1200 New Jersey Ave., SE

 Washington, D.C. 20590

1 

In Reply Refer To: 

HSST-1/WZ-439 

Greg Spear

The Cortina Companies, Cortina Safety Products 

10706 West Grand Ave, 

Franklin Park, IL 60131 

United States of America 

Dear Mr. Spear: 

We received your correspondence of December 29, 2021 requesting issuance of a reimbursement 

eligibility letter under the Federal-aid highway program for the roadside safety system, device, 

design, product, or hardware (collectively “device”) described below. This letter is assigned 

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) control number WZ-439. 

ELIGIBILITY LETTERS

The FHWA issues Federal-aid reimbursement eligibility letters for new roadside safety devices

that are crash tested in accordance with the industry standard of the American Association of 

State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware 

(MASH). 

FHWA, the Department of Transportation, and the United States (government) do not regulate 

roadside safety devices, crash test facilities, or the manufacturing industry. Issuance of 

eligibility letters is discretionary and provided only as a service to the states. FHWA may, at its 

discretion, decline to issue, revise, or rescind an eligibility letter. Eligibility letters are only 

issued by the FHWA headquarters Office of Safety. 

Eligibility letters are issued only as notice to the states that a device is eligible for reimbursement 

under the Federal-aid highway program. They do not establish approval or certification for any 

other purpose. Issuance of an eligibility letter is not a prerequisite or requirement for state 

transportation agencies seeking to use Federal-aid funds for roadside safety devices. State 

agencies may use a device for which an eligibility letter has not been issued and seek Federal-aid 

reimbursement. 

FEDERAL-AID REIMBURSEMENT

The request for issuance of this letter certified the device was crash tested in accordance with the 

industry standard of AASHTO’s MASH. This eligibility letter is based on that certification and 

the material offered in support of its issuance. The device described below is eligible for 

reimbursement under the Federal-aid highway program. 

August 15, 2022
2 

Name of system: Cortina Steelcade Type II Barricade 

Type of system: Work Zone 

Test Level: Test Level 3

Testing conducted by: Applus IDIADA KARCO Engineering, LLC 

Date of request: December 29, 2021 

Information about the device, including material such as the eligibility request, crash test reports, 

drawings, or images are included in one or more attachment(s) to this letter. 

Eligibility letter WZ-439 is inapplicable to devices, optional equipment, alternate materials, or 

other features that were not crash tested in accordance with AASHTO’s MASH. 

This letter is issued only for the subject device as crash tested under AASHTO’s MASH. Later 

modification(s) of the device are not eligible for Federal-aid reimbursement under this letter. 

Notice of later modification(s) should be given to transportation agencies, facility owners, and 

operators (collectively “agencies”). 

Agencies should be provided appropriate information about the device’s design, installation, 

maintenance, materials, and mechanical properties. 

Issuance of this letter is discretionary, and it may be revised or rescinded at FHWA’s discretion. 

This letter is not a determination of compliance with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control 

Devices for Streets and Highways (MUTCD) or ownership of any intellectual property rights. 

This eligibility letter is not a determination by the government that a crash involving the subject 

device will result in any particular outcome. It is limited to only the device’s eligibility for 

Federal-aid reimbursement. 

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Issuance of this eligibility letter does not convey property rights of any sort nor any exclusive 

privilege. This letter is not authorization or consent by the government for the use, manufacture, 

or sale of any patented or proprietary system, device, design, product, or hardware for which the 

requester is not the patent owner. Eligibility letters are not an expression of any view, position, 

or determination by the government as to the validity, scope, or ownership of any intellectual 

property rights to a specific device. These letters do not grant, impute, suggest, or otherwise 

establish any ownership, distribution, or licensing rights to the requester. The government 

expresses no opinion about the intellectual property rights relating to any device for which this or 

any other eligibility letter is issued. 

PUBLIC DISCLOSURE

To prevent any misunderstanding, and as discussed above, this eligibility letter is assigned 

FHWA control number WZ-439. It should only be reproduced in full with its attachment(s). 

This letter and the material offered by the requester supporting its issuance is public information. 

All eligibility letters and supporting material are subject to public disclosure under the Freedom 
3 

of Information Act (FOIA). Eligibility letters are available to the public at 

https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/roadway_dept/countermeasures/reduce_crash_severity/. 

If you have any questions please contact Aimee Zhang at Aimee.Zhang@dot.gov. 

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: December 29, 2021 New Resubmission

Name: Greg Spear

Company: The Cortina Companies, Cortina Safety Products

Address: 10706 West Grand Ave, Franklin Park, IL 60131

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 Level ! - ! - !

