Standards Guide · ASTM
The test method that governs vehicle barrier crash ratings today — how the designations are built, what a conforming test requires, and how to read the report behind the rating.
The DOS standard certified one scenario: a 15,000 lb truck, three speeds, pass or fail. By the mid-2000s that was too narrow. Facilities faced threats from sedans and pickups, not only medium trucks; agencies beyond State needed ratings; and the pass/fail format hid useful engineering information. ASTM F2656, first published in 2007, answered all three: multiple vehicle classes, a public test method any accredited lab can run, and a reported penetration class instead of a buried number.
An F2656 rating has two halves. The condition designation couples a test vehicle class with a nominal impact speed:
| Class | Vehicle | Test Weight | Designations |
|---|---|---|---|
| SC | Small passenger car | 2,430 lb (1,100 kg) | SC40 – SC60 |
| PU | Pickup truck | 5,070 lb (2,300 kg) | PU40 – PU60 |
| M | Medium-duty truck | 15,000 lb (6,800 kg) | M30 / M40 / M50 |
| H | Heavy goods vehicle | 65,000 lb (29,500 kg) | H30 / H40 / H50 |
The penetration rating is the measured result. It is taken dynamically — the farthest point reached during the impact, not where the wreck comes to rest — from the leading edge of the cargo bed to the pre-impact attack face of the barrier:
| Rating | Dynamic Penetration | Practical Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| P1 | ≤ 1 m (3.3 ft) | The payload effectively stops at the line. The only class comparable to a legacy K certification. |
| P2 | 1.01 – 7 m (3.31 – 23.0 ft) | Up to seven meters of intrusion. Standoff must absorb it. |
| P3 | 7.01 – 30 m (23.1 – 98.4 ft) | Up to thirty meters. A P3 barrier defends a line thirty meters behind itself. |
| P4 | > 30 m (98.4 ft) | Not effectively arrested. Removed from the standard in the 2015 revision — a datasheet quoting P4 today is quoting a dead class. |
The rating is a summary; the report is the certification. A conforming report identifies the exact test article and its as-tested configuration: foundation dimensions, reinforcement, embedment, spacing between units, soil or slab condition, and for active barriers the state of the barrier at impact. Every one of those is part of the rating. Before accepting a submittal, confirm: