400 Seventh St., S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20590

May 25, 2012

In Reply Refer To: HSST/WZ-315

Charles Mettler
Engineering Manager
Plastic Safety Systems
2444 Baldwin Road
Cleveland Ohio 44104

Dear Mr. Mettler:

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.

Decision:
The following device is eligible, with details provided below and in the drawings which are enclosed as an integral part of this letter:

• SafetyWall Longitudinal Channelizer

Based on a review of crash test results submitted by the manufacturer certifying the device described herein meets the crash test and evaluation criteria of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials' Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH), 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
To be found eligible for Federal-aid funding, roadside safety devices should meet the crash test and evaluation criteria contained in the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH).

Description
The Plastic Safety Systems Inc. SafetyWall is a longitudinal channelizer formed from high density polyethylene plastic.  The crash tested longitudinal channelizer was 201 feet long fabricated from 34 individual inter-connected channelizing devices.  Drawings of the individual units are enclosed for reference.  The SafetyWall longitudinal channelizer was positioned such that the right front corner of the impacting vehicles struck the longitudinal channelizer at the center of channelizing device number 8 in both MASH tests 3-10 and 3-11.

Each individual channelizing device was secured with two (2) 45-pound sand bags.    Each individual channelizing device is equipped with two legs.  One (1) 45-pound sand bag was placed on each leg per the manufacturer installation instructions.  Type AC lights were mounted on channelizers  number 6 through 17 and sign panels were mounted to the face of the longitudinal channelizers in the impact zone. The lights and sign panels remained affixed to the channelizer units during the impacts.  Summary pages of the crash tests are enclosed.

Summary and Standard Provisions
Therefore, the system described above and detailed in the enclosed drawings is eligible for reimbursement and may be installed under the range of conditions tested.  Individual units may also be used as stand-alone barricades when affixed with the appropriate retroreflective sheeting per Section 6F of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.

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

• This finding of eligibility does not cover other structural features of the systems, nor conformity with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.
• Any changes that may influence system conformance with MASH 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 are expected to supply potential users with sufficient information on design and installation requirements to ensure proper performance.
• You are 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 test and evaluation criteria of the MASH.
• To prevent misunderstanding by others, this letter of eligibility is designated as number WZ-315 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 FHWA does not become involved in issues concerning patent law.  Patent issues, if any, are to be resolved by the applicant.
• The Plastic Safety Systems SafetyWall is a patented product and considered proprietary.  If proprietary systems are specified by a highway agency for use on Federal-aid 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,

Michael S. Griffith
Director, Office of Safety Technologies
Office of Safety