System Type Submission Type Device Name / Variant Testing Criterion Test 

Level

'WZ': Crash Worthy Work 

Zone Traffic Control Devices

Physical Crash Testing

Engineering Analysis

Cortina Steelcade Type II 

Barricade

AASHTO MASH 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: Greg Spear Same as Submitter

Company Name: The Cortina Companies, Cortina Safety Products Same as Submitter

Address: 10706 West Grand Ave, Franklin Park, IL 60131 Same as Submitter

Country: United States of America Same as Submitter

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

Eligibility Process for Safety Hardware Devices' document.

The Cortina Companies, Cortina Safety Products is the manufacturer and marketer of device. 

Applus IDIADA KARCO Engineering, LLC (IDIADA KARCO) is an independent research and testing laboratory 

having no affiliation with any other entity. IDIADA KARCO is actively Involved In data acquisition and 

compliance/certification testing for a variety of government agencies and equipment manufacturers. The 

principals and staff of IDIADA KARCO have no past or present financial, contractual or organizational interest in 

any company or entity directly or indirectly related to the products that KARCO tests. If any financial interest 

should arise, other than receiving fees for testing, reporting, etc., with respect to any project, the company will 

provide, In writing, a full and immediate disclosure to the FHWA. 
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PRODUCT DESCRIPTION 

New Hardware or 

Significant Modification

Modification to 

Existing Hardware

Product Description of The Cortina Companies Steelcade Type II Barricade 

The Cortina Steelcade Type II Barricade is a work-zone traffic control device. 

Further Description: 

The as-tested Cortina Steelcade Type II Barricade consisted of four (4) legs, four (4) panels, and one (1) optional 

standard D-Cell barricade light. The as-tested device had a total assembled weight of 17.5 lbs (7.9 kg). The 

barricade was tested with one (1) 30 lbs (13.6 kg) sandbag. 

The Steelcade is mainly constructed of steel legs and copolymer polypropylene panels. 

The four (4) legs are 45.0 in. (1143 mm) long and 2.4 in. (66.7 mm) wide. Two (2) legs are installed on each side 

of the barricade with each pair being hinged at the top to allow the device to collapse flat when not deployed. 

Four (4) panels are attached to the legs. The top panels measure 24.25 in. (616 mm) long by 12.0 in. (305 mm) 

wide. The bottom panels measure 24.25 in. (616 mm) long by 8.0 in. (203 mm) wide. In its deployed state, the 

barricade measures 24.25 in. (616 mm) wide by 38.5 in. (978 mm) long by 41.0 in. (1041 mm) tall. For this test, a 

D-Cell Barricade Light was bolted to the top of the barricade.

CRASH TESTING

By signature below, the Engineer affiliated with the testing laboratory, agrees in support of this submission 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 tests are necessary to determine the device meets 

the MASH criteria.

Engineer Name: Noah Partida

Engineer Signature: 

Address: 9270 Holly Road, Adelanto, CA 92301 Same as Submitter

Country: United States of America Same as Submitter

 A brief description of each crash test and its result:

Required Test 

Number

Narrative 

Description

Evaluation 

Results

3-70 (1100C)

Designed to evaluate the ability of a small 

vehicle to activate any breakaway, fracture, 

or yielding mechanism. Is considered 

optional for work-zone traffic control 

devices weighing less than 220 lbs (100 kg). 

The as-tested device weighed 17.5 lbs (7.9 

kg) and therefore Test 70 was not 

performed.

Non-Relevant Test, not conducted
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Required Test 

Number

Narrative 

Description

Evaluation 

Results

3-71 (1100C)

An 1100C test vehicle approached the test 

article at a nominal speed of 62 mph. The 

Cortina Steelcade Type II Barricade 

impacted was oriented at 0° and at 90°. The 

test vehicle impacted the 0° CIA device at a 

speed of 63.93 mph (102.88 km/h). The 

vehicle’s front bumper first made contact 

with the lower panel. Upon impact, the 

panel and collapsible legs deformed around 

the vehicle’s front end and partially 

separated as the vehicle proceeded 

forward. The D-Cell light impacted the hood 

but stayed intact. The occupant 

compartment was not penetrated and the 

MASH deformation limits were not 

exceeded. The test vehicle impacted the 90° 

CIA device at a velocity of 61.53 mph (99.03 

km/h). The vehicle’s front bumper 

contacted the legs. The device deformed 

around the vehicle’s front end and the DCell light snapped at the neck. The main 

body was thrown to the side after impact 

while the D-Cell light flew directly over the 

car. The occupant compartment was not 

penetrated and the MASH deformation 

limits were not exceeded. The Cortina 

Steelcade Type II Barricade met all the 

requirements for MASH Test 3-71.

