STATE OF CALIFORNIA Attachment 2 Technical Specification 9706-TS-0328418-1a Main Line Guardrail Parts Event ID: 0000039836

Walters, M Page 1 of 8 9/30/2026

Table of Contents

1. Scope

2. Regulations, Codes, and Standards

2.1 Regulations and Codes

2.2 Standards

3. Requirements

3.1 General Requirements

3.2 Individual Part Requirements

4. Acronyms

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1. Scope This technical specification establishes the minimum requirements for many of the main line guardrail parts used by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) when repairing metal guardrail systems on California’s highway and freeway systems.

Caltrans is in the process of transitioning the metal guardrail systems on California’s highways and freeways from NCHRP 350-compliant to MASH-compliant systems. As such, most of the main line guardrail parts covered by this specification must be compatible with MASH-compliant guardrail systems. However, to support the transition, this specification includes some main line guardrail parts that must be compatible with NCHRP 350-compliant systems.

While highways typically require a minimum MASH test level compliance of TL-2 and freeways a minimum compliance of TL-3, MASH-related parts in this specification must be compatible with guardrail systems rated for TL-3.

The scope of parts covered by this specification includes most main line guardrail parts, including non-proprietary end sections and terminal guardrail transitions. However, the scope excludes proprietary guardrail end treatment systems, which are covered by a different contract.

2. Regulations, Codes, and Standards The regulations, codes, standards, and specifications referenced in this document in effect on the opening of the Invitation for Bid (IFB) form a part of this specification. The products covered by this specification shall comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and industry standards including, but not limited to, the following:

2.1 Regulations and Codes

2.1.1 23 CFR Part 625 (Design Standards for Highways)

2.1.2 23 CFR Part 635 (Construction and Maintenance)

2.1.3 FHWA’s crashworthiness requirement to comply with MASH testing

2.2 Standards

2.2.1 Industry Standards

Crash Test Standards:

2.2.1.1 MASH

2.2.1.2 NCHRP 350

AASHTO Construction Material/Product Standards:

2.2.1.3 AASHTO M 168 (Standard Specification for Wood Products)

2.2.1.4 AASHTO M 180 (Standard Specification for Steel Components for

Highway Guardrail)

Welding Standards:

2.2.1.5 AWS D1.1 (Structural Welding Code-Steel)

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Material Standards (Steel & Structural Shapes):

2.2.1.6 ASTM A36 (Standard Specification for Carbon Structural Steel)

2.2.1.7 ASTM A500 (Standard Specification for Cold-Formed Welded and

Seamless Carbon Steel Structural Tubing in Rounds and Shapes)

2.2.1.8 ASTM A501 (Standard Specification for Hot-Formed Welded and

Seamless Carbon Steel Structural Tubing)

2.2.1.9 ASTM A1085 (Standard Specification for Cold-Formed Welded Carbon

Steel Hollow Structural Sections (HSS))

Hardware Standards (Bolts, Nuts, Washers):

2.2.1.10 ASTM A307 (Standard Specification for Carbon Steel Bolts, Studs, and

Threaded Rod…)

2.2.1.11 ASTM F436 (Standard Specification for Hardened Steel Washers...)

2.2.1.12 ASTM A449 (Standard Specification for Hex Cap Screws, Bolts and

Studs, Steel, Heat Treated,…)

2.2.1.13 ASTM A563 (Standard Specification for Carbon and Alloy Steel Nuts...)

2.2.1.14 ASTM F3125 (Standard Specification for High Strength Structural Bolts and Assemblies, Steel and Alloy Steel, Heat Treated, ...)

Metal Coating & Finish Standards:

2.2.1.15 ASTM A123 (Standard Specification for Zinc (Hot-Dip Galvanized)

Coatings on Iron and Steel Products)

2.2.1.16 ASTM A153 (Standard Specification for Zinc Coating (Hot-Dip) on Iron and Steel Hardware)

Polymer / Plastic Material & Testing Standards:

2.2.1.17 ASTM D570 (Standard Test Method for Water Absorption of Plastics)

2.2.1.18 ASTM D635 (Standard Test Method for Rate of Burning and/or Extent and Time of Burning of Plastics in a Horizontal Position)

2.2.1.19 ASTM D638 (Standard Test Method for Tensile Properties of Plastics)

2.2.2 Caltrans’ Traffic Safety Systems Manual

2.2.3 2025 Caltrans Standard Plans

A77 (Midwest Guardrail System (MGS)):

