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                Safety Eligibility Letter B-170A
  
  **Hardware Type:**
            Longitudinal Barriers and Bridge Rails
                          **Code:**
            B-170A
                          **Date:**
            02/20/2009
                          **Testing Criteria:**
            NCHRP 350
                          **Manufacturer:**
            South Carolina Department of Transportation
                          **Device Description:**
            Temporary Concrete Barrier Wall and Anchorage
                          **View PDF:**
            b170a.pdf (506.59 KB)
    
    Safety Eligibility Letter B-170A

			 
			**Download Version**PDF [51 KB]
			
			DOT logoU.S. Department of Transportation**Federal Highway Administration**
			1200 New Jersey Ave. S.E.Washington, D.C. 20590
			February 20, 2009
			In Reply Refer To: HSSD/B-170A
			
			Mr. Don S. Turner
            	Traffic Safety and Design Engineer
                South Carolina Department of Transportation
                P.O. Box 191
                Columbia, SC 29202-0191
            Dear Mr. Turner:
            This correspondence is in reference to the Federal Highway Administration  (FHWA) Acceptance Letter HSSD/B-170 dated April 22, 2008, in which the FHWA  accepted a South Carolina DOT (SCDOT) temporary concrete barrier wall  anchorage.  The FHWA acceptance was based  on combining both Numbers 1 and 2 below for temporary barrier on bridge decks  application on the National Highway System, specifically under the range of  conditions that the original barrier(s) were tested as follows:
            *FHWA  acceptance letter, B-98, dated May 10, 2002*: Ten- and twelve-foot long New Jersey profile barriers with triple  loops and drop-in pin connections using “North Carolina Design” for the  temporary concrete barrier wall.
                *FHWA  acceptance letter B-5, dated March 14, 1989*:  Precast New    Jersey barrier specifying proprietary anchors and  grout.The intent of this correspondence is to notify you of this  office’s most recent discovery of two   separate issues related to the FHWA Acceptance Letter HSSD/B-170 that  compromise current FHWA acceptance status as follows:
			The  original submission did not contain computational analysis showing proposed “North Carolina Design” temporary  concrete barrier wall reinforcement being equal or greater strength to that  which was successfully tested under positive connected barrier conditions as  per FHWA Acceptance Letter B-5.
                The  specified anchor pattern for both 10ft. and 12ft. sections of barrier violates  Acceptance Letter B-5.The most recent SCDOT request for through-bolting method of  anchoring same type portable barriers on bridge decks will be placed on-hold  status until issues described herein are addressed and resolved.
			Please respond to this correspondence with comments or with  requested information by Thursday, March 20, 2009.   If you are unable to provide the information needed to resolve these  issues, or to have the barrier system subjected to full-scale crash testing and  achieve successful results, we will move to rescind FHWA acceptance letter  B-170.
            If you have any  questions, the Office of Safety contact is Mr. Will Longstreet at (202) 366-0087.
			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**

1200 NEW JERSEY AVENUE, SE

WASHINGTON, DC 20590

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