October 1, 2020 

1200 New Jersey Ave., SE 

Washington, D.C. 20590 

In Reply Refer To: 

HSST-1/B-350 

Mr. Jeff Jeffers 

State of Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities 

3132 Channel Drive 

Juneau, AK 99811-2500 

USA 

Dear Mr. Jeffers: 

This letter is in response to your April 17, 2020 request for the Federal Highway Administration 

(FHWA) to review a roadside safety device, hardware, or system for eligibility for 

reimbursement under the Federal-aid highway program. This FHWA letter of eligibility is 

assigned FHWA control number B-350 and is valid until a subsequent letter is issued by FHWA 

that expressly references this device. 

Decision 

The following device is eligible within the length-of-need, with details provided in the form 

which is attached as an integral part of this letter: 

• 2019 MASH 2-Tube Bridge Rail Transition 

Scope of this Letter 

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

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

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

However, the FHWA, the Department of Transportation, and the United States Government do 

not regulate the manufacture of roadside safety devices. Eligibility for reimbursement under the 

Federal-aid highway program does not establish approval, certification or endorsement of the 

device for any particular purpose or use. 

This letter is not a determination by the FHWA, the Department of Transportation, or the United 

States Government that a vehicle crash involving the device will result in any particular 

outcome, nor is it a guarantee of the in-service performance of this device. Proper 

manufacturing, installation, and maintenance are required in order for this device to function as 

tested. 

This finding of eligibility is limited to the crashworthiness of the system and does not cover other 

structural features, nor conformity with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. 
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 AASHTO’s MASH.

2 

Eligibility for Reimbursement 

Based solely on a review of crash test results and certifications submitted by the manufacturer, 

and the crash test laboratory, FHWA agrees that the device described herein meets the crash test 

and evaluation criteria of the AASHTO’s MASH. Therefore, the device is eligible for 

reimbursement under the Federal-aid highway program if installed under the range of tested 

conditions. 

Name of system: 2019 MASH 2-Tube Bridge Rail Transition 

Type of system: Longitudinal Barrier Transition 

Test Level: Test Level 3 (TL3) 

Testing conducted by: Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) 

Date of request: April 17, 2020 

FHWA concurs with the recommendation of the accredited crash testing laboratory on the 

attached form 

Full Description of the Eligible Device 

The device and supporting documentation, including reports of the crash tests or other testing 

done, videos of any crash testing, and/or drawings of the device, are described in the attached 

form. 

Notice 

This eligibility letter is issued for the subject device as tested. Modifications made to the device 

are not covered by this letter. Any modifications to this device should be submitted to the user 

(i.e., state DOT) as per their requirements. 

You are expected to supply potential users with sufficient information on design, installation and 

maintenance requirements to ensure proper performance. 

Issuance of this letter does not convey property rights of any sort or any exclusive privilege. This 

letter is based on the premise that information and reports submitted by you are accurate and 

correct. We reserve the right to modify or revoke this letter if: (1) there are any inaccuracies in 

the information submitted in support of your request for this letter, (2) the qualification testing 

was flawed, (3) in-service performance or other information reveals safety problems, (4) the 

system is significantly different from the version that was crash tested, or (5) any other 

information indicates that the letter was issued in error or otherwise does not reflect full and 

complete information about the crashworthiness of the system. 
3 

Standard Provisions 

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

control number B-350 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 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. 

• This FHWA eligibility letter is not an expression of any Agency view, position, or 

determination of validity, scope, or ownership of any intellectual property rights to a 

specific device or design. Further, this letter does not impute any distribution or licensing 

rights to the requester. This FHWA eligibility letter determination is made based solely 

on the crash-testing information submitted by the requester. The FHWA reserves the 

right to review and revoke an earlier eligibility determination after receipt of subsequent 

information related to crash testing. 

Sincerely, 

Michael S. Griffith 

Director, Office of Safety Technologies 

Office of Safety 

Enclosures 
Version 10.0 (05/16) 

Page 1 of 8 

Request for Federal Aid Reimbursement Eligibility 

of Highway Safety Hardware 

Date of Request: April 17, 2020 New Resubmission 

Name: Jeff Jeffers 

Company: State of Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities 

Address: 3132 Channel Drive, Juneau, AK 99811-2500 

Country: United States of America 

To: Michael S. Griffith, Director 

FHWA, Office of Safety Technologies 

I request the following devices be considered eligible for reimbursement under the Federal-aid 

highway program. 

