June 4, 2004

Refer to: HSA-10/CC-75C

Owen S. Denman, P.E.
President
Barrier Systems, Incorporated
180 River Road
Rio Vista, California 94571-1208

Dear Mr. Denman:

In your May 6 letter, you requested acceptance of a modified cable anchor and backstop design for your TAU-II series crash cushions. Named the "Flush Mount Backstop", this modification differs from your original design by incorporating the rear cable anchors into the backstop structure and reversing the cable so it is tensioned at the front of the system. These changes allow installation of the TAU-II in locations where it is not feasible to tension the cables from the back due to the size/shape of a new or existing backup structure. The overall system layout and detailed drawings of the modified front and rear cable anchors are shown in the enclosures to this letter.

Staff review of the revised geometry and of your analysis of the structural capacity of the new design compared to the tested anchor detail indicates that the modified design should not change the crash performance of the Universal TAU-II System. It remains acceptable for use on the National Highway System at the appropriate test level with either anchor design.

Sincerely yours,

(Original Signed By R. Powers)
for:
John R. Baxter, P.E.
Director, Office of Safety Design
Office of Safety

3 Enclosures

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