Coiled containment guardrail system and terminal

Abstract

Various embodiments for a coiled containment guardrail system and terminal are described. A guardrail system can include a terminal head configured for placement at a distal end of a guardrail beam, where the terminal head includes a canister having a hollow interior and an impact surface. A chute can be coupled to the terminal head, where the chute is configured to guide a guardrail beam into the terminal head in response to an impact being experienced at the impact surface. The terminal head may further include a flattening device coupled to the chute configured to flatten the guardrail beam in response to the impact being experienced at the terminal head. The canister can be configured to coil and store the guardrail beam as flattened by the flattening device in the hollow interior of the canister.

Therefore, the following is claimed: 
     
         1 . A guardrail system, comprising:
 a terminal head configured for placement at a distal end of a guardrail beam, the terminal head comprising a canister having a hollow interior and an impact surface;   a chute coupled to the terminal head, the chute being configured to guide at least a portion of the guardrail beam into the terminal head in response to a vehicular impact being experienced at the impact surface;   the terminal head further comprising a guardrail deforming device coupled to the chute, the guardrail deforming device being configured to deform the guardrail beam in response to the impact being experienced at the terminal head; and   wherein an arrangement of the chute and the canister directs the guardrail beam as deformed by the flattening device into the hollow interior of the canister in response to the vehicular impact being experienced at the terminal head.   
     
     
         2 . The guardrail system of  claim 1 , further comprising the guardrail beam, the guardrail beam horizontally extending and mounted on a plurality of posts to suspend the guardrail beam from above a ground surface. 
     
     
         3 . The guardrail system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the guardrail deforming device comprises a squeezer section and a flattening device positioned in the squeezer section, the flattening device being configured to flatten the guardrail using force received in response to the vehicular impact; and   the canister is sized and positioned to cause the guardrail beam as flattened to coil as the guardrail beam is introduced into the hollow interior of the canister.   
     
     
         4 . The guardrail system of  claim 3 , wherein the canister is configured to open in response to a predetermined amount of force being applied by the guardrail beam as coiled in the hollow interior of the canister. 
     
     
         5 . The guardrail system of  claim 1 , further comprising a cable anchored to the ground upstream of the terminal head, directed through the terminal head, and fixed along a length of the guardrail beam, wherein the cable is positioned to impose tension on the guardrail throughout the vehicular impact. 
     
     
         6 . The guardrail system of  claim 5 , wherein the cable is fixed along the length of the guardrail beam using at least one cable coupling mechanism. 
     
     
         7 . The guardrail system of  claim 6 , further comprising a cutting plate positioned in an interior of the chute, the cutting plate being configured to remove the at least one cable coupling mechanism from a portion of the guardrail beam prior to the portion of the guardrail beam being introduced into the flattening device. 
     
     
         8 . The guardrail system of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one cable coupling mechanism is at least one U-bolt. 
     
     
         9 . The guardrail system of  claim 1 , wherein the terminal head further comprises a crash cushion. 
     
     
         10 . The guardrail system of  claim 1 , further comprising a terminal head post and a terminal head coupling member, the terminal head post being coupled to the terminal head coupling member and positioned underneath a front portion of the terminal head, the terminal head coupling member being configured to intentionally deform in response to the vehicular impact and cause the terminal head to break away from the terminal head post. 
     
     
         11 . A method, comprising:
 providing a guardrail system, the guardrail system comprising:
 a terminal head configured for placement at a distal end of a guardrail beam, the terminal head comprising a canister having a hollow interior and an impact surface; 
 a chute coupled to the terminal head, the chute being configured to guide at least a portion of the guardrail beam into the terminal head in response to a vehicular impact being experienced at the impact surface; 
 wherein the terminal head further comprises a guardrail deforming device coupled to the chute, the guardrail deforming device being configured to deform the guardrail beam in response to the impact being experienced at the terminal head; and 
 wherein the canister is configured to store the guardrail beam as deformed by the flattening device in the hollow interior of the canister in response to the vehicular impact being experienced at the terminal head. 
   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 installing a guardrail beam raised from a ground surface using a plurality of posts positioned along the guardrail beam; and   installing the guardrail system by positioning the guardrail system along a road such that impact surface of the terminal head is facing oncoming traffic.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the guardrail deforming device comprises a flattening device, the flattening device being configured to flatten the guardrail using force received in response to the vehicular impact; and   the canister is sized and positioned to cause the guardrail beam as flattened to coil as the guardrail beam is introduced into the hollow interior of the canister.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the canister is configured to open in response to a predetermined amount of force being applied by the guardrail beam as coiled in the hollow interior of the canister. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising positioning a cable anchored to the ground upstream of the terminal head, directed through the terminal head, and fixed along a length of the guardrail beam, wherein the cable as positioned imposes tension on the guardrail throughout the vehicular impact to prevent buckling, the cable being fixed along the length of the guardrail beam using at least one cable coupling mechanism.