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                Safety Eligibility Letter B-150C
  
  **Hardware Type:**
            Longitudinal Barriers and Bridge Rails
                          **Code:**
            B-150C
                          **Date:**
            11/19/2010
                          **Testing Criteria:**
            NCHRP 350
                          **Manufacturer:**
            Gregory Highway Products
                          **Device Description:**
            Gregory Mini Spacer (GMS) W-Beam Guardrail
                          **View PDF:**
            b150c.pdf (145.07 KB)
    
    Safety Eligibility Letter B-150C


						
**Download Version**PDF [146 KB]

			DOT logoU.S. Department of Transportation**Federal Highway Administration**

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

			November 19, 2010

			In Reply Refer To: HSSI-B150C

			

			Mr. Andrew Artar

            	Gregory Highway Products

                4100 13th St., SW.

                Canton, Ohio  44710

            Dear Mr. Artar:

            This is in response to your January 4, 2010, letter to Mr. David A. Nicol requesting clarification that Gregory Mini Spacer (GMS) W-Beam Guardrail systems are considered crashworthy under both National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 350 and the Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH).

			The following Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Acceptance Letters have been issued for the GMS systems:

            Summary of GMS TL-3 Acceptance Letters
            Letter Number
                	Date
                	System
                	GMS Crash Test #B-150
                    October 27, 2006
                    W-Beam
                    1,2B-156
                    March 21, 2007
                    Thrie-Beam
                    3CC-96
                    December 21, 2007
                    Terminals for GMS
                    N/AB-150A
                    March 26, 2008
                    W-Beam
                    4,6B-150B
                    July 16, 2008
                    W-Beam
                    7

            During the development of the MASH we agreed with various manufacturers that they could conduct crash tests using the 820C vehicle meeting NCHRP Report 350 small car criteria, and the 2270P vehicle meeting the MASH pickup truck criteria in order to develop devices that could be accepted under both test guidelines.  The letters above granted “dual” acceptance with that understanding.  Those, and subsequent crash tests using the heavier 2270P vehicle have shown it to be a somewhat more stable vehicle than the lighter-weight 2000P pickup truck.  Because the FHWA and AASHTO have agreed that NCHRP Report 350 — tested devices may continue in use for the foreseeable future, we concur that the above letters acknowledge the respective GMS systems acceptable under the range of vehicle sizes required by the NCHRP Report 350 and MASH criteria.

Users should note that FHWA has recommended that all W-beam guardrail systems have a minimum height of 27-3/4 inches to the top of the rail.  Further, we recommend that the target installation height should be 29 inches with a tolerance of plus or minus one inch.  We have also recommended that States consider adopting 31-inch high W-beam guardrail systems, of which the GMS is one of the available proprietary products.  Lastly, all conditions and limitations detailed in the above referenced Acceptance Letters remain in effect.

         	Sincerely yours,

						*/* Signature of Michael S. Griffith */*

						Michael S. Griffith

							Director, Office of Safety Technologies

							Office of SafetyEnclosures U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

**Federal Highway Administration**

1200 NEW JERSEY AVENUE, SE

WASHINGTON, DC 20590

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