Patent ID: 8807536
Filing Date: 2014-08-19
Classification: E01F

Abstract:
1. A roadway guardrail system comprising: a support post, wherein the support post comprises contact surfaces, a first end disposed at an upper portion of the support post, a longitudinally extending slot in the upper portion of the support post between the contact surfaces, a second end disposed at a lower portion of the support post and a longitudinal axis extending between the first end and the second end; a rail having a mounting aperture, wherein the rail is operatively coupled to the support post; a fastener operatively coupling the rail to the support post through the mounting aperture and the longitudinally extending slot; a reinforcing member with an aperture therethrough for accepting the fastener, wherein the reinforcing member is located between the rail and the support post, and wherein the reinforcing member is operatively coupled to the rail and the support post by the fastener, and the reinforcing member contacts the contact surfaces of the post; wherein the rail, the fastener, and the reinforcing member are configured to, in response to a collision with the rail, move in an upward direction relative to the support post to dissipate energy from the collision as the reinforcing member slides along the contact surfaces of the support post and the fastener slides within the longitudinally extending slot; and wherein after a predetermined upper movement an end of the longitudinally extending slot of the support post inhibits the upper movement of the rail, the fastener, and the reinforcing member to further dissipate energy from the collision as the fastener contacts a portion of the end of the longitudinally extending slot of the support post.