A Growing Number of State Dots Approve J-J Hooks Mash-Tested Restrained Precast Safety Barriers for Highway Use


A favorite among highway engineers and DOTS, J-J Hooks restrained barriers are now being used on major roadway and bridge projects in more than 20 U.S. states



MIDLAND, Va. – The MASH-tested J-J Hooks anchored barrier has now been approved by more than 20 state Departments of Transportation with additional approvals anticipated in the near future, according to Easi-Set Worldwide. AASHTO's MASH document presents uniform federal guidelines for crash-testing permanent and temporary highway safety hardware and recommends evaluation criteria to assess test results.



In Washington, D.C., Balfour Beatty Construction is using 4,000 linear feet of J-J Hooks restrained barriers to seamlessly construct a tunnel over an active highway. According to Glenn Sullivan, Project Engineer, the job finds Balfour Beatty continually changing traffic configurations and adjusting the barrier positioning.



"Using J-J Hooks, we've been able to move the barriers with ease while also increasing production as we move into each new phase of construction," said Sullivan, who anticipates the addition of 2,500 more linear feet of barriers once additional tunnel work commences. "The J-J Hook is our preferred method because it allows for quick alteration of traffic patterns and helps to keep our workers protected out on the road."



In Shelocta, Pa., the Shelocta Bridge #1 Project is currently underway on Route 422, where J-J Hooks barriers are pinned on the approach to the bridge. Using 636 linear feet of installed barrier, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is reconstructing the aging bridge and relying on the barriers to direct traffic flow onto the structure.



"The 636 linear feet of MASH TL3-tested J-J Hooks barrier installed on the approach to this bridge is the first installation of our pinned barrier in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania," said Moffette Tharpe, Easi-Set Worldwide's Managing Director.



J-J Hooks MASH-tested restrained barrier was also recently installed (bolted) on bridges in Boston (the Larz Anderson Memorial Bridge in Cambridge) and New Castle, Del., (the U.S. 13 overpass at Baylor Blvd.). The precast barrier design easily met the demanding MASH-TL3 crash test requirements and sustained the industry's lowest permanent deflections in both the bolted and pinned test configurations.



Bolted installations require only two bolt assemblies for every 12-foot section (most precast barriers require three). The bolts can be removed to facilitate barrier removal after construction. Pinned installations incorporate steel rods that are driven down into the asphalt and then into the sub-base below. When combined with the widely recognized and successful J-J Hooks freestanding barrier tested to NCHRP 350 TL3 requirements, the new product provides state DOTs with an extremely cost-effective solution for a wide range of installation requirements.



J-J Hooks, North America's most successful, proprietary precast concrete temporary safety barrier connection, has an extensive history of success and currently exceeds 12 million linear feet of product delivered. Installed on highway construction projects and in security barrier applications nationwide, J-J Hooks are being delivered at an average pace of one million feet annually. J-J Hooks safety barriers are procured from multiple licensed producers through competitive bidding with other non-proprietary barriers.



One of Easi-Set Worldwide's newest J-J Hooks licensed producers is Nashville-based Sherman-Dixie, which operates 10 precast manufacturing facilities across the mid-south. "For over 50 years, Sherman-Dixie has been committed to producing the highest quality concrete products on the market," said Art Miles, President, Easi-Set Worldwide. "We're extremely pleased to have this company as a member of the Easi-Set family."

          

About Easi-Set Worldwide

Easi-Set® Worldwide, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Smith-Midland Corporation (DE), a publicly traded company (OTCQB: SMID), licenses the production and sale of proprietary precast products around the world. For more information on J-J Hooks or precast product licensing opportunities, please call (540) 439-8911 or visit www.jjhooks.com or www.EasiSet.com.



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