1200 New Jersey Ave., SE

 Washington, D.C. 20590

September 5, 2013

FHWA:HSST:NArtimovich:sf:x61331:5/9/13 REVISED BY NARTIMOVICH 8/21/13: 

NArtimovichUpddated 9/5/13

File: s://directory folder/hsst/nartimovich/CC-115G_SOFT-STOP Terminal.docx

cc: HSST (Reader, HSA; Chron File, HSST; NArtimovich, HSST), BFouch, HSST 

In Reply Refer To:

HSST/CC-115G REVISED

Mr. Brian Smith

Trinity Highway Products, LLC

2525 North Stemmons Freeway

Dallas, Texas 75207

Dear Mr. Smith:

This letter is in response to your request for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to 

review a modification to a roadside safety system for eligibility for reimbursement under the 

Federal-aid highway program. 

Name of system: Trinity TL-3 SOFT-STOP Terminal

Type of system: W-Beam Guardrail Terminal

Test Level: MASH Test Level 3 (TL-3)

Testing conducted by: Original testing by Texas Transportation Institute

Task Force 13 Designator: SEW22

Date of request: June 17, 2013

Date of final package: June 17, 2013

Decision:

The following device is eligible, with details provided in the form which is attached as an 

integral part of this letter.

• Trinity TL3 SOFT-STOP Terminal with modified Soft-Stop Head.

Based on a review of previous crash tests submitted by the manufacturer certifying the device 

described herein meets the crash test and evaluation criteria of the American Association of State 

Highway and Transportation Officials’ Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH), the 

device is eligible for reimbursement under the Federal-aid highway program. Eligibility for 

reimbursement under the Federal-aid highway program does not establish approval or 

endorsement by the FHWA for any particular purpose or use.

The FHWA, the Department of Transportation, and the United States Government do not 

endorse products or services and the issuance of a reimbursement eligibility letter is not an 

endorsement of any product or service.
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Requirements

To be found eligible for Federal-aid funding, roadside safety devices should meet the crash test 

and evaluation criteria contained in the American Association of State Highway and 

Transportation Officials’ Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH). 

Description

The device and supporting documentation are described in the attached form.

Summary and Standard Provisions

Therefore, the system described and detailed in the attached form is eligible for reimbursement 

and may be installed under the range of conditions tested. 

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

• This letter provides a AASHTO/ARTBA/AGC Task Force 13 designator that 

should be used for the purpose of the creation of a new and/or the update of existing 

Task Force 13 drawing for posting on the on-line ‘Guide to Standardized Highway 

Barrier Hardware’ currently referenced in AASHTO Roadside Design Guide.

• This finding of eligibility does not cover other structural features of the systems, 

nor conformity with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.

• Any changes that may influence system conformance with MASH will require a 

new reimbursement eligibility letter.

• Should the FHWA discover that the qualification testing was flawed, that in-service 

performance reveals safety problems, or that the system is significantly different 

from the version that was crash tested, we reserve the right to modify or revoke this 

letter.

• You are expected to supply potential users with sufficient information on design 

and installation requirements to ensure proper performance.

• You are expected to certify to potential users that the hardware furnished has the 

same chemistry, mechanical properties, and geometry as that submitted for review, 

and that it will meet the test and evaluation criteria of the MASH.

• To prevent misunderstanding by others, this letter of eligibility is designated as 

number CC-115G REVISED 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. 

• This 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 FHWA does not become involved in issues concerning patent law. 

Patent issues, if any, are to be resolved by the applicant.

• The Trinity SOFT-STOP Terminal is a patented product and considered proprietary. 

If proprietary systems are specified by a highway agency for use on Federal-aid 

projects: (a) they 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. 
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Our regulations concerning proprietary products are contained in Title 23, Code of 

Federal Regulations, Section 635.411.

Sincerely yours,

Michael S. Griffith

Director, Office of Safety Technologies

Office of Safety

Enclosures