PASS

3-72 (2270P)

A 2270P test vehicle approached the test 

article at a nominal speed of 62 mph. The 

Cortina Steelcade Type II Barricade 

impacted was oriented at 0° and at 90°. The 

test vehicle impacted the 0° CIA device at a 

speed of 62.24 mph (100.17 km/h). The 

vehicle’s front bumper first made contact 

with the lower copolymer polypropylene 

panel. Upon impact, the panel and posts 

deformed around the vehicle’s front. The 

occupant compartment was not penetrated 

and the MASH deformation limits were not 

exceeded. The test vehicle impacted the 90°

CIA device at a velocity of 60.66 mph (97.62 

km/h). The vehicle’s front bumper made 

contact with the device’s posts. The device 

deformed around the vehicle’s front end. 

The occupant compartment was not 

penetrated and the MASH deformation 

limits were not exceeded. The Cortina 

Steelcade Type II Barricade met all the 

requirements for MASH Test 3-72.

PASS
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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: Applus IDIADA KARCO Engineering, LLC.

Laboratory Signature: 

Address: 9270 Holly Road, Adelanto, CA 92301 Same as Submitter

Country: United States of America Same as Submitter

Accreditation Certificate 

Number and Dates of current 

Accreditation period :

TL 371: July 1, 2019 - July 1, 2022

Submitter Signature*:

Submit Form

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
13 TR-P40329-01-D 

MASH 2016 Test 3-71 Summary

0° CIA 90° CIA

0.000 seconds 0.060 seconds 0.120 seconds 0.650 seconds 0.710 seconds 0.770 seconds

General Information

Test Agency.....................Applus IDIADA KARCO

Test Number.....................P40329-01

Test Designation............... 3-71

Test Date.........................3/5/21

Test Article

Name / Model.....................Cortina Steelcade Type II Barricade

Type.................................Work-Zone Traffic Control Device

Device Height .................. 3.4 ft. (1 m)

Key Elements.....................Panels, sand bag bar boards, posts

Road Surface.....................Smooth, clean concrete

Test Vehicle

Type / Designation............ 1100C

Year, Make, and Model.........2016 Kia Rio

Curb Mass........................2,528.7 lbs (1,147.0 kg)

Test Inertial Mass...............2,449.3 lbs (1,111.0 kg)

Gross Static Mass...............2,621.3 lbs (1,189.0 kg)

Impact Conditions

Impact Velocity Device 1.........63.93 mph (102.88 km/h)

Impact Velocity Device 2.........61.53 mph (99.03 km/h)

Device 1 Location/ Orientation...............15.0 in. (381 mm) From Vehicle 

Centerline on Passenger Side

Device 2 Location/ Orientation...............18.7 in. (476 mm) From Vehicle 

Centerline on Driver Side

Device 1 Angle.....................0.0°

Device 2 Angle.....................90.0°

Device 1 Kinetic Energy.........334.6 kip-feet (453.7 Kilojoules)

Device 2 Kinetic Energy.........310.0 kip-feet (420.4 Kilojoules)

Minimum KE Required....... 288 kip-feet (390 Kilojoules)

Exit Conditions

Device 1 Exit Velocity............63.07 mph (101.5 km/h)

Device 2 Exit Velocity............60.13 mph (96.8 km/h)

Vehicle Resting Position.........308.6 ft. (94.1 m) Downstream

0.4 ft. (0.1 m) Left

Vehicle Stability .................. Satisfactory

0° - Maximum Roll Angle.........Did Not Exceed 75°

0° - Maximum Pitch Angle......Did Not Exceed 75°

90° - Maximum Roll Angle......Did Not Exceed 75°

90° - Maximum Pitch Angle......Did Not Exceed 75°

Occupant Risk

Longitudinal OIV.....................Not Applicable*

Lateral OIV...........................Not Applicable*

Longitudinal RA.....................Not Applicable*

Lateral RA...........................Not Applicable*

THIV....................................Not Applicable*

PHD....................................Not Applicable*

ASI.................................... Not Applicable*

Test Article Deflections

0° Device Debris Field (longitudinal) ... 161.4 ft. (49.2 m)

0° Device Debris Field (lateral)...18.1 ft. (5.5 m)

90° Device Debris Field (longitudinal).. 137.5 ft. (41.9 m)

90° Device Debris Field (lateral)......22.5 ft. (6.8 m)

Vehicle Damage

Vehicle Damage Scale............12-FD-1

CDC....................................12FDEN1

Maximum Deformation............MASH Deformation Limits Not 

Exceeded (0.0 in.) 0 mm 

*Not applicable, device weighs less than 220 lbs (100 kg)

Figure 2 Summary of Test 3-71
13 TR-P40330-01-D 

MASH 2016 Test 3-72 Summary

 0° CIA 90° CIA 

0.000 seconds 0.060 seconds 0.120 seconds 0.650 seconds 0.710 seconds 0.770 seconds

