NCHRP 350 Report
FHWA policy requires the use of devices on the NHS that have been successfully tested in accordance with the guidelines contained in the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 350, “Recommended Procedures for the Safety Performance Evaluation of Highway Features”.
This document is no longer in print, but may be accessed through the following link.
Please note: Due to the very large size of these files, it may take a long time-possibly more than 1 hour collectively to download. We regret the inconvenience.
Part A (PDF, 2.44MB)
Part B (PDF, 1.26MB)
FHWA Headquarters acceptance of a specific device to be used on the NHS is not actually required if the responsible transportation agency and the local FHWA Division office agree that a device has successfully passed the pertinent NCHRP Report 350 tests. However, virtually all agencies require formal acceptances. Some State transportation agencies may in fact require additional information from a manufacturer before a device can be bid for use on their projects.
FHWA oversight is limited to projects on the NHS. State transportation agencies may establish different standards for non-NHS projects if desired and may elect to use roadside hardware that has not been successfully tested to NCHRP Report 350 guidelines. Nonetheless, the FHWA strongly recommends the use of crash-worthy devices on all public facilities where run-off-the-road crashes may occur.
For information on specific types of hardware that are tested and evaluated using NCHRP 350 Report criteria, see:
- Longitudinal Barriers (also includes some Bridge Rails, Bridge Rail Transitions, and Guardrail Offset Blocks)
- Barrier Terminals/Crash Cushions
- Bridge Railings
- Breakaway Hardware
- Work Zone Devices
