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                Safety Eligibility Letter B-154
  
  **Hardware Type:**
            Longitudinal Barriers and Bridge Rails
                          **Code:**
            B-154
                          **Date:**
            01/23/2007
                          **Testing Criteria:**
            NCHRP 350
                          **Manufacturer:**
            Perini Corporation
                          **Device Description:**
            ESB Safety-shape Steel Bridge Rail
                          **View PDF:**
            b154.pdf (516.62 KB)
    
    HSSD/B-154


DOT logo
U.S. Department of Transportation
**Federal Highway Administration**
400 Seventh St., S.W.
Washington, D.C.  20590January 23, 2007
In Reply Refer To: HSSD/B-154

Mr. Terrence M. Flynn
 Perini  Corporation
 1022  Lower South Street
	Peekskill,  New York 10566
	
Dear Mr.  Flynn:
Thank you for your October  18, 2006, request for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) acceptance of  the ESB bridge rail for use on the Tappan Zee Bridge. The proposed ESB rail is a steel tube railing you compared to the  SISTEMA barrier originally accepted by the FHWA in our letter B-123 dated March  12, 2004. Accompanying your letter was  a report titled "LRFD Rail Analysis–Nonlinear Static Incremental Analysis–Steel  Side Barrier Types ESB and SISTEMA–Tappan Zee Bridge Repair Project" by Ammann  & Whitney (A&W). You requested  that we find this barrier acceptable for use under the provisions of the National  Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 350 "Recommended Procedures  for the Safety Performance Evaluation of Highway Features."
**Introduction**
The FHWA guidance on crash testing  of roadside safety hardware is contained in a memorandum dated July 25, 1997,  titled "INFORMATION: Identifying Acceptable Highway Safety Features." The  SISTEMA barrier, was accepted in B-123 by virtue of European tests that  exceeded the Impact Severity of tests required by the NCHRP Report 350. The ESB and the SISTEMA are similar  concerning general dimensions. The  total height of the two barriers is about 60 inches as measured from the  roadway to the center of the top rail. The  transverse dimensions are also close, with 19 inches for the SISTEMA and 20  inches for the ESB. The upper post  spacing for the SISTEMA is 9.8 feet, which is comparable to the ESB spacing of  10 feet. Both systems have a top pipe,  and three longitudinal rail members.  The longitudinal rail members are distributed more or less evenly within  a range of 1.0m measured from the top of the roadway. Both systems have an upper  opening of about 19 inches, mainly for traveler’s view, and lower opening of  about 2.5 inches for drainage. Both  systems have a front steel sheet connecting the three longitudinal members that  will increase the barrier nominal resistance when the effects of tensile field  action are significant in the longitudinal direction.
The A&W report concluded that the strength and overall barrier  performance was satisfactory The  A&W report concluded that the strength and overall barrier performance was  satisfactory as compared to the ESB.  The design specified an anchor bolt configuration in which some of the  bolts were designed to break away prior to the application of the full design  load. The FHWA Office of Infrastructure  reviewed the A&W report and rejected the original ESB design because some  of the bolts broke prior to the application of the minimum load of 120 kips, as  required by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation  Officials LRFD.  The A&W redesigned the attachment bolts and stiffened the edge of  the bridge deck in order to increase the loading that the rail system would  tolerate before deflecting without damaging the bridge deck. The FHWA Office of Infrastructure concurred  with the redesign.
**Findings**
The ESB bridge railing as redesigned,  described above, is acceptable for use on the NHS as a test level 5 barrier.
Please note the following standard  provisions that apply to the FHWA letters of acceptance:
Our acceptance is limited to the crashworthiness  characteristics of the barrier.
Any changes that may adversely influence the  crashworthiness of the device will require a new acceptance letter.
Should the FHWA discover that the qualification testing  or engineering analysis was flawed, that in-service performance reveals unacceptable  safety problems, or that the device being marketed is significantly different  from the version that was reviewed in this acceptance process, it reserves the  right to modify or revoke its acceptance.
You will be expected to supply potential users with  sufficient information on design and installation requirements to ensure proper  performance.
You will be expected to certify to potential users that  the hardware furnished has essentially the same chemistry, mechanical  properties, and geometry as that submitted for acceptance, and that they will  meet the crashworthiness requirements of the FHWA and the NCHRP Report 350.
To prevent misunderstanding by others, this letter of  acceptance, designated as number B-154 shall not be reproduced except in full. This letter, and the documentation upon which  this letter is based, is public information. All such letters and documentation may be reviewed at our office  upon request.
This acceptance letter shall not be construed as  authorization or consent by the FHWA to use, manufacture, or sell any patented  device for which the applicant is not the patent holder. The acceptance letter is limited to the  crashworthiness characteristics of the candidate device, and the FHWA is  neither prepared nor required to become involved in issues concerning patent  law. Patent issues, if any, are to be  resolved by the applicant.Sincerely yours, 


						**/original signed by/**				
	
						John R. Baxter, P.E.
						Director, Office of Safety Design
						Office of Safety

1 Enclosure U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

**Federal Highway Administration**

1200 NEW JERSEY AVENUE, SE

WASHINGTON, DC 20590

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