1200 New Jersey Ave., SE

 Washington, D.C. 20590

In Reply Refer To: 

HSST-1/CC-168 

Mr. Jesper Sorensen

Blue System AB

Fiskeback Hamn 16 

S-426 58 Vastra Frolunda

Sweden

Dear Mr. Sorensen: 

This letter is in response to your May 14, 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 CC-168 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:

• SAFENCE T10.0-19 Blue Systems End Terminal

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. 

September 8, 2021
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: SAFENCE T10.0-19 Blue Systems End Terminal

Type of system: End Terminal 

Test Level: Test Level 3 (TL3) 

Testing conducted by: VTI Crash Safety & Holmes Solutions 

Date of request: May 14, 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. 
3 

Standard Provisions

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

control number CC-168 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 
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Page 1 of 6

Request for Federal Aid Reimbursement Eligibility

of Highway Safety Hardware 

Submitter

Date of Request: May14,2020 New Resubmission

Name: JesperSorensen

Company: BlueSystemAB

Address: FiskebackHamn16,S-42658VastraFrolunda

Country: Sweden

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-Enterfrom right to left startingwithTest Level ! - ! - ! ! - ! - !

SystemType SubmissionType DeviceName / Variant TestingCriterion Test

Level

'

'

CC'':CrashCushions,Attenua

Attenuators,&Terminals

PhysicalCrashTesting

EngineeringAnalysis

SAFENCET10.0-19

BlueSystemsEnd

Terminal

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:

ContactName: JesperSorensen SameasSubmitter

CompanyName: BlueSystemAB SameasSubmitter

Address: FiskebackHamn16,S-42658VastraFrolunda SameasSubmitter

Country: Sweden SameasSubmitter

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

Eligibility Process for Safety Hardware Devices' document.

Thetest facilityVTIoranyof itsemployeesdoesnot haveany financial interest inBlueSystemABorSafence,Inc.
Version 10.0 (05/16)

Page 2 of 6

Help

New Hardware or

Significant Modification

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

Modification to

ExistingHardware

The barrier terminal BlueSystemsMASH16TL3end terminal - SAFENCET10.0-19- isa 10 meter long sloped

down barrier leading and trailing end withaconcrete ground anchor attachment block.Theconcrete block,

with a weight close to 4000 kg, is dug down into controlled gravel, compacted per each 300 mm from bottom

to top by a 500 kg vibrating ground compactor.The end terminal is tested with alternatively three and four

cables,whicheverisregardedas themostsevere test foreach test.

CRASH TESTING

By signature below, theEngineer affiliated with the testing laboratory, agrees in 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

theMASHcriteria.

Engineer Name: JanWenall

EngineerSignature:

Address:

Country:

JanWenäll

VTI,S-58195Linkoping

Sweden

ElektronisktundertecknadavJanWenäll

SN:dc=se,dc=vti,ou=Domain Users,ou=Kontoret i Linköping,cn=Jan

Wenäll,email=jan.wenall@vti.se

Datum:2020.04.2815:58:54+02'00'

SameasSubmitter

SameasSubmitter

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

RequiredTest

Number

3-30(1100C)

Narrative

Description

Test report 56969,October9,2019."Test 30

and 40are designed to examine the risk of

vehicle instability, especially for narrow

terminal

and crash cushion systems" are the

directions given by MASH 2016.On such

a sloped down terminal as tested, it is an

expectation to see an impacting vehicle

riding on top of the terminal and further

down barrier. The sloped down terminal is

an active choice between the blunt

terminal, stopping the vehicle with high gforces and the sloped down low g terminal

not stopping the vehicle but the

sometimes-risky top-of-the-barrier ride.The

test 3-30 impact point is1⁄4 vehicle width

offset, to as well maximize the risk of both

yawing and rolling of the impacting vehicle.

The test details are described in the

enclosed VTI test report number 56969,

dated 2019-12-13. The vehicle came back

on four wheelsafter the top wire ride, with

vehicle occupant compartment intact.

PASS

Evaluation

Results
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Page 3 of 6

RequiredTest

Number

Narrative

Description

Evaluation

Results

3-31(2270P)

Testreport 56970,October16,2019."For

devicesintended to deceleratevehicles to a 

stop, these testsare designed to evaluate

the capacity of the feature to absorb

sufficient energy to stop the 2270P vehicle

in asafe and controlled manner. For gating

systems, these testsare intended to

evaluate occupant risk and vehicle

trajectory criteriaduring high-energy,headon impacts." are part of the description

given by MASH 2016. This is both a gating

and a non-gatingsystem,but on a head-on

high-energy impact it is of course likely the

vehicle will overrun and override both the

sloped down terminal and the adjoining

barrier.Which waswhat happened.The test

detailsaredescribed in theenclosedVTI test

report number 56970,dated 2019-12-13.

