MASH & NCHRP 350 – RSI - Road Systems, Inc.

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MASH & NCHRP 350

MASH and NCHRP 350 represent uniform guidelines for conducting full-scale crash
tests for permanent and temporary highway safety features along with
recommended evaluation criteria to access the test results. Products addressed in
MASH and NCHRP 350 include longitudinal barriers, transitions, end terminals, crash
cushions, breakaway/yielding supports, truck mounted attenuators and work zone
traffic control devices. The crash performance is judged on structural adequacy,
occupant risk and vehicle trajectory. The in-service evaluations of these devices are
also addressed in MASH and NCHRP 350. Note that NCHRP 350 has been rewritten
under NCHRP Project 22-14(02). Click here for details
(http://www.trb.org/trbnet/projectdisplay.asp?projectid=685).

MASH has been adopted and was first published in 2009 and was updated in
2016. Click here for more information.
(https://bookstore.transportation.org/item_details.aspx?id=2707)

Click here (http://www.roadsystems.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Summary-of-

Differences-Between-MASH-and-NCHRP-350.pdf) to see a summary of the
differences between MASH and NCHRP 350.

Rewrite of NCHRP 350

The rewrite of NCHRP 350 is completed. It was reviewed by the AASHTO Technical
Committee on Roadside Safety (TCRS) and is an AASHTO document. It’s called The
AASHTO Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH). This rewrite updated the
test vehicles, the impact condition criteria, and the evaluation criteria. The
differences between MASH and NCHRP 350 along with the AASHTO/FHWA joint
implementation plan can be seen at the above link.

MASH
The NCHRP Report 350 crash testing and evaluation criteria has been updated and
the new publication is called MASH, The AASHTO Manual for Assessing Safety
Hardware. As part of the rewrite of NCHRP 350, there were three main focus areas:

 Test Vehicles were updated to what’s being produced and sold today.

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 Impact Condition Criteria were modified to correct inconsistencies and identify

needed conditions.
 Evaluation Criteria were modified to correct subjective criteria and better
define other criteria.

Here are some of the more significant changes from the NCHRP 350 conditions to
the new AASHTO MASH conditions:

 Pickup truck increases from 4,400 lbs. to 5,000 lbs.

 Small car increases from 1,800 lbs. to 2,420 lbs.
 Small car impact angle changed from 20 to 25 degrees.
 Terminal & Crash Cushion impact angle changed from 20 to 25 degrees.
 TL-4 truck increases from 17,600 lbs. to 22,000 lbs.
 TL-4 truck speed changed from 80 km/hr to 90 km/hr.

FHWA Memos
 FHWA Open Letter (May 2017) (http://www.roadsystems.com/wp-
content/uploads/2017/08/FHWA-Open-Letter-052617.pdf)
 FHWA Memo on MASH (March 2017) (http://www.roadsystems.com/wp-
content/uploads/2017/08/FHWA-Memo-on-MASH-031717.pdf)
 FHWA Guardrail Terminal Memo (November 2016)
(http://www.roadsystems.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/FHWA-Guardrail-
Terminal-Memo-113016.pdf)
 AASHTO-FHWA Resolution (November 2016)
(http://www.roadsystems.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/AASHTO-FHWA-
Resolution-111516.pdf)
 FHWA MASH Memo with Timeline (January 2016)
(http://www.roadsystems.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/FHWA-MASH-
Memo-010716-with-Timeline.pdf)
 FHWA Memo Roadside Safety Hardware (May 2015)
(http://www.roadsystems.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/FHWA-Memo-
Roadside-Safety-Hardware-052615.pdf)
 FHWA FAQ & Memo (June 2012) (http://www.roadsystems.com/wp-
content/uploads/2017/08/FHWA-FAQ-Memo-RsDG-June2012.pdf)
 FHWA letter with FAQs (November 2010) (http://www.roadsystems.com/wp-
content/uploads/pdfs/FHWA-FAQs-Application-Installation-Memo-
Nov2010.pdf)
 FHWA letter with FAQs (May 2010) (http://www.roadsystems.com/wp-
content/uploads/pdfs/FHWA-FAQs-Guardrail-Height-Memo-May2010.pdf)
 August 28, 1998 NCHRP 350 Compliance Dates
(http://www.roadsystems.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/FHWA-Memo-
350-Compliance-Dates-082898.pdf)

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Click here for important Grading & Length of Need information

(http://www.roadsystems.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/LON-Information.pdf)

Historical Review
Document Source Year Issued # of Pages Test Vehicle & Weight

HRB #482 1962 1 4400 lb. car

NCHRP #115 1971 70 4000 to 5000 lb. cars.

NCHRP #118 1972 96 2000 & 4500 lb. cars

NCHRP #153 1974 19 2250 & 4500 lb. cars

TRC #191 1978 27 *2250 & 4500 lb. cars

NCHRP #230 1981 42 *1800 & 4500 lb. cars

*1800 lb. car &

NCHRP #350 1993 132
4400 lb. Pickup

*Large trucks also considered

Test Vehicles

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Test Levels for Barriers

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MSKT Online Training

Get Started (http://www.training.roadsystems.com/)

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Phone: (432) 263-2435

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Phone: (330) 346-0721

Product Support
Phone: (330) 799-9291

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MASH & NCHRP 350 (http://www.roadsystems.com/mash-and-nchrp-350/)
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FAQ (http://www.roadsystems.com/faq/)
Links (http://www.roadsystems.com/links/)
Contact Us (http://www.roadsystems.com/contact-us/)

BEAT & BEAT-MT (http://www.roadsystems.com/beat-beat-mt/)

BEAT-BP (http://www.roadsystems.com/beat-bp/)
BEAT-SSCC (http://www.roadsystems.com/beat-sscc/)

MASH MSKT (http://www.roadsystems.com/mash-mskt/)

MSKT Online Training (http://www.training.roadsystems.com/)
MASH MFLEAT (http://www.roadsystems.com/mash-mfleat/)
NCHRP 350 SKT (http://www.roadsystems.com/nchrp-350-skt/)
NCHRP 350 FLEAT (http://www.roadsystems.com/nchrp-350-fleat/)
NCHRP 350 FLEAT-MT (http://www.roadsystems.com/nchrp-350-fleat-mt/)
MGS Terminals (Midwest Guardrail System with 31″ Rail Height)
(http://www.roadsystems.com/nchrp-350-mgs-31-terminals/)

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NCHRP 350 Cable to W-Beam Transition (http://www.roadsystems.com/nchrp-350-cable-to-w-

beam-transition/)
NCHRP 350 W-BEAM Terminal ID Guide (http://www.roadsystems.com/nchrp-350-w-beam-
terminal-id-guide/)

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