97 m (6.46 ft) and a  maximum dynamic deflection of 2.4 m (7.87 ft).
			The EASI’s use of the LS-DYNATM  simulation software to replicate the heavy vehicle test, as conducted at the  LIER testing facility, provides sufficient data to show that the use of 4 meter  Vulcan BarrierTM sections, in lieu of the tested 12 meter sections, yields  negligible differences in maximum dynamic barrier deflection.
			**Findings**The test data sheet summarizing the  results of the impacts is enclosed for reference. Based upon the successful completion of the  aforementioned EN 1317 tests you provided, we agree that your 4 meter and 12  meter Vulcan BarrierTM systems are acceptable for use as TL-4 longitudinal  barriers under NCHRP 350 TL-4 conditions.  The systems, as described above, may be used on the NHS when such use is  acceptable to the contracting authority.
			Please  note the following standard provisions that apply to the 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-134D 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.
			  The Vulcan BarriersTM 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.Sincerely yours,
						Signature of David A. Nicol
							David A. Nicol
							Director, Office of Safety Design
							Office of Safety U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

**Federal Highway Administration**

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WASHINGTON, DC 20590

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