1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE. 

Washington, DC 20590 March 27, 2008 

In Reply Refer To: HSSD/B-151 

Bryant L. Lowery, P.E. 

Special Design Engineer 

Location and Design Division 

Virginia Department of Transportation 

1401 East Broad Street 

Richmond, Virginia 23219 

Dear Mr. Lowery: 

This letter is in response to your request for Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) 

acceptance of a roadside safety device for use on the National Highway System (NHS). 

 Name of device: Permatile Precast Concrete Barrier 10 foot length 

 Type of device: Portable concrete barrier 

 Test Level: NCHRP Report 350 TL-3 

 Prior Testing conducted by: Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) 

 Date of request: March 14, 2008 

 

You requested that we find this device acceptable for use on the NHS under the provisions of 

National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 350 “Recommended 

Procedures for the Safety Performance Evaluation of Highway Features.” 

Requirements

Roadside safety devices should meet the guidelines contained in the NCHRP Report 350, 

"Recommended Procedures for the Safety Performance Evaluation of Highway Features". 

FHWA Memorandum “Action: Identifying Acceptable Highway Safety Features” of July 25, 

1997, provides further guidance on crash testing requirements of longitudinal barriers. 

Description 

You requested formal acceptance of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) 10 foot 

F-shape Concrete Barrier with the pin and loop positive connection. A 20 foot version of this 

design (Scan01.tif, enclosed for reference) was tested and accepted for use as a TL-3 NCHRP 

350 temporary barrier in FHWA Acceptance Letter B-54 dated May 18, 1999. Permatile 

Concrete Products Company manufactured and supplied this barrier that was tested by TTI under 

NCHRP report 350 Test 3-11, Contract No. T99011 and Project No. 402041. The drawings 

“Scan02.tif” and “Scan03.tif” include the details of the 10' version and are enclosed for 

reference. 

Archived - 

For 

Research 

and 

Historical 

Purposes 

Only
2

Crash Testing

The 20-foot long version of the VDOT barrier was successfully crash tested as noted above. 

Through the observation of crash testing of numerous portable concrete barrier segments of 

varying lengths over the years FHWA has learned that the length of the barrier plays little, if any, 

role in the successful performance. As long as the steel reinforcing and the integrity of the end 

connections are maintained, the shorter barrier length will be acceptable for use. 

Findings

The 10-foot long VDOT barrier described above and detailed in the enclosed drawings is 

acceptable for use on the NHS under the range of conditions that the 20-foot barrier was tested, 

when proposed by a State. 

Please note the following standard provisions that apply to 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. 

• We expect you will wish to have suppliers of this device certify 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 

NCHRP Report 350. 

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

B-151 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. 

Archived - 

For 

Research 

and 

Historical 

Purposes 

Only
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• 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 

2 Enclosures 

FHWA:HSSD:NArtimovich:dp:x61331:03/27/08 

S:/Directory Folder/Artimovich/B151PermtileVirginia.doc 

cc: Reader-HSA, NArtimovich-HSSD 

Archived - 

For 

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and 

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Archived - 

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Purposes 

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