1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE. 

Washington, DC 20590 

U.S. Department 

of Transportation 

Federal Highway 

Administration 

December 2 1,2007 

In Reply Refer To: HSSD/B- 166 

Mr. Robert Slagter 

President 

Anro Products, Inc. 

2752 SW Bear Paw Trail 

Palm City, FL 34990 

Dear Mr. Slagter: 

In your letter of July 11, 2007, you requested the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) 

acceptance of your company's Plastic Spacer Block for use on the National Highway System 

(NHS) with test level 3 (TL-3) steel strong post W-beam guardrail systems under the provisions 

of National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 350 "Recommended 

Procedures for the Safety Performance Evaluation of Highway Features". You indicated in your 

letter that this device will be marketed under the name Ornni Products and it will be referred to 

as such in this letter. To support your request, you provided Midwest Roadside Safety Facility 

test report dated June 22, 2007, entitled "Performance Analysis of the Anro Timber Products 

Plastic Spacer Block Test No. ANRO-1". You also provided test videos and electronic 

photographs. 

Requirements 

Longitudinal barriers should meet the guidelines contained in the NCHRP Report 350, 

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

FHWA Memorandum "ACTION: Identifying Acceptable Highway Safety Features" of July 25, 

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

Additional information on acceptance of blockouts to NCHRP 350 criteria is found in the FHWA 

Memorandum "ACTION: Blockouts for Use with Strong-Post W-Beam Guardrail Systems" of 

January 27, 1998. 

Product description 

Your company's Plastic Spacer Block for steel strong post W-beam systems is composed of 50 

percent polyethylene and 50 percent polypropylene. It measures 191 rnm x 102 mm x 356 mm 

(7.5"~ Px14"). A 9.53 mm x 102 mm x 254 mm (0.38"~ 4"x 10) groove is routed on the back 

face of the block to align it with the face of the steel strong post. The block has two octagonal 

voids located symmetrically about the centerline, and holes to accommodate the fastening 

hardware. Design details of Ornni Products Plastic Spacer Block are provided in the Enclosure. 

' 1, ] r' I ; :--- -- 

AMERICAN i /
Test article installation 

For the bogie test of the article, the Omni Products Plastic Spacer Block was mounted on a 

W 152 x 13.4 steel strong post secured in a rigid foundation. The plastic spacer block was 

mounted at a height of 550 mm (22"), measured from the center (bolt) of the block to the travel 

surface. A 305 mm (12") long piece of 12 gauge W-beam guardrail was mounted on the front of 

the spacer block, using standard fastening hardware. 

For the baseline bogie test, a 203 mm x 152 rnrn x 360 mm (8"x 6"x 14") Southern Yellow Pine 

wood spacer block was selected. A 10 rnrn x 100 mm x 360 mm (0.39" x 3.9" x 14.2") slot was 

routed on the back face of the block, to align it and to accept the steel strong post. The post was 

secured in a rigid foundation. The wood spacer block was mounted at a height of 550 mm (22"), 

measured from the center (bolt) of the block to the travel surface. A 305 rnm (12") long piece of 

12 gauge W-beam guardrail was mounted on the front of the spacer block, using standard 

fastening hardware. 

Testing 

You tested your company's Plastic Spacer Block in a bogie test, and compared this test to the 

baseline bogie test conducted with a standard Southern Yellow Pine wood block. You also 

compared the force versus deflection diagrams generated by the bogie tests of the Omni Products 

Plastic Spacer Block and the standard wood block with those produced by the previously 

accepted Anro Block design (acceptance letter B-107 of September 5,2003). 

According to the information you provided, there was no substantial difference in performance 

between the standard wooden block and the Ornni Products Plastic Spacer Block in the bogie 

vehicle tests conducted. 

We noted that there was a difference in both the weight and impact speed of the bogie vehicles 

used in the in the two tests (992 kg and 32.2 kmlh in the test with wood block vs. 614 kg and 

40.14 km/h in the test with Plastic Spacer Block). Despite this discrepancy in weight and impact 

speed, we found that the impact severities in these tests were comparable. 

The plastic block sustained minor damage due to the impact of the bogie vehicle. According to 

the test report, most of the damage to the block occurred after the main load transfer from the 

bogie to the post and block during the initial impact, and was the result of the bogie vehicle 

riding up and over the post subsequent to the initial impact event. Further, a comparison of the 

force versus deflection diagrams generated by the bogie tests of the Omni Products Plastic 

Spacer Block, and the previously-accepted Anro Block design, shows that the Omni Products 

Plastic Spacer Block performed in a manner very similar to the Anro Block design, while 

reaching a slightly higher peak load. 

