1200 New Jersey Ave., SE

 Washington, D.C. 20590

1 

In Reply Refer To: 

HSST-1/CC-174 

Roberto Impero

Industry AMS Srl 

Via Dante Giacosa snc

81025 Marcianise (CE) 

Italy

Dear Mr. Mauro: 

We received your correspondence of February 28, 2022 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 CC-174. 

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. 

March 14, 2023
2 

Name of system: Hercules TL3 Wide

Type of system: Crash Cushion 

Test Level: Test Level 3

 Testing conducted by: CSI SPA

Date of request: February 28, 2022 

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 CC-174 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 CC-174. 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,

Amy Jackson-Grove 

Acting Director, Office of Safety 

Technologies 

Office of Safety

Enclosures 
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Page 1 6 of

Request for Federal Aid Reimbursement Eligibility

of Highway Safety Hardware

Submitter

Date of Request: February 28, 2022 New Resubmission

Name: Roberto Impero

Company: Industry AMS Srl

Address: Via Dante Giacosa snc, 81025 Marcianise (CE) 

Country: Italy

Michael S. Griffith, Director To: 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 Testing

Engineering Analysis

Hercules TL3 Wide

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: Roberto Impero Same as Submitter

Company Name: Industry AMS Srl Same as Submitter

Address: Via Dante Giacosa snc, 81025 Marcianise (CE) Same as Submitter

Country: Italy 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.

Subject: Discolosure of financial interest 

CSI Spa, is an independent research and testing laboratory having no affiliation with any another entity. The 

principals and staff of CSI Spa have no past or present financial, contractual or organizational interest in any 

company or entity directly or indirectly related to the products that CSI Spa tests. 

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PRODUCT DESCRIPTION 

New Hardware or 

Significant Modification

Modification to 

Existing Hardware

Product Description 

The Hercules Crash Cushion is a fully-redirective, non-gating crash cushion testet to MASH criteria. It has a 

frontal trolley unit thath allows a controlled deformation, a collapsable beam made up of a 10 modules thath 

crush in a frontal impact to absorb energy and stop the vehicle in a controlled manner, and 4-beam side panels 

for side impact redirection. The unit is a 19.4 feet (5.92m) long, 93 inches (2.36m) wide at the rear, and 35.0 

inches (0.89m) high. 

Note: Tl3 Hercules Wide Crash Cushion is designed to be attached to a rigid barrier that have a lateral stiffness 

lower than TL3 Crash Cushion 

It is not possible to use this device in a condition where it might be struck in a reverse direction.

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: Massimo Cucchietti

Engineer Signature: 

Address: Viale Lombardia 20, Bollate (MI) Same as Submitter

Country: Italy Same as Submitter

 A brief description of each crash test and its result:

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Required Test 

Number

Narrative 

Description

Evaluation 

Results

3-30 (1100C)

Test 3-30 involves a 1100C passenger car

impacting the crash cushion at a nominal 

impact speed of 100 km/h and an impact at 

0 degrees with the quarter point of the 

vehicle aligned with the center line of the 

crash cushion. This test is preliminary 

intended to evaluate occupanti risk and 

vehicle trajectory criteria. For this test a 

Honda Civic ( 1195 kg) impacted the 

Hercules TL3 Wide Crash Cushion at a speed

98.1 km/h and an angle of 0 degrees. Upon 

impact the vehicle forced the Hercules 

Crash Cushion's trolley rearward and began 

to collapse the beam modules. The crash 

cushion brought the vehicle to a controlled 

stop. The test vehicle sustained damage to 

its front end. The occupant compartment 

was not penetrated and the deformation 

was within allowable limits. The maximum 

roll and pitch angles did not exceed 75 deg. 

and the occupant risk values were within 

limits per the MASH specifications for OIV 

and ORA. Hercules Crash Cushion passed all 

evaluation criteria for test 3-30 - 

EVALUATION RESULTS: PASS

Test 3-31involves a 2270P pick up truck 

impacting the crash cushion at a nominal 

impact speed of 100 km/h and an impact at 

0 degrees with the center line of the vehicle 

aligned with the center line of the Crash 

Cushion. This test is preliminary intended to 

evaluate the capacity of the attenuator to 

stop the vehicle in a safe and controlled 

manner. For this test, a Chevrolet Silverado 

( 2310 kg) impacted the Hercules TL3 Wide 

Crash Cushion at a speed 97.3 km/h and an 

angle of 0 degrees. Upon impact the vehicle 

forced the Hercules Crash Cushion's trolley 

3-31 (2270P) rearward and began to collapse the beam 

modules. The crash cushion brought the 

vehicle to a controlled stop. The test vehicle 

sustained damage to its front end. The 

occupant compartment was not penetrated 

and the deformation was within allowable 

limits. The maximum roll and pitch angles 

did not exceed 75 deg. and the occupant 

risk values were within limits per the MASH 

specifications for OIV and ORA. Hercules 

Crash Cushion passed all evaluation criteria 

for test 3-31.- 

EVALUATION RESULTS: PASS

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Required Test Narrative Evaluation 

Number Description Results

Test 3-32 involves a 1100C passenger car 

impacting the crash cushion at a nominal 

impact speed of 100 km/h and an impact at 

15 degrees with the centerline of the crash 

cushion. This test is preliminary intended to 

evaluate occupanti risk, vehicle trajectory 

and the capacity of the crash cushion to 

stop the vehicle in a controlled manner for 

an oblique impact. For this test a Honda 

Civic ( 1188.2kg) impacted the Hercules 

Crash Cushion at a speed 97 km/h and an 

angle of 15 degrees. Upon impact the 

vehicle forced the Hercules Crash Cushion's 

trolley rearward and began to collapse the 

beam modules. The crash cushion brought 

the vehicle to a controlled stop. The test 

vehicle sustained damage to its front end. 

