January 12, 2006

In Reply Refer To: 

HSA-10/B-142 

400 Seventh St., S.W. 

Washington, D.C. 20590

 

 Mr. David A. Hubbell 

 Managing Member 

 Composite Structural Design, LLC 

 P.O. Box 600 

 Saranac Lake, New York 12983 

Dear Mr. Hubbell: 

In two e-mailed letters dated February 17 and 23, 2005, to Mr. Richard Powers of my staff, you 

requested acceptance of an all-steel European roadside barrier called the Max-Rail for use on 

the National Highway System (NHS) as a test level 5 (TL-5) barrier. To support this request, 

you also sent copies of test reports (with English text translations) BASt/94 7 D 003/ELL and 

BASt/94 7 D 004/ELL prepared by the German testing agency BASt. These reports 

documented EN 1317 tests TB 11 and TB 81, respectively. For test TB 11, a 900-kg passenger 

car impacted the Max-Rail at a 20-degree angle and a speed of 100 km/h. For test TB 81, a 

38,000-kg flatbed tractor-trailer was directed into the rail at a 20-degree angle and a speed of 

65 km/h. 

The Max-Rail, shown schematically in Enclosure 1, consists of 2.7-m long steel C-125 posts 

on 1.33-m centers (Enclosure 2), trapezoidal offset blocks (Enclosure 3), and upper and lower 

C-channel rail elements (Enclosure 4), with a “corrugated” steel beam (Enclosure 5) bolted to 

the lower C-channel element. The barrier is backed by three 20-mm diameter wire ropes. 

These ropes and the top beam element are anchored to a 1050-mm by 1050-mm by 800-mm 

concrete block using specially fabricated mounting hardware. The effective height of the 

Max-Rail is 1150 mm. 

As initially noted, the MAX-Rail was tested and approved under the European EN 1317 testing 

and evaluation criteria to test level H4b using a small passenger car and a tractor-trailer 

(flatbed trailer). The small car test is essentially equivalent to the National Cooperative 

Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 350 test 5-10. The tractor-trailer used in TB 81, 

while different from the comparable Report 350 test truck and for which the ballast center of 

gravity height and other dimensions could only be estimated, may be considered an acceptable 

substitute for the NCHRP tractor-trailer in this instance only because the test impact severity 

was in excess of that recommended in Report 350 for test 5-12, and because a 1070-mm high 

 
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Please be advised that it is not my intention to set or further any precedent by accepting the 

European tests in lieu of Report 350 tests and any future requests for “equivalent” tests, if 

considered at all, will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Based on the information you 

submitted, I agree the MAX-Rail, as tested, may be considered as having met NCHRP Report 

350 evaluation criteria and may be used conditionally on the NHS as a test level 5 (TL-5) 

barrier. Based on reported results of the tests that were conducted by BASt and on the shape of 

the barrier, I am willing to consider the MAX-Rail as a TL-5 barrier without a pickup truck test 

and without a 9000-kg single-unit truck test. 

rigid barrier has successfully been shown to contain the Report 350 tractor-trailer. When 

impacting a higher, semi-rigid barrier, the resultant roll angle can be expected to be lower. The 

tractor-trailer was contained and redirected by the Max-Rail with only a moderate roll angle 

and with minimal damage to the vehicle itself. The dynamic deflection of the Max-Rail was 

reported to be 1.65 m. 

Since the MAX-Rail is a steel product and is proprietary, the provisions of Title 23, Code of 

Federal Regulations Sections 635.410 and 635.411 are applicable. Note that the “Buy 

America” provisions apply to all steel products that are permanently incorporated into highway 

projects. 

Because the Max-Rail is a European design and drawings in standard U.S. dimensions and 

nomenclature have not been provided, you must certify to any users that the barrier provided 

for installation is identical to that which was tested, particularly in regard to its steel 

components and its concrete anchorage. Detailed shop drawings and materials specifications 

for all barrier components and connections, described in English, must be provided to any 

contracting agency prior to advertising a project in which the Max-Rail is proposed. If U.S. 

steel specifications are provided, each structural element must be shown to be equal or better 

than its tested European counterpart. An in-service evaluation should be made for the first 

U.S. installation(s) to establish cost and installation data, and to verify acceptable crash 

performance over time. My staff will review the evaluation report and consider upgrading the 

Max-Rail acceptance to fully acceptable at that time. 