GENERAL INFORMATION

Test Agency.....................Applus IDIADA KARCO Engineering

Test Number.....................P40330-01

Test Designation............... 3-72

Test Date.........................3/5/21

TEST ARTICLE

Name / Model.....................Cortina Steelcade Type II Barricade

Type.................................Work-Zone Traffic Control Device

Device Height .................. 3.4 ft. (1 m)

Key Elements.....................Panels, sand bag bar boards, posts

Road Surface.....................Smooth, clean concrete

TEST VEHICLE

Type / Designation............ 2270P

Year, Make, and Model.........2015 RAM 1500

Curb Mass........................5,044.1 lbs (2,288.0 kg)

Test Inertial Mass...............5,009.9 lbs (2272.5 kg)

Gross Static Mass...............5,009.9 lbs (2272.5 kg)

Impact Conditions

Impact Velocity Device 1.........62.24 mph (100.17 km/h)

Impact Velocity Device 2.........60.66 mph (97.62 km/h)

Device 1 Location/ Orientation...............23.5 in. (598 mm) From Vehicle 

Centerline on Passenger Side

Device 2 Location/ Orientation...............19.9 in. (506 mm) From Vehicle 

Centerline on Driver Side

Device 1 Angle.....................0.0°

Device 2 Angle.....................90.0°

Device 1 Kinetic Energy.........648.8 kip-feet (879.7 Kilojoules)

Device 2 Kinetic Energy.........616.2 kip-feet (835.5 Kilojoules)

Minimum KE Required....... 594 kip-feet (806 Kilojoules)

Exit Conditions

Device 1 Exit Velocity............61.85 mph (99.5 km/h)

Device 2 Exit Velocity............60.16 mph (96.8 km/h)

Vehicle Resting Position.........296.8 ft. (90.5 m) Downstream

0.6 ft. (0.2 m) Left

Vehicle Stability .................. Satisfactory

0° - Maximum Roll Angle.........Did Not Exceed 75°

0° - Maximum Pitch Angle...... Did Not Exceed 75°

90° - Maximum Roll Angle......Did Not Exceed 75°

90° - Maximum Pitch Angle......Did Not Exceed 75°

Occupant Risk

Longitudinal OIV........................Not Applicable*

Lateral OIV.................................Not Applicable*

Longitudinal RA...........................Not Applicable*

Lateral RA.................................Not Applicable*

THIV.......................................Not Applicable*

PHD....................................... Not Applicable*

ASI..........................................Not Applicable*

Test Article Deflections

0° Device Debris Field (longitudinal).. 166.3 ft. (50.7 m)

0° Device Debris Field (lateral)....... 10.2 ft. (3.1 m)

90° Device Debris Field (longitudinal)...... 173.6 ft. (52.9 m)

90° Device Debris Field (lateral)... 10.2 ft. (3.1 m)

Vehicle Damage

Vehicle Damage Scale............... 12-FD-1

CDC....................................... 12FDEN1

Maximum Deformation..................MASH Deformation Limits Not

Exceeded (0.0 in.) 0 mm

* Not Applicable, device weighs less than 220 lbs (100 kg)

Figure 2 Summary of Test 3-72
FULL 1/2” PIVOT BOLTS WITH

NYLON INSERTED LOCKNUTS

2-5/8 CLOSED

Optional Sand Bag may be

placed over the lower

board of one side.

An optional standard D-Cell Barricade

light by removing the existing nut & bolt

from one side and inserting the standard

light bolt from the outside screwing it

directly into the barricade light.

1-1/4 STEEL ANGLE

HEAVY DUTY LEGS

Specifications

1.) Panel Composition Copolymer Polypropylene

2.) Steel Leg Color - Galvanized, White or Black

Powder Coat

3.) Type II

4.) Available in all grades of Reflective Sheeting

5.) Weight 17.5 lbs.

01 — INITIAL RELEASE

REV REF REVISION DESCRIPTION BY DATE

MATERIAL

Legs -14 Gauge Steel

Panels - Copolymer Polypropylene

COLOR AND FINISH

THIS DRAWING IN DESIGN & DETAIL IS THE PROPERTY OF CORTINA TOOL & MOLDING COMPANY

MATERIAL DESCRIBED & INFORMATION CONVEYED MAY NOT BE COPIED, DIVULGED OR USED FOR

MANUFACTURING WITHOUT CONSENT ALL DESIGN AND INVENTION RIGHTS RESERVED

THIRD ANGLE

PROJECTION

TOLERANCES UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED

2 PL DECIMALS ± N/A

3 PL DECIMALS ± N/A

ANGLES ± N/A

10706 WEST GRAND AVENUE, FRANKLIN PARK, IL 60131

STEELCADE TYPE II BARRICADES

SCALE AT A SIZE 1=12

DRAFTER DATE

CHECKER DATE

DRAWING NUMBER REVISION

01