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                Safety Eligibility Letter B-108
  
  **Hardware Type:**
            Longitudinal Barriers and Bridge Rails
                          **Code:**
            B-108
                          **Date:**
            11/04/2002
                          **Testing Criteria:**
            NCHRP 350
                          **Manufacturer:**
            Barrier Systems, Inc.
                          **Device Description:**
            Temporary steel barrier @ TL-2/TL-3
                          **View PDF:**
            b108.pdf (5.22 MB)
    
    
November 4, 2002
HSA-10/B-108
Owen S. Denman, P.E.
  President, Barrier Systems, Inc.
  180 River Road
  Rio Vista, CA 94571-1208
Dear Mr. Denman:
In your October 4 letter to Mr. Frederick Wright, former Director of the Federal 
  Highway Administration's Office of Safety, you requested formal review and acceptance 
  of a new longitudinal barrier named the SafeGuard Link System.  To support this 
  request, you also sent copies of a September 30, 2002 test report entitled "Barrier 
  Systems, Inc. SafeGuard Link System" prepared by Safe Technologies, Inc. and 
  videotapes of the crash tests that you conducted.
The SafeGuard Link System is a longitudinal barrier constructed from 8-gauge 
  A36 galvanized steel panels assembled in 8-meter segments.  These segments are 
  hinged at both ends and contain caster wheel/jack assemblies so individual segments 
  can be released and removed or swung open to allow temporary access through 
  the barrier.  Likewise, an entire installation can be pulled to a new location 
  without requiring disassembly of the individual segments.  The hinge assemblies 
  are shielded from direct impact by a removable aluminum cover and the segments 
  are connected with a 28.6-mm diameter ASTM C1018 steel pin.  The effective length 
  (including the hinge) of each segment is 8.5 m and its overall height is 847 
  mm.  Its base width is 727 mm and the width of its "T" top section is 513 mm.  
  Each segment weighs approximately 1525 kg.  Selected design details are shown 
  in Enclosures 1 through 3.  The SafeGuard Link System can be used as a "stand 
  alone" temporary barrier or as a removable gate within a run of portable concrete 
  barrier.  A transition design was developed and tested for the latter application 
  and is shown in Enclosure 4.
A 68-m long test section (eight 8-m long segments) of the SafeGuard Link System 
  was impacted at 100 km/h with an 820-kg car at 20 degrees and with a 2000-kg 
  pickup truck at 25 degrees.  Maximum deflection (with the truck) was reported 
  to be 1920 mm.  All NCHRP Report 350 evaluation criteria were met in both tests.  
  Summary reports are shown in Enclosures 5 and 6.  You also conducted a test 
  with the pickup truck at 70 km/h into an installation that was 34-m long (four 
  8-m long segments).  Under these test level 2 (TL-2) impact conditions, the 
  dynamic deflection was 1040 mm.  Enclosure 7 is the summary data for that test.  
  Finally, you tested the SafeGuard Link System at its critical impact point when 
  three 8-m long segments were inserted into a run comprised of 6-m long portable 
  concrete barrier segments, with three on the upstream end of the test installation 
  and four on the downstream end.  The results of this test are shown in Enclosure 
  8.
Based on the information you submitted, I agree the SafeGuard Link System, 
  as tested, meets NCHRP Report 350 evaluation criteria and may be used on the 
  National Highway System (NHS) as a test level 2 (TL-2) barrier when a minimum 
  of two 8-m segments are upstream from the length of need point and as a test 
  level 3 (TL-3) barrier when a minimum of four segments precede the length of 
  need point.  Designers must, of course, remain aware that impacts nearer to 
  either end of an unanchored installation will result in greater deflections 
  and possible penetration into the area behind the barrier.  The ends of a SafeGuard 
  Link installation will need to be shielded if located within the design clear 
  zone on projects on the NHS.
The SafeGuard Link System may also be used as a TL-3 barrier to create a temporary 
  opening in a portable concrete barrier when it is inserted into a run of temporary 
  concrete barrier.  Based on review of the videotape of the test that was conducted, 
  the concrete barrier segments on either end of the SafeGuard Link System should 
  be 6-m long segments, but the remaining segments may be any length or design 
  that have met Report 350 evaluation criteria.
Since the SafeGuard Link System is both a steel product and is proprietary, 
  the provisions of Title 23, Code of Federal Regulations Sections 635.410 and 
  635.411 are applicable.
Sincerely yours,
(original signed by Harry W. Taylor)
for:
Carol H. Jacoby, P.E.
  Director, Office of safety Design
8 Enclosures U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

**Federal Highway Administration**

1200 NEW JERSEY AVENUE, SE

WASHINGTON, DC 20590

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