U.S. Department 

of Transportation 

Federal Highway 

Administration 

May 26, 2020 

1200 New Jersey Ave., SE 

Washington, D.C. 20590 

In Reply Refer To: 

HSST-1/WZ-404 

Mr. Felipe Almanza 

TrafFix Devices Inc. 

160 Avenida La Pata 

San Clemente California 92673 

Dear Mr. Almanza: 

This letter is in response to your January 28, 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 WZ-404 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: 

• TrafFix Economy Type III Barricade 

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. 
 

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: TrafFix Economy Type III Barrier 

Type of system: Work Zone 

Test Level: MASH Test Level 3 (TL3) 

Testing conducted by: KARCO 

Date of request: January 28, 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. 

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.

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. 

Standard Provisions 
3 

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

control number WZ-404 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 ofvalidity, 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 ofsubsequent 

information related to crash testing. 

Sincerely, 

Michael S. Griffith 

Director, Office of Safety Technologies 

Office of Safety 

Enclosures 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Request for Federal Aid Reimbursement Eligibility 

of Highway Safety Hardware 

Submitter 

Date of Request: January28,2020 New Resubmission 

Name: RobbyRamirez 

Company: TrafFixDevices,Inc. 

Address: 160AvenidaLaPataSanClementeCA,92673 

Country: UnitedStates 

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&TestingCriterion-Enter from right to left starting with TestLevel ! -! - ! ! -! -! 

SystemType SubmissionType DeviceName / Variant TestingCriterion Test 

Level 

' 

'

WZ'':CrashWorthyWorkZon 

ZoneTrafficControl Devices 

PhysicalCrashTesting 

Engineering Analysis 

EconomyTypeIII 

Barricade 

AASHTOMASH TL3 

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: RobbyRamirez SameasSubmitter 

CompanyName: TrafFixDevices,Inc. SameasSubmitter 

Address: 160AvenidaLaPataSanClementeCA,92673 SameasSubmitter 

Country: UnitedStates SameasSubmitter 

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

Eligibility Process for Safety Hardware Devices' document. 

TrafFixDevicesInc.and ApplusIDIADAKARCOEngineering LLCshareno financial interests between the two 

organizations.Thisincludes noshared financial interest but not limited to: 

i. Compensationincluding wages,salaries,commissions,professionalfees,or feesfor businessreferrals 

ii.Consulting relationships 

iii. Researchfunding or other formsof researchsupport; 

iv.Patents,copyrights, licenses,and other intellectual propertyinterests; 

vi.Businessownership and investment interests. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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PRODUCT DESCRIPTION 

New Hardware or Modification to 

Significant Modification ExistingHardware 

TheTrafFixDevicesEconomyTypeIIIbarricadeisa temporarywork-zone trafficcontrol deviceconsisting of 

two (2)steel crowned leg assembliesand three(3) plastic rails. 

Theplastic railsareapproximately 8.0in.(203mm)tall by0.75in.(19mm)thickand vary in length from 4 ft. 

(1.2m) to 12ft.(3.7m).Theas-testedsystem utilized 8.0ft. long plastic rails.Theplastic railscan be fitted with 

or without reflectivesheeting.Therailsaremounted in four using standardnuts,bolts,and fender washers. 

Thebottom panel is12.0in.(305mm) from the groundand the top panel hasa maximum height of 60.0in. 

(1524mm).When therailsaremounted on thevertical uprightstheyarespaced12.0in.(305mm)apart.The 

barricadecanbeused with or without asign mounted to thehorizontal panels.A48.0in.x30.0in.(1219mm x 

762 mm)rigidsign wasmounted to theplastic railsduring testing. 

Thesteel leg assemblyconsistsof one(1)crowned leg weldment and one(1) vertical upright.Thecrowned 

legsarecomposed of two steel anglesand havean overall length of 60.0in.(1524mm).Thereisasteel socket 

welded at the center of the crowned legs that holds the vertical upright in place. The vertical uprights are 

composedofsteel angleand havea hole drilled at the top for mounting awarning light. Thewarning light can 

be mounted with or without a bolt protector. One sand bag was placed on the end of each leg and one 

warning light wasmounted to oneof theuprightsduring testing.Thebarricadecan be used with or without 

sandbagsandwarning lights. 

The TrafFix DevicesEconomy Type III Barricade remained unchanged from the previously tested and passed 

NCHRP350 version.Since there were no changes made to the product, existing inventory can be considered 

MASHcompliant. 

CRASH TESTING 

Bysignaturebelow, 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 MASH test 

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

theMASH criteria. 