After analyzing the information you have provided, we concur that the Omni Products Plastic 

Spacer Block, as described above, may be used with NCHRP 350 TL-3 strong steel post 

W-beam guardrail systems, at all appropriate locations on the NHS, when selected by the 

contracting authority, subject to the provisions of Title 23, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 

635.41 1 as they pertain to proprietary products. Note that this acceptance of the Omni Products 

Plastic Spacer Block is explicitly limited to applications with W-beam guardrail on strong steel 
3 

posts, as was used in the test. Acceptance is also contingent on the production version of the 

Ornni Products Plastic Spacer Block being identical to the prototype units tested. 

Standard provisions 

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

This acceptance is limited to the crashworthiness characteristics of the device and does not 

cover its 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, 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. 

You will be expected to certify to potential users that the hardware furnished has essentially 

the same chemistry, mechanical properties, and geometry as that submitted for acceptance, 

and that they will meet the crashworthiness requirements of the FHWA and the NCHRP 

Report 350. 

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

B-166 shall not be reproduced except in full. This letter, and the test documentation upon 

which this letter is based, is public information. All such letters and documentation may be 

reviewed at our office upon request. 

The Omni Products Plastic Spacer Block is a patented product and considered proprietary. If 

proprietary devices are specified by a highway agency for use on Federal-aid projects, except 

exempt, non-NHS projects, they: (a) 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 635.41 1. 

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, 

George E. Rice, Jr. 

Acting Director, Office of Safety Design 

Office of Safety 

Enclosures 

FHWA:HSSD:NArtimovich:tb:x6 133 1 : 12/19/07 

File: s://directory folder/nartimovich/B 166AnroB1ockout.doc 

cc: HSSD (Reader, HSA; Chron File, HSSD; N.Artimovich, HSSD; 

M.Bloschock, HSSD; M.McDonough, HSSD) 
Enclosure 
Title 23, Code of Federal Regulations 

tj 635.411 Material or product selection. 

(a) Federal f'unds shall not participate, directly or indirectly, in payment for any premium or royalty on 

any patented or proprietary material, specification, or process specifically set forth in the plans and 

specifications for a project, unless: 

(I) Such patented or proprietary item is purchased or obtained through competitive bidding with equally 

suitable unpatented items; or 

(2) The State transportation department certifies either that such patented or proprietary item is essential 

for synchronization with existing highway facilities, or that no equally suitable alternate exists; or 

(3) Such patented or proprietary item is used for research or for a distinctive type of construction on 

relatively short sections of road for experimental purposes. 

(b) When there is available for purchase more than one nonpatented, nonproprietary material, 

semifinished or finished article or product that will fulfill the requirements for an item of work of a 

project and these available materials or products are judged to be of satisfactory quality and equally 

acceptable on the basis of engineering analysis and the anticipated prices for the related item(s) of work 

are estimated to be approximately the same, the PS&E for the project shall either contain or include by 

reference the specifications for each such material or product that is considered acceptable for 

incorporation in the work. If the State transportation department wishes to substitute some other 

acceptable material or product for the material or product designated by the successful bidder or bid as the 

lowest alternate, and such substitution results in an increase in costs, there will not be Federal-aid 

participation in any increase in costs. 

(c) A State transportation department may require a specific material or product when there are other 

acceptable materials and products, when such specific choice is approved by the Division Administrator 

as being in the public interest. When the Division Administrator's approval is not obtained, the item will 

be nonparticipating unless bidding procedures are used that establish the unit price of each acceptable 

alternative. In this case Federal-aid participation will be based on the lowest price so established. 

(d) Appendix A sets forth the FHWA requirements regarding (1) the specification of alternative types of 

culvert pipes, and (2) the number and types of such alternatives which must be set forth in the 

specifications for various types of drainage installations. 

(e) Reference in specifications and on plans to single trade name materials will not be approved on 

Federal-aid contracts. 

(f) In the case of a design-build project, the following requirements apply: Federal funds shall not 

participate, directly or indirectly, in payment for any premium or royalty on any patented or proprietary 

material, specification, or process specifically set forth in the Request for Proposals document unless the 

conditions of paragraph (a) of this section are applicable. 

[41 FR 36204, Aug. 27, 1976, as amended at 67 FR 75926, Dec. 10,20021