Device & Testing Criterion - Enter from right to left starting with Test L 

System Type Submission Type Device Name / Variant Testing Criterion Test 

Level 

'B':Rigid/Semi-Rigid Barriers 

(Roadside, Median, Bridge 

Railings) 

PhysicalCrashTesting 

Engineering Analysis 

2019 MASH 2-Tube 

Bridge Rail Transition 

AASHTO MASH TL3 

! - ! - !

 

 

itter 

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 evel ! - ! - ! 

By submitting this request for review and evaluation by the Federal Highway Administration, I certify 

that the product(s) was (were) tested in conformity with the AASHTO Manual for Assessing Safety 

Hardware and that the evaluation results meet the appropriate evaluation criteria in the MASH. 

Individual or Organization responsible for the product: 

Contact Name: Jeff Jeffers Same asSubmitter 

Company Name: State of AlaskaDepartment of Transportation andPublicFacilities Same asSubmitter 

Address: 3132 Channel Drive, Juneau, AK 99811-2500 Same asSubmitter 

Country: United States of America Same asSubmitter 

Enter below all disclosures of financial interests as required by the FHWA `Federal-Aid Reimbursement 

Eligibility Process for Safety Hardware Devices' document. 

Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) was contracted by the State of Alaska Department of Transportation 

andPublicFacilitiesand the North DakotaDepartment of Transportation to perform full-scalecrash testing of 

the 2019 MASH2-TubeBridgeRailTransition. Thereare nosharedfinancial interestsin the 2019 MASH2-Tube 

BridgeRailTransition by TTI,or between theState of AlaskaDepartment of Transportation andPublicFacilities 

and/or the North DakotaDepartment of Transportation,andTTI,other than costsinvolved in theactual crash 

testsand reportsfor thissubmission toFHWA. 

608331-4, 5, 6 
 

 

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Page 2 of 8 

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION 

A brief description of each crash test and its result: 

NewHardware or 

Significant Modification 

Modification to 

Existing Hardware 

The 2019 MASH2-Tube Bridge Rail Transition test installation was comprised of a 154-ft long section of 

reinforced concrete bridge deck that incorporated two steel rails,a121⁄2-ft long (nominal)section of two nested 

thrie beams(RTM08a)attached to the bridge railswith a thrie beam terminal connector(RTE01b)and unique 

guardrail connector, astandard symmetrical 75 inch long (nominal) thrie-beam-to-W-beam transition rail 

section (RWT01b),25 ft ofW beam guardrail (in length of need),andastandard 9 ft-41⁄2inch longTxDOTDAT 

terminal (posts1and 2) at the end. 

The total length of the installation wasapproximately 207 ft-31⁄2 inches (53 ft-31⁄2 inches transition + 154 ft 

bridge deck).The top edgesof the DATrail andW-beam were located 31 inchesabove grade.The top edge of 

the nested thrie beam was343⁄4 inchesabove grade,and the topsof the bridge railswere located 24 inchesand 

38 inchesabove the bridge deck. 

Transition sectionPosts3 through 6 were72 incheslong (embedded 40 inches),posts7 and 8 were72 inches 

long,and posts9 through 15 were78 incheslong.Posts1 through 6 werespacedat 75 inches;posts7 through 

0 wereat 371⁄2inches;and posts10 through 15 wereat 183⁄4 inches.Timber blockouts,8-inchesdeep, were 

nstalled on posts 2 through 6. Posts 7 and 8 were fitted with 12-inch deep, short (14 inches) steel hollow 

tructural section (HSS) tubing blockouts,and posts9 through 15 were fitted with 12-inch deep, long (21 1⁄8 

nches)steel HSSblockouts, 

1

i

s

i

Thebridge deck’scurb was10 inchestall, with a4-inch thick lift of grout, yielding a6-inch tall trafficsideface. 

Thecurb was18 incheswideat the base,and 17 incheswideat the top,with the trafficsidefacesloping 1-inch 

toward the field side. 

Sixteen fabricatedsteel postswere longitudinallyspaced on 10ft centers,beginning at 24inchesfrom each 

end of the concretecurb.Twosteel rectangularHSSrail elementsspanned the postsand extended past them 

at eachend of the installation. 

CRASH TESTING 

Bysignature below, theEngineeraffiliated with the testing laboratory,agreesin support of thissubmission that 

all of the critical and relevant crash tests for this device listed above were conducted to meet the MASHtest 

criteria. The Engineer has determined that no other crash testsare necessary to determine the device meets 

theMASHcriteria. 