2.2.3.1 A77L1 (MGS - Standard Railing Section (Wood Post with Wood Block))

2.2.3.2 A77M1 (MGS - Standard Hardware)

2.2.3.3 A77N1 (MGS - Wood Post and Wood Block Details)

2.2.3.4 A77N2 (MGS - Steel Post and Block Details)

2.2.3.5 A77T1 (Metal Railing End Anchor Assembly (Type CA))

2.2.3.6 A77T3 (MGS - Buried Post End Anchor (Type B-S))

A78 (Thrie Beam Barrier System):

2.2.3.7 A78M1 (Thrie Beam Barrier (Type M) - Standard Barrier Railing

Section)

2.2.3.8 A78M2 (Thrie Beam Barrier (Type M) - Standard Hardware Details)

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2.2.3.9 A78M3 (Thrie Beam Barrier (Type M) - Post and Block Details)

A79 (Transitions):

2.2.3.10 A79A1 (Transition Railing (Type AGT))

2.2.3.11 A79A3 (Transition Railing (Type AGT) Details)

2.2.3.12 A79B1 (Transition Railing (Type AGT) to Bridge Railings without

Sidewalks)

2.2.4 Caltrans Standard Specifications Sections 83-1 (General) and 83-2 (Metal Railings and Barriers), along with any section referenced by these sections

3. Requirements This section provides the technical requirements for parts required to repair main line guardrails on California’s highway and freeway systems. Parts for guardrail end treatment systems are not covered by this specification.

The technical requirements for the main line guardrail parts covered by this technical specification are spread across three (3) documents. Parts shall meet the requirements in all the documents.

These documents are as follows:

• 9706-TS-0328418-1a_MainTechSpecs (the current document) o Covers general requirements that apply to multiple part categories and/or parts.

o Lists the part categories in scope.

o Identifies the tabs in 9706-TS-0328418-1b_CorePartRqmts that contain the core technical requirements for the parts in each category.

• 9706-TS-0328418-1b_CorePartRqmts o Groups parts into tabs in a spreadsheet workbook using the same categorization scheme used in this current document.

o Includes a “Generic Image” of each part to help describe the given part. Note: these images are not the actual images of the parts.

o Lists the core technical requirements for each part in table(s) on each tab.

o For each part, identifies the associated drawing(s) in 9706-TS-0328418-1c_Dwgs.

When there isn’t an existing drawing for a given part, and a part drawing is not necessary, the table may refer to a “general system drawing” in 9706-TS-0328418- 1c_Dwgs that shows how the part will be used.

o All the columns in some tables may have the same data for different part records – except for the column titled “Drawing(s)”. In these cases, the difference between the parts relates to dimensions, the placement of pre-drilled holes, etc - which are only covered in the drawings.

• 9706-TS-0328418-1c_Dwgs o Contains part drawings that provide dimensions, the placement of pre-drilled holes, and other requirements that parts shall meet.

Walters, M Page 5 of 8 9/30/2026 o Most part drawings are covered by Caltrans’ 2025 Standard Plans sheets. When a part drawing is necessary but isn’t part of an existing 2025 Standard Plan sheet, the drawing has either been pulled from historical Standard Plan sheet(s) or created and placed on its own sheet near the end of 9706-TS-0328418-1c_Dwgs. These sheets are titled, “Supplemental 01” - “Supplemental nn”.

o When there are multiple drawings on a page, the applicable drawing(s) have been highlighted and tagged with “Drawing Callout #s” (which are referenced in the tables in 9706-TS-0328418-1b_CorePartRqmts).

o Applicable “part drawings” are highlighted with blue boxes and tags. Applicable “general system drawings” are highlighted with fuchsia boxes and tags.

3.1 General Requirements

3.1.1 All parts used in MASH-compliant metal guardrail systems shall be compatible with systems rated at MASH TL-3. All parts used in NCHRP 350-compliant metal guardrail systems shall be compatible with systems that meet NCHRP 350 test requirements.

3.1.2 Each type of plastic block shall have an FHWA Eligibility Letter. For MASH-compliant blocks, the letter shall confirm the given type of block meets MASH TL-3 requirements. For NCHRP 350-compliant blocks, the letter shall confirm the given type of block meets NCHRP 350 requirements.

3.1.3 Welding shall comply with AWS D1.1, including grinding welds on exposed surfaces flush with the adjacent surfaces.

3.1.4 Workmanship for steel components and hardware shall be equivalent to good commercial practice. Edges, bolt holes, and surfaces shall be free of torn metal, burrs, sharp edges, and protrusions.