The vehicle occupant compartment stayed

intact.

PASS

3-32(1100C)

Testreport 56971,October22,2019."These

testsare intended to examine the behavior

of terminals and crash cushions during

oblique impacts on the end or nose of the

system."are part of the description for test

3-32 given by MASH 2016. Impact angles

should be selected from a given range, to

target the maximized risk of failure. Since

the tests 3-32 and 3-33 are more or less

similar, but with different vehicles, we did

use theoption to run on of the tests(3-32)

at 5 degree impact angleand one test (3-33)

at 15 degree impact angle, to effectively

cover both possibilities.Onceagain,as this

is both a gating and a non-gating system

and with the impact positions oftest 3-32

(and 3-33) it is of course likely the vehicle

willoverrun and override the sloped down

tenninal. The test detailsare described in

theenclosedVTI test report number56971.

The vehicle occupant compartment stayed

intact.

PASS
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3-33(2270P)

Test report 56972,October 31,2019."These

testsare intended to examine the behavior

of terminals and crash cushions during

oblique impacts on the end or nose of the

system."are part of the description for test

3-33 given by MASH 2016. Impact angles

should be selected from a given range, to

target the maximized risk of failure. Since

the tests 3-32 and 3-33 are more or less

similar, but with different vehicles, we did

use theoption to run on of the tests(3-32)

at 5 degree impact angleand one test (3-33)

at 15 degree impact angle, to effectively

cover both possibilities.Onceagain,as this

is both a gating and a non-gating system

and with the impact positions of test 3-33

(and 3-32) it is of course likely the vehicle

will overrun and override the sloped down

terminal. The test detailsare described in

theenclosedVTI test report number56972.

The vehicle occupant compartment stayed

intact.

PASS

3-34(1100C)

Testreport56973,November7,2019."Test

34 is intended to evaluate impact

performance of terminals and crash

cushions at the critical impact point (CIP)

where the behavior of these devices

changes from gating or capturing to

redirection.Vehicle trajectory and occupant

risk are the primary concerns for this test"

are the directions given by MASH 2016. In

this case, CIP is the break point where it is

assumed that the uppermost wire rope will

start containing and possibly redirecting the

impacting vehicle. The test detailsare

described in the enclosed VTI test report

number 56973. The vehicle occupant

compartment stayed intact.

PASS

3-35(2270P)

Due to winter weather inSweden, it was not

possible to perform this last test for the

terminal at VTI.We were in process of doing

other testing at HolmesSolutions, and

decided to do the test 3-35 at Holmes

Solution to finish the testing for our end

terminal. This report will be submitted in a 

separate electronic file to complement this

application.

PASS

3-36(2270P) Non-RelevantTest,not conducted
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Submit Form

3-37(2270P)

Test report 56975,October4,2019."Test 37

examines the behavior of crash cushions

and terminals during reverse-direction

impacts." are the instructions given by

MASH 2016. The aim isCIP for reversedirection impacts, in this case judged to be

an impact where the vehicle most likely was

under full barrier deflection while reaching

the firm and final connection of the terminal

to ground, with the risk of both pocketing

and snagging by the trailing terminal end.

The test 3-37B was chosen and motivated

by the description in MASH2016 "For postand-beam terminals utilizing a breakaway

cable system, the 1100C will generally be

the critical vehicle for this test, and the

impact point should be selected to

maximize the risk of the vehicle snagging

on theanchor cable."

PASS

3-38(1500A) Non-Critical, not conducted

3-40(1100C) Non-RelevantTest,not conducted

3-41(2270P) Non-RelevantTest,not conducted

3-42(1100C) Non-RelevantTest,not conducted

3-43(2270P) Non-RelevantTest,not conducted

3-44(2270P) Non-RelevantTest,not conducted

3-45(1500A) Non-RelevantTest,not conducted

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: Swedish NationalRoad andTransportResearch Institute,VTI

LaboratorySignature: AnitaIhs Elektroniskt undertecknad avAnitaIhs

Datum:2020.05.0813:24:01 +02'00'

Address: SE-581 95Linköping SameasSubmitter

Country: Sweden SameasSubmitter

Accreditation Certificate

Number and Dates of current

Accreditation period :

SWEDAC1132,recent and valid annual inspection 2019-03-15, valid at time of

test.

