1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Washington, D.C. 20590

January 12, 2010 

In Reply Refer To: 

HSSD/B-198 

Mr. Ronald K. Faller, Ph.D 

Research Assistant Professor 

Midwest Roadside Safety Facility 

University of Nebraska-Lincoln 

527 Nebraska Hall 

Lincoln, NE 68588-0529 

Dear Dr. Faller: 

You requested that we formally find this device acceptable for use on the National Highway 

System (NHS) under the provisions of American Association of State Highway and 

Transportation Officials, Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH). This letter is a 

response to your request for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) acceptance of a 

roadside safety device for use on the NHS. 

Name of device: West Virginia TL-1 Timber Curb-Type Bridge Barrier 

Type of device: Permanent Timber Barrier Bridge Railing 

Test Level: AASHTO Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) TL-1 

Testing conducted by: Midwest Roadside Safety Facility (MwRSF) 

Date of request: September 13, 2009 

Date of completed package: September 13, 2009 

Task Force 13 Designator: SBD05a 

 

Requirements 

Roadside safety devices should meet the guidelines contained in the MASH. 

Description 

For this project, the research objective was to adapt an existing, crashworthy, Test Level 1 

(TL-1) curb-type bridge barrier for use on transverse, timber, nail-laminated bridge decks 

supported by steel wide-flange beams. The barrier system was redesigned to meet the TL-1 

impact safety standards set forth by MASH. The existing MwRSF curb-type timber bridge 

barrier system was successfully crash tested to the TL-1 safety performance criteria as per 
2

NCHRP Report 350. This timber bridge barrier system served as the basis for the new West 

Virginia TL-1 Timber Curb-Type Bridge Barrier design. However, the railing for this project 

was required to meet the TL-1 safety performance criteria provided in MASH. Therefore, 

modifications were made to the previous system in order to accommodate the increased impact 

severity and increased vehicle height resulting from the 2270P vehicle as per current MASH 

guidelines. These changes are described as follows. 

The test installation consisted of three major sub-systems: (1) a 120-ft (36.6-m) long, 

nail-laminated, timber bridge deck placed on wide-flange, steel girders; (2) a curb-type, timber 

bridge railing system; and (3) a 35-ft (10.7-m) long, sloped, safety treatment located on the 

upstream end of the bridge barrier. The total length of the test installation was 155 ft (47.2 m). 

The bridge barrier system consisted of three major structural components: (1) a longitudinal, 

glulam timber rail; (2) steel H-splice plates; and (3) post assemblies consisting of sawn lumber 

scupper blocks. 

The glulam timber rail consisted of 19.9-ft (6.08-m) long, glulam rail segments with a 

6-3/4 in. x 12 3/8 in. (171 mm x 314 mm) cross section, as shown in Figure 36. The glulam rails 

were manufactured from Combination No. 48 Southern Yellow Pine and were treated with 

pentachlorophenol in heavy oil to a minimum net retention of 0.60 lbs/ft3 (9.61 kg/m3

) 

conforming to the American Wood Preserver’s Association (AWPA) use category UC4A [8]. 

The ends of each rail segment were narrowed to a width of 11 5/8 in. (295 mm) in order to 

accept the steel H-splice plates and allow the outer plate surface to be flush with the gross rail 

section. 

The steel H-Splice plates were fabricated from ASTM A656 Grade 50 Type 7 material. The two 

side plates were 34 3/4 in. long by 6 3/4 in. wide by 3/8 in. thick (883 mm x 171 mm x 9.5 mm) 

with twelve 1 1/8-in. (29-mm) diameter holes. For the H-splice, the center connecting plate was 

installed orthogonal to the outer two plates and measured 11 5/8 in. long by 6 3/4 in. wide by 

3/8 in. thick (295 mm x 171 mm x 9.5 mm). The H-splice plates connected adjacent glulam rail 

segments end to end using six 1-in. (25.4-mm) diameter by 14-in. (356-mm) long, ASTM A307 

galvanized dome-head bolts in each rail end. 

The bridge rail post assemblies consisted of two timber scupper blocks stacked on top of 

each other. Each scupper block was fabricated from Grade No. 1 Southern Yellow Pine sawn 

lumber and measured 23 in. long by 9 1/2 in. wide, and 7 1/2 in. tall (584 mm x 241 mm x 

191mm). Four 13/16-in. (21-mm) diameter bolt holes were drilled in the scuppers at 5-in. 

(127-mm) spacing intervals. 

The West Virginia TL-1 Timber Curb-Type Bridge Barrier drawings for the construction of the 

test installation are included with this correspondence. 

Findings 

We concur with your request that the West Virginia TL-1 Timber Curb-Type Bridge Barrier that 

has been successfully crash tested to AASHTO MASH TL-1 conditions will be considered 
3

acceptable for use on the NHS, assuming all other factors such as timber specifications and 

component details are identical to the tested version. For further information on the crash test, 

the Test Data Summary Sheet is included with this correspondence. 

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

 This acceptance is limited to the crashworthiness characteristics of the devices 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 device 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 device 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 the MASH. 

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

B-198 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 Timber Curb-Type Bridge Barrier system is a generic system and not considered 

proprietary. 

 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, 

 David A. Nicol, P.E. 