Please note the following additional qualifications that apply to the FHWA hardware 

acceptance letters: 

• 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 or inaccurately 

reported, that in-service performance reveals unacceptable safety problems, or that the 

device being marketed is significantly different from the version that was crash tested, it 

reserves the right to modify or revoke its acceptance.

• You will be expected to supply potential users with sufficient information on design and 

installation requirements to ensure proper performance.

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

acceptance letter B-142, shall not be reproduced except in full. As this letter and the 
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documentation which supports it become public information, it will be available for 

inspection at our office by any interested parties.

• 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. This acceptance letter pertains only to the crashworthiness characteristics of the 

barrier, 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, 

 

/original signed by/ 

John R. Baxter, P.E. 

 Director, Office of Safety Design 

 Office of Safety 

5 Enclosures 

33

44

55

66

A B 

C D 

Format:

Benennung :

Norm gepr.Geprüft

Name

Maßstab :

Dateiname:

Datum

Gezeichnet

Maße ohne Toleranzangabe nach DIN 7168 mittel Oberflächen Reihe 2 DIN 3141

G:\RAL-Teil\rv007100.idw

1:5

A3

08.12.2005 Schle

Pfosten C 12Maxi Rail

Blechdicke 5mm Werkstoff S235 JR EN 10025Feuerverzinkung gemäß ISO 1461

125

62,5

60175175175

2700

n16 (4x)

n1

5
33

44

55

66

A B 

C D 

Format:

Benennung :

Norm gepr.Geprüft

Name

Maßstab :

Dateiname:

Datum

Gezeichnet

Maße ohne Toleranzangabe nach DIN 7168 mittel Oberflächen Reihe 2 DIN 3141

G:\RAL-Teil\rv007010.idw

1:5

A3

08.12.2005 Schle

Waben DeforMaxi Rail

Blechdicke 4mm `0,18mm

Werkstoff S235 JR G2 DIN EN 10025Feuerverzinkung gemäß EN ISO 1461

n16 (4x)

200

92,5

5

228

200

228

4

645

52,5

75

51875

n12 (4x)

120°

120°

115
33

44

55

66

A B 

C D 

Format:

Benennung :

Norm gepr.Geprüft

Name

Maßstab :

Dateiname:

Datum

Gezeichnet

Maße ohne Toleranzangabe nach DIN 7168 mittel Oberflächen Reihe 2 DIN 3141

G:\RAL-Teil\rv007000.idw

1:10

A3

08.12.2005 Schle

Kastenprofil Rundlochung

Blechdicke 4mm `0,18mm

Werkstoff S235 JR G2 DIN EN 10025Feuerverzinkung gemäß EN ISO 1461

Ansicht AM 1:5

180

150

120

4

17

18

1333 1333 

3824 

3998

17

950 1050 

45 Wi 45x30
33

44

55

66

A B 

C D 

Format:

Benennung :

Norm gepr.Geprüft

Name

Maßstab :

Dateiname:

Datum

Gezeichnet

Maße ohne Toleranzangabe nach DIN 7168 mittel Oberflächen Reihe 2 DIN 3141

G:\RAL-Teil\rv000200.idw

1:10

A3

27.04.2005 mschlegelmilch

SchutzplankeProfil B

X Y 

Blechdicke 3mm `0,17mm

Werkstoff S235 JR G2 DIN EN 10025Feuerverzinkung gemäß EN ISO 1461

AA 

210

220

150 1333

2000

2667

40004300

194

Detail YM 1:1

Detail XM 1:1

42 22

9

18

R4

Schnitt A-AM 1:5

310

78

3

61

91

296

20

Schnitt B-BM 1:5

304

66

96

292

23

78

3