1200 New Jersey Ave., SE

 Washington, D.C. 20590

February 22, 2012

FHWA: HSST: NArtimovicht: sf: x61331:3/29/12

File: s: //directory folder/HSST/Artimovich/CC-93B 

_Safence_2mspacing_terminal.docx

cc: HSST (NArtimovich; JDewar) 

In Reply Refer To:

 HSST/CC-93B

Jesper Sorensen

Safence, Inc.

1557 N.W. Ballard Way

Seattle Washington, 98107

Dear Mr. Sorensen,

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

review a roadside safety system for eligibility for reimbursement under the Federal-aid highway 

program. 

Name of system: Safence TL-3 End Terminal with 2 m post spacing

Type of system: Three or Four cable wire rope barrier end terminal

Test Level: NCHRP Report 350 Test Level3

Evaluation conducted by: Force Technology 

Task Force 13 Designator: SEC09

Date of request: December 29, 2010

Date initially acknowledged: February 7, 2011

Date of completed package: December 5, 2011

Decision:

The following device is eligible, with details provided in your December 29, 2010 request, 

attached as an integral part of this letter: 

• Safence TL-3 three or four cable wire rope End Terminal with 2 m post spacing

Based on a review of the analysis submitted by the manufacturer certifying the device described 

herein meets the crashworthiness criteria of the National Cooperative Highway Research 

Program (NCHRP) Report 350, the device is eligible for reimbursement under the Federal-aid 

highway program. Eligibility for reimbursement under the Federal-aid highway program does 

not establish approval or endorsement by the FHWA for any particular purpose or use.

The FHWA, the Department of Transportation, and the United States Government do not 

endorse products or services and the issuance of a reimbursement eligibility letter is not an 

endorsement of any product or service.

Requirements

Roadside safety devices should meet the guidelines contained in the National Cooperative 

Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 350 or the American Association of State 

Highway and Transportation Officials’ Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH).
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Description:

The Safence four cable wire rope end terminal was the subject of the FHWA letters CC-93 and 

CC93A dated 8/16/2005 and 12/28/2006, respectively. The posts in the terminal section were 

spaced 1 meter apart. Your present request is to increase that spacing to 2 meters for the length 

of the terminal. The test-by-test engineering analysis conducted by Force Technologies, 

enclosed for reference, shows that increasing the post spacing is not expected to have any 

adverse affect on the crash performance of the terminal. This modification may be used with 

three cable barrier terminals as well.

Findings

Therefore, the system described and detailed in the attached form is eligible for reimbursement 

and may be installed under the range of conditions tested. 

Please note the following standard provisions that apply to FHWA eligibility letters:

• This letter provides a AASHTO/ARTBA/AGC Task Force 13 designator that should be 

used for the purpose of the creation of a new and/or the update of existing Task Force 13 

drawing for posting on the on-line ‘Guide to Standardized Highway Barrier Hardware’ 

currently referenced in AASHTO Roadside Design Guide. 

• This finding of eligibility is limited to the crashworthiness characteristics of the systems 

and does not cover their structural features, nor conformity with the Manual on Uniform 

Traffic Control Devices.

• Any changes that may influence the crashworthiness of the system will require a new 

reimbursement eligibility letter.

• Should the FHWA discover that the qualification testing was flawed, that in-service 

performance reveals safety problems, or that the system is significantly different from the 

version that was crash tested, we reserve the right to modify or revoke this letter.

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

installation requirements to ensure proper performance.

• You will be 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 crashworthiness requirements of the NCHRP Report 350.

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

CC-93B 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. 

• 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. 

The finding of eligibility is limited to the crashworthiness characteristics of the candidate 

system, 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.
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• The Safence cable barriers and terminals are patented products and considered 

proprietary. If proprietary systems are specified by a highway agency for use on Federalaid projects: (a) they must be supplied through competitive bidding with equally suitable 

unpatented items; (b) the highway agency must certify that they are essential for 

synchronization with the existing highway facilities or that no equally suitable alternative 

exists; or (c) they must be used for research or for a distinctive type of construction on 

relatively short sections of road for experimental purposes. Our regulations concerning 

proprietary products are contained in Title 23, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 

635.411. 

Sincerely yours,

Signed by/ Michael S. Griffith

Michael S. Griffith

Director, Office of Safety Technologies

Office of Safety

Enclosures