Engineer Name: William F. Williams 

EngineerSignature: WilliamWilliams Digitallysigned by William Williams 

Date: 2020.09.28 16:15:43 -05'00' 

Address: TTI, TAMU 3135 College Station, TX 77843-3135 Same asSubmitter 

Country: United States of America Same asSubmitter 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Required Test 

Number 

Narrative 

Description 

Evaluation 

Results 

3-20 (1100C) 

Test 3-20 involves an 1100C vehicle 

impacting the test articleat a target impact 

speed of 62mi/h and target angle of 25°. 

The target CIPfor the left corner of thefront 

bumper was 5.1 ft upstream of the end of 

the concretecurb/deck. 

The results of the test conducted on 

September 2, 2019, are found in TTI Test 

Report No. 608331-4-6 as Test #4. The test 

vehicle wastravelingat aspeed of 60.9mi/h 

as it made contact with the 2019 MASH2-

TubeBridgeRailTransition 6.06ft upstream 

of the end of the concrete curb/deck at 

impact angle of 26.5°. After loss of contact 

with the transition, the vehiclecame to rest 

145 ft downstream of the impact point and 

137 ft toward the trafficside. 

The 2019 MASH2-Tube Bridge Rail 

Transition contained and redirected the 

1100C vehicle. The vehicle did not 

penetrate, underride, or override the 

installation. The vehicle exited within the 

exit box criteria defined in MASH. 

Maximum dynamic deflection of the rail 

during the test was 3.5 inches. Maximum 

permanent deformation was 1.25 inches. 

Working width was 26.1 inches. 

No detached elements, fragments, or other 

debris were present to penetrate, or to 

show potential for penetrating, the 

occupant compartment, or to present 

undue hazard for others in the area. 

The 1100C vehicle remained upright during 

and after the collision event. Maximum roll 

and pitch angles were 12° and 3°, 

respectively. 

Longitudinal OIV was 22.6 ft/s and lateral 

OIV was 30.5 ft/s. Maximum longitudinal 

occupant ridedown acceleration was14.5g, 

and maximum lateral occupant ridedown 

acceleration was9.2g.Occupant riskfactors 

were within the maximum limitsspecified in 

MASH. 

Maximum exterior crush to the vehicle was 

14.0 inches in the side plane in the front 

plane at the left front corner at bumper 

height. Maximum occupant compartment 

deformation was3.5inchesin the left kick 

panel area.No damage to the fuel tank was 

observed. 

The 2019 MASH2-Tube Bridge Rail 

Transition performed acceptably for MASH 

test 3-20. 

PASS 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Required Test 

Number 

Narrative 

Description 

Evaluation 

Results 

3-21 (2270P) 

Test 3-21 involves a 2270P vehicle 

impacting the test articleat a target impact 

speed of 62mi/h and target angle of 25°. 

The target CIPfor the left corner of thefront 

bumper was 7.0 ft upstream of the end of 

the concretecurb/deck. 

The results of the test conducted on 

September 5, 2019, are found in TTI Test 

Report No. 608331-4-6 as Test #5. The test 

vehicle wastravelingat aspeed of 61.9mi/h 

as it made contact with the 2019 MASH2-

TubeBridgeRailTransition 6.52ft upstream 

of theend of theconcretecurb/deckandat 

an impact angle of 25.3°. After loss of 

contact with the transition, the vehicle 

came to rest 174 ft downstream of the 

impact point and in-line with the rail. 

The 2019 MASH2-Tube Bridge Rail 

Transition contained and redirected the 

2270P vehicle. The vehicle did not 

penetrate, underride, or override the 

installation. The vehicle exited within the 

exit box criteria defined in MASH. 

Maximum dynamic deflection during the 

test was 6.1 inches. Maximum permanent 

deformation was 3.75 inches. Working 

width was 26.9 inches. 

No detached elements, fragments, or other 

debris were present to penetrate, or to 

show potential for penetrating, the 

occupant compartment, or to present 

undue hazard for others in the area. 

The 2270P vehicle remained upright during 

and after the collision event. Maximum roll 

and pitch angles were 8° and 11°, 

respectively. 

LongitudinalOIVwas20.3ft/sand lateral 

OIVwas23.6ft/s. 

Maximum longitudinal occupant ridedown 

acceleration was7.4g and maximum lateral 

occupant ridedown acceleration was13.0g. 

Occupant risk factors were within the 

preferred limitsspecified in MASH. 

