Guardrail beam with improved edge region and method of manufacture

• US 20020021937A1
• Filed: 01/02/2001
• Published: 02/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ICON Engineering, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ICON Engineering, Inc.
• Inventors: Ochoa, Carlos M.
• Granted Patent: US 6,533,249 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 404/6
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 15/0423 Details of rails E01F15/0415 takes precedence

Abstract

A guardrail beam for installation along a roadway is provided with a first or top edge region and a second or bottom edge region. A plurality of crowns may be disposed longitudinally along the guardrail beam between the first, top edge region and the second, bottom edge region. Each edge region preferably includes a first, edge flange and a second, slot flange with a plurality of splice bolt slots disposed therein. A radius between less than three-eighths of an inch and approximately one-sixteenth of an inch is preferably formed between each first, edge flange and adjacent second, slot flange. Also, each first, edge flange preferably extends at an angle between approximately twenty-five degrees and one hundred twenty-five degrees relative to the second, slot flange.

Claims

1. A guardrail beam for installation as part of a guardrail system extending along a roadway, comprising:

a first edge region and a second edge region with the second edge region spaced from and extending generally parallel with the first edge region;

a plurality of crowns disposed longitudinally along the guardrail beam between the first edge region and the second edge region;

each edge region defined in part by a respective first, edge flange and an adjacent second, slot flange;

each second, slot flange including a plurality of slots spaced longitudinally from each other and sized to allow splicing the guardrail beam with a standard heavy gauge metal W-beam;

a respective radius formed between each first, edge flange and the adjacent second, slot flange; and

each radius having a value between less than three-eighths of an inch and one-sixteenth of an inch.

2. The guardrail beam of claim 1, further comprising each first, edge flange extending from the adjacent second, slot flange at an angle having a value between approximately twenty-five degrees and one hundred twenty-five degrees.

3. The guardrail beam of claim 1 further comprising the angle between each first, edge flange and the adjacent second, slot flange having a value of approximately thirty degrees.

4. The guardrail beam of claim 1, further comprising at least two crowns disposed between the first edge region and the second edge region.

5. The guardrail beam of claim 1, further comprising three crowns disposed between the first edge region and the second edge region.

6. The guardrail beam of claim 1, further comprising the radius having a value of approximately three-sixteenths of an inch.

7. The guardrail beam of claim 1, further comprising:

each first, edge flange extending from the second, slot flange at an angle having a value between approximately thirty degrees and one hundred and twenty degrees; and

the value of each angle varying along the length of each edge region.

8. The guardrail beam of claim 1, further comprising a thickness having a value of t and each radius having a value equal to or less than approximately three times t.

9. The guardrail beam of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of splice bolt slots disposed within the guardrail beam wherein the splice bolt slots are configured to allow the guardrail beam to be installed in a conventional guardrail system.

10. The guardrail beam of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of post bolt slots disposed within the guardrail beam for attaching the guardrail beam to a plurality of support posts associated with a conventional guardrail system.

11. A guardrail beam for installation as part of a guardrail system extending along a roadway, comprising:

a first edge region and a second edge region with the second edge region spaced from and extending generally parallel with the first edge region;

a plurality of crowns disposed longitudinally along the guardrail beam between the first edge region and the second edge region;

each edge region defined in part by a respective first, edge flange and an adjacent second, slot flange;

each second, slot flange including a plurality of slots spaced longitudinally from each other and sized to allow splicing the guardrail beam with a standard heavy gauge metal W-beam;

a respective angle formed by each first, edge flange and the adjacent second, slot flange; and

each angle having a value between approximately twenty-five degrees and one hundred twenty-five degrees.

12. The guardrail beam of claim 11, further comprising each angle having a value of approximately thirty degrees.

13. The guardrail beam of claim 11, further comprising at least two crowns disposed between the first edge region and the second edge region.

14. The guardrail beam of claim 11, further comprising three crowns disposed between the first edge region and the second edge region.

15. The guardrail beam of claim 11, further comprising:

a respective radius formed between each, first edge flange and the adjacent second, slot flange; and

each radius having a value between less than three-eighths of an inch and approximately one-sixteenth of an inch.

16. The guardrail beam of claim 15, further comprising each radius having a value of approximately one-eighth of an inch.

18. The guardrail beam of claim 11, further comprising each angle having a value of approximately thirty degrees.

19. The guardrail beam of claim 11, further comprising at least two crowns disposed between the first edge region and the second edge region.

20. The guardrail beam of claim 11, further comprising three crowns disposed between the first edge region and the second edge region.

21. The guardrail beam of claim 11, further comprising each radius having a value of approximately three-sixteenth of an inch.

17. A guardrail system having a plurality of guardrail beams installed along a roadway, each guardrail beam comprising:

a first edge region and a second edge region with the second edge region spaced from and extending generally parallel with the first edge region;

a plurality of crowns disposed longitudinally along each guardrail beam between the respective first edge region and the second edge region;

each edge region defined in part by a respective first, edge flange and an adjacent second, slot flange;

each second, slot flange including a plurality of slots spaced longitudinally from each other and sized to allow splicing each guardrail beam with another guardrail beam;

a respective radius formed between each first, edge flange and the adjacent second, slot flange;

each radius having a value less than three-eighths of an inch; and

each first, edge flange extending from the adjacent second, slot flange at an angle having a value between approximately twenty-five degrees and one hundred twenty-five degrees.

22. A method for forming a guardrail beam for installation as a part of a guardrail system extending along a roadway, comprising:

forming a first edge region and a second edge region in a sheet of base material with the second edge region spaced from and extending generally parallel with the first edge region;

forming at least two crowns in the sheet of base material disposed between the first edge region and the second edge region with the crowns extending generally parallel with the first edge region and the second edge region;

forming each edge region with a respective first, edge flange and an adjacent second, slot flange with the second, slot flange extending generally parallel with the respective first, edge flange;

forming a plurality of slots in each second, slot flange with the slots spaced longitudinally from each other and sized to allow splicing the guardrail beam with a standard heavy gauge metal W-beam; and

forming a respective radius between each first, edge flange and the adjacent second, slot flange with each radius having a value which is equal to or less than approximately three and one-half times the thickness (t) of the sheet of base material.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising roll forming the guardrail beam.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising the sheet of base material formed from steel alloys used to form standard heavy gauge metal W-beams.

25. The method of claim 22 further comprising forming an angle between the first, edge flange and the adjacent second, slot flange having a value between approximately twenty-five degrees and one hundred twenty-five degrees.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising forming an angle having a value of approximately thirty degrees.

27. The method of claim 22 further comprising forming an angle between the first, edge flange and the second, edge flange having an angle which varies along the length of each respective edge region between a value of approximately twenty-five degrees and one hundred twenty-five degrees.

28. The method of claim 22 further comprising forming the respective radius between each first, edge flange and the adjacent second, slot flange with the value between less than three-eighths of an inch and approximately one-sixteenth of an inch.

29. The method of claim 22 further comprising the radius formed between each first edge flange and approximately the adjacent second slot flange having a value of approximately one-eighth of an inch.