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                Safety Eligibility Letter B-64E
  
  **Hardware Type:**
            Longitudinal Barriers and Bridge Rails
                          **Code:**
            B-64E
                          **Date:**
            03/18/2003
                          **Testing Criteria:**
            NCHRP 350
                          **Manufacturer:**
            NYSDOT
                          **Device Description:**
            Weak post w-beam median barrier @ TL-3
                          **View PDF:**
            b64e.pdf (63.94 KB)
    
    
March 18, 2003
Refer to: HSA-10/B-64E
Mr. Larry W. Brown, Civil Engineer III
New York State Department of Transportation
Design Quality Assurance Bureau -Bldg 5, Rm
410
Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12232-0751
Dear Mr. Brown:
In your March 6, 2003, letter, you requested formal
acceptance of New York State's Corrugated Beam Median Barrier (weak post) for
use on the National Highway System (NHS) as a test level 3 (TL-3) barrier.  This design, with w-beam rail attached to
both sides of S75 x 8 steel posts and mounted 835 mm (33 inches) above ground
level, is currently shown in the 1995 AASHTO-ARTBA-AGC Guide to Standardized
Highway Barrier Hardware and in the 2002 AASHTO Roadside Design Guide
(RDG).  It is currently classified as a
TL-2 design in the latter publication.
You included with your letter a copy of a Texas
Transportation Institute report dated February 2003, entitled NCHRP Report 350
Test 3-11 of the New York DOT W-Beam on Light Post Median Barrier.  As detailed in that report, your weak-post
w-beam median barrier successfully contained and smoothly redirected a 2000-kg
pickup truck impacting the rail at 101.5 km/h and at an impact angle of 24.8
degrees. The maximum dynamic
deflection of the barrier was reported to be 1530 mm and all Report 350
evaluation criteria were met.  Based on
the results of test 3-11, the weak-post w-beam median barrier should be
reclassified as a TL-3 design and it may be used on the NHS when selected by
the appropriate highway authority.  The
classification change will be reflected in the next edition of the RDG.
Please note that Section 6.4.1.1 of the 2002 RDG emphasizes
the need to use this barrier on relatively flat ground for optimum crash
performance and that proper anchorage is required at each end of an
installation.  On the NHS, these end
anchorages must be crashworthy terminals.
Sincerely yours,
(original
signed by Harry W. Taylor)
for:
Michael S. Griffith
Acting
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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