1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE. 

Washington, DC 20590 July 17, 2008 

In Reply Refer To: HSSD/B-176A

Mr. John Addy 

Hill & Smith 

Springvale Business and Industrial Park 

Bliston, Wolverhampton, West Midlands, UK, WV14 OQL 

Dear Mr. Addy: 

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

acceptance of a roadside safety system for use on the National Highway System (NHS). 

 Name of system: ZoneguardTM, Standard and Minimum Deflection arrangements 

 Type of system: portable longitudinal steel barrier 

 Test Level: MASH-08 Test Level 3 (TL-3) 

 Testing conducted by: Southwest Research Institute 

 Date of request: May 30, 2008 

 Date of follow-up: June 2, 2008 

You requested that we find this system acceptable for use on the NHS under the provisions of the 

proposed American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ Manual for 

Assessing Safety Hardware 2008 (MASH-08) for both the standard and minimum deflection 

arrangements of ZoneguardTM. 

Requirements

Roadside safety systems should meet the guidelines contained in the NCHRP Report 350, 

"Recommended Procedures for the Safety Performance Evaluation of Highway Features". 

FHWA Memorandum “ACTION: Identifying Acceptable Highway Safety Features” of July 25, 

1997 provides further guidance on crash testing requirements of longitudinal barriers. You have 

chosen to anticipate the adoption of MASH-08, an option that FHWA has offered with the 

understanding that additional testing may need to be done if changes to the test criteria are made 

before MASH-08 is formally adopted. 

Description

The ZoneguardTM portable longitudinal barrier system is comprised of 8 gauge, 0.165 in 

(4.2 mm) thick, ASTM A36 pressed, galvanized steel panels assembled in 50 ft (15.24 m) long 

sections. Each section is 2.69 ft (820 mm) high with a base width of 2.3 ft (700 mm) and a top 

beam width of 0.52 ft (157 mm).The ZoneguardTM has a step 0.5 ft (150 mm) wide on each side 

just above surface level, which slopes upward to meet the upper beam section. Each section 
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weighs approximately 3097 lb (1406 kg). The base of each 50 ft (15.24 m) long section has 

12 rubber feet, 2.30 ft x 0.54 ft x 0.043 ft (700 mm x 165 mm x 13 mm), which are fixed using 

an adhesive compound. 

Crash Testing 

The complete barrier test installations were each nominally 2.69 ft (820 mm) high, 2.3 ft 

(700 mm) wide, and 250 ft (76.2 m) long. Tests were conducted for two different anchoring 

patterns: (1) the standard arrangement which includes anchoring at each end of the barrier and 

(2) the minimum deflection arrangement which includes anchoring every 33.3 ft (10.2 m) along 

the barrier. The standard arrangement is anchored at points 1.64 ft (500 mm) and 16.67 ft 

(5.1 m) from each end on both sides for a total of four anchors per end. These anchors were 

1.5 in (38 mm) diameter ASTM 1018 smooth rod, 12 in (305 mm) long and installed 8 in 

(200 mm) deep into concrete. The minimum deflection ZoneguardTM arrangement is identical to 

the standard arrangement described above apart from the addition of the intermediate threaded 

resin anchors placed in both sides of the “foot” section on 33.3 ft (10.2 m) centers. Alternate 

anchor designs certified by the manufacturer may be used to provide equal or greater anchorage 

strength to that provided for the test installations. 

The following table summarizes the six tests conducted on the ZoneguardTM systems. The tests 

in bold text apply to this acceptance. 

Test # Test Criteria Vehicle 

Mass 

Standard or Min. 

Deflection 

Impact Speed Maximum 

Deflection* 

ZG-USA-1 350 & MASH 1065 kg Min. Deflection 103.5 km/hr 0.20 m 

ZG-USA-2 350 2118 kg Min. Deflection 99.3 km/hr 0.31 m 

ZG-USA-3 MASH 2208 kg Min. Deflection 101.5 km/hr 0.41 m 

ZG-USA-4 350 2118 kg Standard 100.9 km/hr 1.83 m 

ZG-USA-5 MASH 2208 kg Standard 104.0 km/hr 1.93 m 

ZG-USA-6 350 8165 kg Standard 80.5 km/hr 1.45 m 

* This column shows the maximum dynamic deflection of the top of the barrier. 

Crash tests performed included tests 3-10U (“U” refers to tests run in compliance with the update 

to the NCHRP Report 350, now known as MASH-08) and 3-11 for the minimum deflection 

arrangement and tests 3-11 and 4-12 for the standard arrangement. Prior to crash testing we 

concurred in your request that the MASH-08 small passenger vehicle be considered a “worst 

case scenario” and a proper substitute for the 820C vehicle called for in Report 350. Enclosed 

with this acceptance letter are drawings of the test article and test summary sheets. The tests and 

the results met the FHWA requirements. 

Findings 

The system described above and detailed in the enclosed drawings is acceptable for use on the 

NHS under the range of conditions tested, when acceptable to a State. When used across a 

bridge joint it should be noted that the ZoneguardTM can accommodate approximately 10 inches 

of movement. 
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Please note the following standard provisions that apply to the FHWA letters of acceptance: 

• This acceptance is limited to the crashworthiness characteristics of the system and does 

not cover the structural features, nor does it cover conformity with the Manual on 

Uniform Traffic Control Devices. 

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

a new acceptance 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 our 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 it will meet the crashworthiness requirements of the FHWA and 

MASH-08. 

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

B-176A 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. 

• The ZoneguardTM portable longitudinal steel barrier system is a patented product and 

considered proprietary. If proprietary devices/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. 

• This acceptance letter shall not be construed as authorization or consent by the FHWA to 

use, manufacture, or sell any patented device/system for which the applicant is not the 

patent holder. The acceptance letter is limited to the crashworthiness characteristics of 

the candidate device/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. 

Sincerely yours, 

David A. Nicol 

Director, Office of Safety Design 

Office of Safety 

Enclosures