1200 New Jersey Ave., SE

 Washington, D.C. 20590

November 18, 2011

FHWA: HSST: NArtimovich:ms:x61331:11/14/11

File: h://directory folder/HSST/B226_Conti.docx

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

 , HSST; MGriffith, HSST) 

In Reply Refer To:

HSST/B-226

Hemal Shah, PE

Conti Enterprises, Inc

2045, Lincoln Highway

Edison, NJ 08817

Dear Mr. Shah:

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

review a roadside safety system for eligibility for reimbursement under the Federal-aid highway 

program. 

Name of system: Conti Half Shape Concrete Bridge Rail

Type of system: Temporary bridge railing

Test Level: MASH Test Level 3

Testing conducted by: Pennsylvania Transportation Institute

Date of request: October 28, 2011

Date initially acknowledged: October 28, 2011

You certify that the device described herein meets the crashworthiness criteria of the American 

Association of State Highway and Transportation Association’s (AASHTO) Manual on 

Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH). Based on your testing you asked that we find the device(s) 

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. 

Decision:

The following device is eligible, with details provided below:

• Conti Half Shape Concrete Bridge Rail

Requirements

Roadside safety devices should meet the guidelines contained in the American Association of 

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

The FHWA Memorandum “Identifying Acceptable Highway Safety Features” of July 25, 1997 

provides further guidance on crash testing requirements of longitudinal barriers. 
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This Conti designed half section concrete barrier is a pre-cast steel reinforced concrete 

barrier with following critical dimensions

• Width at Base = 15”

• Width at top = 6”

• Length of each Section = 19’-8”

• 5” X 5” Anchor Bolt Pockets at Base = 7-Ea within each section

• Reinforcement: Structural steel rebar and Light weight wide flange section beams

• Approximate Weight: 6,350-lbs per section 

• Approximate Volume: 41-cuft 

Please refer to the enclosed drawing, “Exhibit-A” for the detailed fabrication shop 

drawing. This shop drawing provides all necessary details to fabricate and to inspect and verify 

the barrier being used during application. Concrete within the pre-cast barrier is 4000-psi design 

strength (28-days).

During the preparation of the crash test it was determined that the HS-l barrier system 

needed to be tested according to the MASH guidance at TL-3. The TL-3 test level is 

designed to document the safety system's capability to safely contain and redirect 

vehicles traveling at high speeds. The MASH 3-11 test uses a pickup truck designated as 

vehicle 2270P (2270 kg). The vehicle impacts the determined critical impact point of the 

length of need barrier at a designated impact speed of 100 km/h at a nominal angle of 25 

degrees. 

The length of need (LON) of the constructed barrier system at the crash testing facility 

was 98 ft, consisting of 5 consecutive HS-l barrier sections pinned together and each 

section was bolted onto a simulated 9-inch concrete bridge deck constructed at the test 

facility. The critical impact point (CIP) on the constructed barrier system was determined 

to be 4.3 ft downstream of the joint between the third (middle) and fourth barrier 

sections. The approach angle of the vehicle was set at 25 degrees. The test vehicle was a 

2002 Dodge RAM 1500 Quad Cab 2WD, meeting the MASH criteria for the 2270P 

vehicle.

The test vehicle impacted the barrier system at a speed of 98.2 km/h (61 mi/h) and a 

24.08-degree angle 5.1 ft from the joint of the third and fourth barrier. The test vehicle 

was safely redirected by the barrier system with an exit angle of 4.8 degrees well within 

the designated exit box. The test vehicle suffered minor damage throughout the impact. 

No measurable deformation of the passenger compartment was detected. No penetration 

of any kind or obstruction of view of the driver was detected. The test article had suffered 

minor damage and very small deformation. The impacted barrier segment developed a 

crack in the lower left comer of the barrier at the joint between the impacted (third) and 

adjacent upstream (fourth) barrier. Maximum permanent and dynamic penetrations 

occurred at the same location and were measured at 0.012 m (0.47 in).
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Findings

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

and should be installed under the range of conditions tested, when such use is acceptable to a 

highway agency.

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

• This finding of eligibility is limited to the crashworthiness characteristics of the systems 

and does not cover their structural features, nor conformity with the Manual on Uniform 

Traffic Control Devices.

• Any changes that may adversely influence the crashworthiness of the system will require 

a new letter.

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

performance reveals unacceptable safety problems, or that the system being marketed is 

significantly different from the version that was crash tested, we reserve the right to 

modify or revoke this letter.

• 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 

review, and that it will meet the crashworthiness requirements of the FHWA and the 

Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware. 

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

B-226 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 finding of eligibility is limited to the crashworthiness characteristics of the candidate 

system, 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.

• The Conti HS barrier is not yet patented, but you consider the design as proprietary 

intellectual property. If proprietary systems are specified by a highway agency for use on 

Federal-aid projects, except exempt, non-NHS 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. Our regulations concerning proprietary products are contained in Title 23, 

Code of Federal Regulations, Section 635.411. 
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Sincerely yours,

Michael S. Griffith

Director, Office of Safety Technologies

Office of Safety 

Enclosures