 Director, Office of Safety Design 

 Office of Safety 

Enclosures 

FHWA:HSSD:WLongstreet:tb:x60087:12/16/09 

File: s://directory folder/WLongstreet/B198-FDOT Low Profile Barrier – Space Restricitive 

 Applications.doc 

cc: HSSD (Reader, HSA; Chron File, HSSD; W.Longstreet, HSSD; NArtimovich, HSSD; 

 MMcDonough, HSSD)
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Washington, D.C. 20590

January 12, 2010 

In Reply Refer To: 

HSSD/B-198 

Mr. Ronald K. Faller, Ph.D 

Research Assistant Professor 

Midwest Roadside Safety Facility 

University of Nebraska-Lincoln 

527 Nebraska Hall 

Lincoln, NE 68588-0529 

Dear Dr. Faller: 

You requested that we formally find this device acceptable for use on the National Highway 

System (NHS) under the provisions of American Association of State Highway and 

Transportation Officials, Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH). This letter is a 

response to your request for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) acceptance of a 

roadside safety device for use on the NHS. 

Name of device: West Virginia TL-1 Timber Curb-Type Bridge Barrier 

Type of device: Permanent Timber Barrier Bridge Railing 

Test Level: AASHTO Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) TL-1 

Testing conducted by: Midwest Roadside Safety Facility (MwRSF) 

Date of request: September 13, 2009 

Date of completed package: September 13, 2009 

Task Force 13 Designator: SBD05a 

 

Requirements 

Roadside safety devices should meet the guidelines contained in the MASH. 

Description 

For this project, the research objective was to adapt an existing, crashworthy, Test Level 1 

(TL-1) curb-type bridge barrier for use on transverse, timber, nail-laminated bridge decks 

supported by steel wide-flange beams. The barrier system was redesigned to meet the TL-1 

impact safety standards set forth by MASH. The existing MwRSF curb-type timber bridge 

barrier system was successfully crash tested to the TL-1 safety performance criteria as per 
2

NCHRP Report 350. This timber bridge barrier system served as the basis for the new West 

Virginia TL-1 Timber Curb-Type Bridge Barrier design. However, the railing for this project 

was required to meet the TL-1 safety performance criteria provided in MASH. Therefore, 

modifications were made to the previous system in order to accommodate the increased impact 

severity and increased vehicle height resulting from the 2270P vehicle as per current MASH 

guidelines. These changes are described as follows. 

The test installation consisted of three major sub-systems: (1) a 120-ft (36.6-m) long, 

nail-laminated, timber bridge deck placed on wide-flange, steel girders; (2) a curb-type, timber 

bridge railing system; and (3) a 35-ft (10.7-m) long, sloped, safety treatment located on the 

upstream end of the bridge barrier. The total length of the test installation was 155 ft (47.2 m). 

The bridge barrier system consisted of three major structural components: (1) a longitudinal, 

glulam timber rail; (2) steel H-splice plates; and (3) post assemblies consisting of sawn lumber 

scupper blocks. 

The glulam timber rail consisted of 19.9-ft (6.08-m) long, glulam rail segments with a 

6-3/4 in. x 12 3/8 in. (171 mm x 314 mm) cross section, as shown in Figure 36. The glulam rails 

were manufactured from Combination No. 48 Southern Yellow Pine and were treated with 

pentachlorophenol in heavy oil to a minimum net retention of 0.60 lbs/ft3 (9.61 kg/m3

) 

conforming to the American Wood Preserver’s Association (AWPA) use category UC4A [8]. 

The ends of each rail segment were narrowed to a width of 11 5/8 in. (295 mm) in order to 

accept the steel H-splice plates and allow the outer plate surface to be flush with the gross rail 

section. 

The steel H-Splice plates were fabricated from ASTM A656 Grade 50 Type 7 material. The two 

side plates were 34 3/4 in. long by 6 3/4 in. wide by 3/8 in. thick (883 mm x 171 mm x 9.5 mm) 

with twelve 1 1/8-in. (29-mm) diameter holes. For the H-splice, the center connecting plate was 

installed orthogonal to the outer two plates and measured 11 5/8 in. long by 6 3/4 in. wide by 

3/8 in. thick (295 mm x 171 mm x 9.5 mm). The H-splice plates connected adjacent glulam rail 

segments end to end using six 1-in. (25.4-mm) diameter by 14-in. (356-mm) long, ASTM A307 

galvanized dome-head bolts in each rail end. 

The bridge rail post assemblies consisted of two timber scupper blocks stacked on top of 

each other. Each scupper block was fabricated from Grade No. 1 Southern Yellow Pine sawn 

lumber and measured 23 in. long by 9 1/2 in. wide, and 7 1/2 in. tall (584 mm x 241 mm x 

191mm). Four 13/16-in. (21-mm) diameter bolt holes were drilled in the scuppers at 5-in. 

(127-mm) spacing intervals. 

The West Virginia TL-1 Timber Curb-Type Bridge Barrier drawings for the construction of the 

test installation are included with this correspondence. 

Findings 

We concur with your request that the West Virginia TL-1 Timber Curb-Type Bridge Barrier that 

has been successfully crash tested to AASHTO MASH TL-1 conditions will be considered 
3

acceptable for use on the NHS, assuming all other factors such as timber specifications and 

component details are identical to the tested version. For further information on the crash test, 

the Test Data Summary Sheet is included with this correspondence. 

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

 This acceptance is limited to the crashworthiness characteristics of the devices 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 device 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 device 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 the MASH. 

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

B-198 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 Timber Curb-Type Bridge Barrier system is a generic system and not considered 

proprietary. 

 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, 

 David A. Nicol, P.E. 

 Director, Office of Safety Design 

 Office of Safety 

Enclosures 

FHWA:HSSD:WLongstreet:tb:x60087:12/16/09 

File: s://directory folder/WLongstreet/B198-FDOT Low Profile Barrier – Space Restricitive 

 Applications.doc 

cc: HSSD (Reader, HSA; Chron File, HSSD; W.Longstreet, HSSD; NArtimovich, HSSD; 

 MMcDonough, HSSD)