Maximum exterior crush to the vehicle was 

15.0inchesin theside planeat the left front 

corner at bumper height. Maximum 

occupant compartment deformation was4 

inchesin the left sidekick panel.No damage 

to the fuel tank wasobserved. 

The 2019 MASH2-Tube Bridge Rail 

Transition performed acceptably for MASH 

test 3-21. 

PASS 
 

 

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Page 5 of 8 

The reported tests were for the Transition

ection. 

ests3-10& 3-11 pertain to Length-of-Need.

he Length-of-Need Tests4-10, 4-11, & 4-12

ere performed in December 2018, and are

ound inTTITestReport No.608331-1A, 2,3. 

============================= 

>>>>Continued onPage7 of 8 <<<<<< 

s

T

3-10, 3-11 

T

w

f

Non-Relevant Test, not conducted 

=

>
 

 

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Page 6 of 8 
 

 

3-21 (2270P) 

Test 3-21 involves a 2270P vehicle 

impacting the test article ata target impact 

speed of 62mi/h and target angle of 25°. 

The target CIPfor the left corner ofthefront 

bumper was7.3 ftupstream of centerline of 

Post #7.

The results of the test conducted on 

December 19, 2019, are found in TTI Test 

Report No. 608331-4-6 as Test #6. The test 

vehicle wastraveling ataspeed of 62.6mi/h 

as it made contact with the 2019 MASH2-

Tube Bridge Rail Transition 7.5 ft upstream 

of the centerline ofPost #7andat an impact 

angle of 24.9°.After lossof contact with the 

barrier, the vehicle came to rest 133 ft 

downstream of the impact point and 2 ft 

toward the trafficside. 

The 2019 MASH2-Tube Bridge Rail 

Transition contained and redirected the 

2270P vehicle. The vehicle did not 

penetrate, underride, or override the 

installation. The vehicle exited within the 

exit box criteria defined in MASH. 

Maximum dynamic deflection during the 

test was33.6inches. Maximum permanent 

deformation was 28.0 inches. Working 

width was44.7inches. 

No detached elements,fragments, or other 

debris were present to penetrate or toshow 

potential for penetrating the occupant 

compartment, or to present undue hazard 

for others inthearea. 

The 2270P vehicle remained upright during 

and after the collision event. Maximum roll 

and pitch angles were 15° and 14°, 

respectively. 

Longitudinal OIVwas24.9ft/sand lateral 

OIV was16.4ft/s. 

Maximum longitudinal occupant ridedown 

acceleration was 10.7 g and maximum 

lateral occupant ridedown acceleration was 

9.8 g. 

Occupant risk factors were within the 

preferred limitsspecified in MASH. 

Maximum exterior crush to the vehicle was 

20.0inches in theside planeat the left front 

corner at bumper height. No occupant 

compartment deformation orintrusion was 

observed. No damage to the fuel tank was 

observed. 

The 2019 MASH2-Tube Bridge Rail 

Transition performed acceptably for MASH 

test 3-21. 

PASS 

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Page 8 of 8 

Full Scale Crash Testing was done in compliance with MASH by the following accredited crash test 

laboratory (cite the laboratory’s accreditation status as noted in the crash test reports.):

Laboratory Name: Texas AM Transportation Institute 

LaboratorySignature: Digitally signed by Darrell L. Kuhn 

'Date: 2020.09.28 14:02:31-05'00 

Address: TTI, TAMU 3135 College Station, TX 77843-3135 Same asSubmitter 

Country: United States of America Same asSubmitter 

Accreditation Certificate 

Number and Dates of current 

Accreditation period : 

ISO 17025-2017 Laboratory 

A2LA Certificate Number: 2821.01 

Valid To: April 30, 2021 

Submitter Signature*:

ATTACHMENTS 

Attach to this form: 

1) Additional disclosures of related financial interest as indicated above. 

2) A copy of the full test report, video, and a Test Data Summary Sheet for each test conducted in 

support of this request. 

3) A drawing or drawings of the device(s) that conform to the Task Force-13 Drawing Specifications 

[Hardware Guide Drawing Standards]. For proprietary products, a single isometric line drawing is 

usually acceptable to illustrate the product, with detailed specifications, intended use, and contact 

information provided on the reverse. Additional drawings (not in TF-13 format) showing details that 

are relevant to understanding the dimensions and performance of the device should also be submitted 

to facilitate our review. 

FHWA Official Business Only: 

Eligibility Letter 

Number Date Key Words