17.2.1 MASH Background
The November 20, 2009 memorandum from David A. Nicol specified the
as the latest in roadside safety hardware criteria. This AASHTO manual supersedes
for the purposes of evaluating new safety hardware such as longitudinal barriers, transitions, end terminals, crash cushions, breakaway/yielding supports, truck mounted attenuators, and work zone traffic control devices. It sets guidelines for crash testing and evaluation criteria for assessing test results. The joint AASHTO/FHWA implementation plan stated that all highway safety hardware accepted under the criteria in
does not need to be retested to MASH criteria; may remain in place; and may continue to be manufactured and installed. However, all new hardware that is developed must be tested and evaluated according to MASH. Additional relevant memoranda are as follows:
- May 21, 2012, memorandum from Tony Furst on the subject of Roadside Safety Hardware - Federal-Aid Reimbursement Eligibility Process and related Frequently Asked Questions. The memo establishes that states can certify that roadside safety hardware has been tested by an accredited crash test laboratory and meets MASH criteria and can thus be eligible for reimbursement.
- January 7, 2016, memorandum from Thomas Everett on the subject of . The memo discusses the agreement between AASHTO and FHWA that requires all new installations of safety hardware on the NHS to be evaluated using the 2016 edition of MASH.
- The AASHTO/FHWA Joint Policy Resolution PR-1-23 effectively ended the 2016 AASHTO/FHWA Joint Implementation Agreement.