SubmitterSignature*:

ATTACHMENTS
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Page 6 of 6

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
Version 10.0 (05/16)

4

Request for Federal Aid Reimbursement Eligibility 

of Highway Safety Hardware

Submitter

Date of Request: May 14, 2020 New Resubmission

Name: Jesper Sorensen

Company: Blue Systems AB

Address: Fiskeback Hamn 16, S-426 58 Vastra Frolunda

Country: Sweden

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

'CC': Crash Cushions, 

Attenuators, & Terminals

  Physical Crash Testin

  Engineering Analysi

SAFENCE T10.0-19

Blue Systems End 

Terminal

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: Jesper Sorensen Same as Submitter

Company Name Blue Systems AB Same As Submitter

Address: Fiskeback Hamn 16, S-426 58 Vastra Frolunda Same as Submitter

Country: Sweden 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 test facility Holmes Solutions or any of its employees does not have any financial interests in Blue Systems 

AB.
Version 10.0 (05/16)

4

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

New Hardware or 

Significant Modification

Modification to 

Existing Hardware

The end terminal consist of the Safence cable barrier system (marketed as MashFlex in Australia and new 

Zealand) with concrete anchor blocks, with the first post in the system located 1.0 m from the cable connection 

bracket, which is cast into the concrete anchor block. The terminal end system has a space of 9.0 m from the 

first post to the second, before transiting to the first Length of Need (LoN) post.

This is test 3-35 of the “SAFENCE T10.0-19 Blue Systems End Terminal” all other required tests were performed 

at VTI in Sweden, and this submittal is to complement that request for Federal Aid Reimbursement Eligibility 

for Highway Safety Hardware. 

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: Emerson Ryder

Engineer Signature: Emerson Ryder 

Address: L2, 254 Montreal St., Christchurch Same as Submitter

Country: New Zealand Same as Submitter

A brief description of each crash test and its result:

Required Test 

Number

Narrative 

Description

Evaluation 

Results

3-30 (1100C) See other Blue Systems request file 

BlueSystemAB_SAFENCE_10.0_T_19_date PASS

3-31 (2270P) See other Blue Systems request file 

BlueSystemAB_SAFENCE_10.0_T_19_date PASS

3-32 (1100C) See other Blue Systems request file 

BlueSystemAB_SAFENCE_10.0_T_19_date PASS

3-33 (2270P) See other Blue Systems request file 

BlueSystemAB_SAFENCE_10.0_T_19_date PASS

3-34 (1100C) See other Blue Systems request file 

BlueSystemAB_SAFENCE_10.0_T_19_date PASS
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Page 3 of 4

Required Test 

Number Narrative Description Evaluation Results

3-35 (2270P)

The objective of this study was to evaluate 

the performance of the Blue Systems AB 

Safence Cable Barrier System (MashFlex) to 

the requirements of Test Level 3 (Test 3-35

only) as detailed in the Manual for 

Assessing Safety Hardware, MASH [2016).

MASH specifically addresses the 

performance requirements of terminal end 

barrier systems. Recommended tests to 

evaluate performance are defined for three 

different test levels. Test Level 3 (TL-3) is 

conducted at up to 100 km/h and 

considered representative of the typical 

maximum allowable speed on high-speed 

arterial highways.

There are up to ten tests recommended 

within the MASH Test level 3 matrix for 

validating the crashworthiness of a nonreleasing, gating and redirective terminal 

end. Testing undertaken with the 2270 kg 

pic-up (2270P) are primarily focused on 

evaluating the strength of the system. 

MASH notes that the safety performance of 

a highway appurtenance cannot be 

measured directly but con be judged on the 

basis of three factors; structural adequacy, 

occupant risk, and post-impact vehicular 

response. As per client request only Test 

3-35 was required for this report. 

Holmes Solutions were independently 

contracted by the client to conduct the 

impact testing in accordance with MASH 

(2016]. All testing was undertaken in 

accordance with the requirements of the 

ISO 17025 accreditation under the ILAC 

scheme. The test vehicle had a contact 

length of 43.0 m with the barrier system, a 

maximum working width and dynamic 

deflection of 3.10 m. Permanent deflection 

was measured as 0.57 m. Max roll was 6.7 

degrees. Test date was 26th November 2019

PASS

3-36 (2270P) Non-Relevant Test, not conducted

3-37 (2270P) See other Blue Systems request file 

BlueSystemAB_SAFENCE_10.0_T_19_date PASS

3-38 (1500A) Non-Critical, not conducted

3-40 (1100C) Non-Critical, not conducted

3-41 (2270P) Non-Critical, not conducted

3-42 (1100C) Non-Critical, not conducted

3-43 (2270P) Non-Critical, not conducted

3-44 (2270P) Non-Critical, not conducted

3-45 (1500A) Non-Critical, not conducted
Version 10.0 (05/16)

Page 4 of 4

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: Holmes Solutions

Laboratory Signature: Emerson Ryder 

Address: 7 Canterbury Street Hornby Christchurch Same as Submitter

Country: New Zealand Same as Submitter

Accreditation Certificate

Number and Dates of current

Accreditation period :

accreditation certificate number 1022

accreditation dates 12th July 2019 to 12th July 2020

Submitter Signature*: 

Attach to this form:

ATTACHMENTS

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

Submit Form