3.1.5 All completed metal parts shall be hot-dip galvanized. Specific galvanization requirements for each metal part are provided in the corresponding tables in 9706- TS-0328418-1b_CorePartRqmts.

3.1.6 After galvanizing, barrier elements shall be free of fins, abrasions, rough or sharp edges, and other surface defects and shall not be kinked, twisted, or bent.

3.1.7 All wood parts shall comply with Section 83-2.02B(1)(c) (Wood Posts and Blocks) of the Caltrans 2025 Standard Specifications. Note: the Caltrans 2025 Standard Specifications can be found at: https://dot.ca.gov/programs/design/2025-ccs-standard-plans-and-standard-specifications.

3.1.8 All metal parts on the following tabs of the Core Parts Requirements workbook (9706-TS-0328418-1b_CorePartRqmts) shall be made with at least 10% PCRC:

3.1.8.1 3.2.1 - Guardrail Elements

3.1.8.2 3.2.4 - Posts (Note: this requirement only applies to the steel posts on this tab).

https://dot.ca.gov/programs/design/2025-ccs-standard-plans-and-standard-specifications https://dot.ca.gov/programs/design/2025-ccs-standard-plans-and-standard-specifications

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3.1.9 Parts shall have the following quality assurance documentation. Certificates shall be made available upon request.

Level of Rigor Part Types

Required Types of Quality Assurance Information Sample Certificates

Most rigorous

• Guardrail Elements

• Inline Guardrail

Transition and Connection Elements

• End Sections and Terminal Guardrail Transitions

• Galvanized Steel Posts

• HS Backing Plates and HS Square Washers

• Galvanized Metal Sleeves (HSSs)

• Traceability (Steel Production;

Galvanization Batch)

• Conformance to requirements

• Mill Certificates (Mill Test Reports)

• Coating Certificates

• Certificates of Compliance / Conformance

Most rigorous

• Pressure Treated Wood Posts

• Pressure Treated Wood Blocks

• Traceability (Pressure Treatment Batch)

• Conformance to requirements

• Treatment Certificates

• Certificates of Compliance / Conformance

Moderately rigorous

Recycled Structural Plastic Composite or HDPE Blocks.

Conformance to requirements

• Material Composition Certification

• Physical Property / Mechanical Test Certificates

• Certificates of Compliance / Conformance

Least Rigorous

Commodity Hardware (Bolts; Washers - Round and non-HS Square; non-HS Plates; Nuts).

Conformance to requirements

Certificates of Compliance / Conformance

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3.2 Individual Part Requirements

The following list outlines the main line guardrail part categories and the tab in 9706-TS- 0328418-1b_CorePartRqmts that contains the core main line guardrail parts requirements.

Each part record in 9706-TS-0328418-1b_CorePartRqmts will point to an associated drawing in 9706-TS-0328418-1c_Dwgs.

3.2.1 Guardrail Elements: Tab "3.2.1 Guardrail Elements"

3.2.2 Inline Guardrail Transition and Connection Elements: Tab "3.2.2 Inline

Guardrail Trans..."

3.2.3 End Sections and Terminal Guardrail Transitions: Tab "3.2.3 End Sections and

Termi..."

3.2.4 Posts: Tab "3.2.4 Posts"

3.2.5 Blocks: Tab "3.2.5 Blocks"

3.2.6 Bolts: Tab "3.2.6 Bolts"

3.2.7 Washers and Plates: Tab "3.2.7 Washers and Plates"

3.2.8 Nuts: Tab "3.2.8 Nuts"

3.2.9 Miscellaneous Components: Tab "3.2.9 Miscellaneous Components"

4. Acronyms o AASHTO: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials o ASTM: American Society for Testing and Materials o AWS: American Welding Society o CFR: Code of Federal Regulations o FHWA: Federal Highway Administration o HDPE: High Density Polyethylene o HS: High Strength o HSS: Hollow Structural Section o MASH: Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware o MGS: Midwest Guardrail System o NCHRP: National Cooperative Highway Research Program o PCRC: Post-Consumer Recycled Content o SABRC: California State Agency Buy Recycled Campaign o TL: Test Level

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Revision History Version Date Summary of Changes Updated by N/A 9/30/2026 Initial Release M.Walters

2.2.4 Caltrans Standard Specifications Sections 83-1 (General) and 83-2 (Metal Railings and Barriers), along with any section referenced by these sections

3.1.9 Parts shall have the following quality assurance documentation. Certificates shall be made available upon request.

4. Acronyms