Safety Eligibility Letter CC-113

U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration

1200 New Jersey Ave. S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20590

December 13, 2010

In Reply Refer To: HSST/CC-113

Mr. Gerrit Dyke, P.E.
Barrier Systems, Inc.
3333 Vaca Valley Parkway, Suite 800
Vacaville, CA 95688

Dear Mr. Dyke:

This letter is in response to your request for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) acceptance of a roadside safety device for use on the National Highway System (NHS).

You requested that we find this system acceptable for use on the NHS under the provisions of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 350 “Recommended Procedures for the Safety Performance Evaluation of Highway Features.”

Decision:
The following device was found acceptable, with details provided below:

• TL-1 Raptor Crash Cushion

Requirements
Roadside safety devices should meet the guidelines contained in the NCHRP Report 350 or the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware. The FHWA Memorandum “Identifying Acceptable Highway Safety Features” of July 25, 1997, provides further guidance on crash testing requirements of longitudinal barriers.

Description
The Raptor Crash Cushion is a non-redirective gating crash cushion. The Raptor consists of two identical halves that are installed back to back around a hazard, and connected to become a single complete system. The two halves are held together using ten connectors with twenty bolts and washers. There is no separate anchoring because the system is designed to sit directly on the ground. The Raptor is designed primarily to deflect impacting vehicles by rotating upon impact. Enclosure 1 illustrates details of this system.

Crash Testing
The Raptor crash cushion system was crash tested according to NCHRP Report 350 test designations 1-41, 1-42, and 1-43 by Safe Technologies Inc. Enclosures 2 through 4 summarize the results of the tests.

Findings
According to NCHRP Report 350, tests 1-40 through 1-44 are to be conducted for TL-1 non-redirective gating crash cushion evaluation. The Raptor system was crash tested under all of these required tests, except for tests 1-40 and 1-44. The system described above and shown in Enclosure 1 passed all tests that were conducted. Occupant Impact Velocities (OIV) associated with tests 1-41 and 1-42 were 12 m/s, which is the maximum allowed for OIV. The OIV associated with test 1-43 was estimated at 10 m/s. The Occupant Ridedown Acceleration (ORA) for all tests were below the “preferred” limit defined in NCHRP 350.

In your letter you have requested tests 1-40 and 1-44 be waived. The waiver of test 1-40 is accepted on the grounds that test 1-42 is historically more critical than test 1-40. Test 1-44 is intended to demonstrate whether the system will redirect the errant vehicle or cushion its impact, or a combination of both. The main purpose of the Raptor crash cushion system is to shield a vertical column that may be struck head-on by absorbing and dissipating the kinetic energy of impacting vehicles, or by rotating and deflecting the vehicle from a head-on impact with the hazard. Therefore, the re-directive capability of the system to withstand a hit on the side is not as critical as its energy absorbing or rotational capability. Consequently, I concur that test 1-44 can be waived given the successful results of test 1-43.

In your letter you have also requested FHWA’s acceptance based on the following installation considerations for the Raptor system:

• The Raptor crash cushion is applicable to fixed luminaires, sign support, columns, trees, utility poles, or other structures that fit the geometric and dimensional limitations of the device, up to 23 inches by 24 inches.
• The Raptor crash cushion fully encases the base of narrow vertical hazards and does not require attachment to the roadway or foundation.
• The Raptor crash cushion is a symmetrical design and performs similarly if impacted from either longitudinal “end” direction, and must be oriented accordingly in relation to the approach traffic direction to the applicable hazard.

The above installation considerations are all accepted. However, it should be noted that the Raptor must be installed on a clean and level surface that is capable of supporting the weight of the system and permits the system to rotate during oblique impacts.

Therefore, the system described in the requests above and detailed in the enclosed drawings is acceptable for use on the NHS under the range of conditions tested, when such use is acceptable to a highway agency.

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

• This acceptance 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 adversely influence the crashworthiness of the system 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 system 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.
• 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 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 CC-113 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.
• The Raptor is a patented product and considered proprietary. If proprietary systems are specified by a highway agency for use on Federal-aid projects, except exempt, non-NHS 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.
• This acceptance 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 acceptance letter 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.

Enclosures