Engineer Name: StevenMatsusaka 

EngineerSignature: 

Address: 9270HollyRoad,Adelanto,CA92301 SameasSubmitter 

Country: UnitedStates SameasSubmitter 

A brief description of each crash test and its result: Help 

Steven Matsusaka DigitallysignedbyStevenMatsusaka 

DN: cn=StevenMatsusaka,email=steven.matsusaka@idiada.com,c=US 

Date:2020.02.1411:25:23-08'00' 

RequiredTest 

Number 

Narrative 

Description 

Evaluation 

Results 

3-70(1100C) 

Designed to evaluate theability of asmall 

vehicle to activate any breakaway, fracture, 

or yielding mechanism. Per MASHTest 3-70 

isconsideredoptional for work-zone traffic 

control devicesweighing lessthan220 lbs 

(100 kg). The as-tested device weighed 

approximately49 lbs(22kg)and therefore 

test3-70 wasnot conducted. 

Non-RelevantTest,not conducted 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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RequiredTest 

Number 

Narrative 

Description 

Evaluation 

Results 

Testreport numberP39097-01,conducted 

on 04/04/19. Test 3-71 involves an 1100C 

test vehicleimpacting the temporaryworkzone traffic control device at a critical 

impact angle of 0° and 90°. The test is 

designed to evaluate occupant 

compartment penetration,vehiclestability, 

and occupant risk criteria. The test vehicle 

wasacommerciallyavailable2015Hyundai 

Accent with a test inertial weight of 2425.0 

lbs(1100.0kg). 

3-71(1100C) 

Thetest vehicle impacted thefirst barricade 

oriented at 90° at aspeed of 62.87 mph 

(101.18 km/h). There was no penetration 

into the occupant compartment and no 

vehicle instability was induced. The vehicle 

cleared the device in a controlled manner 

and continued to impact the second 

barricade oriented at 0° at aspeed of 60.75 

mph (97.76 km/h). The barricade was 

activated in a predictable manner and did 

not penetrate the occupant compartment. 

The TrafFix Economy Type III barricade did 

not induce vehicle instability, block the 

drivers vision, and did not create a debris 

field that would present undue hazards to 

other traffic, pedestrians, or personnel in a 

workzone.Theoccupant compartment was 

not penetrated and the deformation limits 

were not exceeded. The TrafFix Devices 

Economy Type III barricade met all the 

requirementsfor MASHTest3-71. 

PASS 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Testreport numberP39097-02,conducted 

on 04/04/19.Test3-72 involvesa2270Ptest 

vehicleimpacting the temporarywork-zone 

traffic control device at a critical impact 

angle of 0° and 90°. The test is designed to 

evaluate occupant compartment 

penetration, vehiclestability, and occupant 

risk criteria. The test vehicle wasa 

commerciallyavailable2013RAM1500 with 

a test inertial weight of 4903.0 lbs (2240.0 

kg). 

3-72(2270P) 

Thetest vehicle impacted thefirst barricade 

oriented at 90° at aspeed of 61.31 mph 

(98.67km/h).Therewasno penetration into 

the occupant compartment and no vehicle 

instability wasinduced.Thevehiclecleared 

the device in a controlled manner and 

continued to impact the second barricade 

oriented at 0° at aspeed of 60.20 mph 

(96.88km/h).Thebarricadewasactivated in 

apredictablemannerand did not penetrate 

the occupant compartment. The TrafFix 

Economy Type III barricade did not induce 

vehicle instability, block the drivers vision, 

and did not createa debrisfield that would 

present undue hazards to other traffic, 

pedestrians,or personnel in aworkzone. 

The occupant compartment was not 

penetrated and the deformation limits were 

not exceeded.TheTrafFixDevicesEconomy 

Type III barricade met all the requirements 

for MASHTest3-72. 

PASS 

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: ApplusIDIADAKARCOEngineering,LLC. 

LaboratorySignature: Steven Matsusaka DN:cn=StevenMatsusaka, email=steven.matsusaka@idiada.com,c=US DigitallysignedbyStevenMatsusaka 

Date:2020.02.1411:26:41-08'00' 

Address: 9270HollyRoad,Adelanto,CA92301 SameasSubmitter 

Country: UnitedStates SameasSubmitter 

Accreditation Certificate 

Number and Dates of current 

Accreditation period : 

TL-371:July2019 -July2022 

SubmitterSignature*:RobertRamirez Digitallysigned byRobertRamirez 

Date:2020.02.1414:55:47-08'00' 
 

 

 

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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 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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