The occupant compartment was not 

penetrated and the deformation was within

allowable limits. The maximum roll and 

pitch angles did not exceed 75 deg. and the

occupant risk values were within limits per 

the MASH specifications for OIV and ORA. 

Hercules Crash Cushion passed all 

evaluation criteria ror test 3-32.- 

EVALUATION RESULTS: PASS

3-32 (1100C)

Test 3-33 involves a 2270P pick up truck

impacting the crash cushion at a nominal 

impact speed of 100 km/h and an impact at 

15 degrees with the centerline of the 

vehicle aligned with the center line of the 

crash cushion. This test is preliminary 

intended to evaluate occupanti risk, vehicle 

trajectory and the capacity of the crash 

cushion to stop the vehicle in a controlled 

manner for an oblique impact. For this test 

a Chevrolet Silverado (2317 kg) impacted 

the Hercules Crash Cushion at a speed 99.1 

km/h and an angle of 15 degrees. Upon 

impact the vehicle forced the Hercules 

Crash Cushion's trolley rearward and began 

to collapse the beam modules. The crash 

cushion brought the vehicle to a controlled 

stop. The test vehicle sustained damage to 

its front end. The occupant compartment 

was not penetrated and the deformation 

was within allowable limits. The maximum 

roll and pitch angles did not exceed 75 deg. 

and the occupant risk values were within 

limits per the MASH specifications for OIV 

and ORA. Hercules Crash Cushion passed all 

evaluation criteria for test 3-33. - 

EVALUATION RESULTS: PASS

 

3-33 (2270P)

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3-34 (1100C)

Test 3-34 involves a 1100C passenger car 

impacting the crash cushion at a nominal 

impact speed of 100 km/h and an impact at 

15 degrees with the CIP at the point where 

the crash cushion behavior changes from 

capturing to redirective. This test is 

preliminary intended to evaluate occupant 

risk and vehicle trajectory criteria. For this 

test a Honda Civic 1193 kg impacted the 

Hercules Crash Cushion at a speed 97.5 km/

h and an angle of 15 degrees. The impact 

point was downstream the trolley. Upont 

the impact the vehicle was smoothly 

redirected. The test vehicle sustained 

damage to its right front corner, doors and 

rear quarter panel. The occupant 

compartment was not penetrated and the 

deformation was within allowable limits. 

The maximum roll and pitch angles did not 

exceed 75 deg. and the occupant risk 

values were within limits per the MASH 

specifications for OIV and ORA. Hercules 

Crash Cushion passed all evaluation criteria 

for test 3-34. - EVALUATION RESULTS:PASS

Test 3-35 involves a 2270P pick up truck 

impacting the crash cushion at a nominal 

impact speed of 100 km/h and an impact at 

25 degrees with the CIP at the point where 

the crash cushion behavior changes from 

capturing to redirective (BLON). This test is 

preliminary intended to evaluate the 

capacity of the attenuator for redirection/

containment of heavy vehicles. For this test 

a Chevroled Silverado 2276.2 kg impacted 

the Hercules Crash Cushion at a speed 97.7 

km/h and an angle of 25 degrees. The 

impact point was downstream the trolley 

and very near to the nose. Upont the impact 

the vehicle was smoothly redirected. The 

test vehicle sustained damage to its left 

front corner, doors and rear quarter panel. 

The occupant compartment was not 

penetrated . The maximum roll and pitch 

angles did not exceed 75 deg. and the 

occupant risk values were within limits per 

the MASH specifications for OIV and ORA. 

Hercules Crash Cushion passed all 

evaluation criteria for test 3-35. - 

EVALUATION RESULTS: PASS

3-35 (2270P)

Test 3-36 Hercules TL3 Wide is not attached

to a rigid backup structure 3-36 (2270P)

Test 3-37 Hercules TL3 Wide is not installed 

in reverse impact condition 3-37 (2270P)

3-38 (1500A) Numerica Simulation was performed

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3-40 (1100C) Test for non-redirective Crash Cushion, Not 

Applicable

3-41 (2270P) Test for non-redirective Crash Cushion, Not 

Applicable

3-42 (1100C) Test for non-redirective Crash Cushion, Not 

Applicable

3-43 (2270P) Test for non-redirective Crash Cushion, Not 

Applicable

3-44 (2270P) Test for non-redirective Crash Cushion, Not 

Applicable

3-45 (1500A) Test for non-redirective Crash Cushion, Not 

Applicable

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: CSI SPA

Address: Via Dante Giacosa snc, 81025 Marcianise (CE) Same as Submitter

Country: Italy Same as Submitter

Accreditation Certificate 

Number and Dates of current Accretitation N.0006L rev.05 expiring date 08-03-2024

Accreditation period :

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

  Firmato digitalmente da Massimo Cucchietti Laboratory Signature: Data: 2022.08.05 11:40:10 +02'00

Impero Roberto Firmato digitalmente da Impero 

Roberto

Data: 2022.10.12 10:58:05 +02'00'

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