Crash cushion and method of utilizing a crash cushion

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the invention, a crash cushion includes an energy-absorbing structure disposed between a pair of guardrails, in which each guardrail has one or more tension cables coupled between upstream and downstream ends of the guardrail. The guardrails are coupled at their upstream ends to a first support, which may be a slipbase post, and coupled at their downstream ends to a second support, which may be a vertical structure such as a utility pole.

1 . A crash cushion, comprising: 
 an energy-absorbing structure disposed between a pair of guardrails;    each guardrail having one or more tension cables coupled between upstream and downstream ends of the guardrail; and    the guardrails coupled at their upstream ends to a first support and coupled at their downstream ends to a second support.    
     
     
         2 . The crash cushion of  claim 1 , wherein the guardrails comprise thrie beams.  
     
     
         3 . The crash cushion of  claim 1 , wherein the energy-absorbing structure comprises Z-tubes that are suspended from the tension cables.  
     
     
         4 . The crash cushion of  claim 1 , wherein the energy-absorbing structure comprises a guardrail extruder terminal.  
     
     
         5 . The crash cushion of  claim 1 , wherein the first support is a slipbase post.  
     
     
         6 . The crash cushion of  claim 5 , wherein the slipbase post comprises: 
 a first vertical member coupled to a base plate;    a horizontal member coupled to the first vertical member and extending in a direction towards the upstream ends of the guardrails; and    a second vertical member coupled at a lower end to the horizontal member and coupled at a second end to the upstream ends of the guardrails, whereby the first vertical member decouples from the base plate as a result of a longitudinal force applied to the crash cushion and applies a torque to the base plate as a result of a lateral force applied to one of the guardrails.    
     
     
         7 . The crash cushion of  claim 1 , wherein the second support comprises a vertical structure.  
     
     
         8 . The crash cushion of  claim 7 , wherein the vertical structure is a utility pole.  
     
     
         9 . The crash cushion of  claim 1 , further comprising an anti-side penetration device coupled adjacent the upstream ends of the guardrails.  
     
     
         10 . A slipbase post, comprising: 
 a first vertical member coupled to a base plate embedded in the ground;    a horizontal member coupled to the first vertical member and extending toward the front end of the energy-absorbing structure; and    a second vertical member coupled at a lower end to the horizontal member and coupled at a second end to the upstream ends of the guardrails, whereby the first vertical member decouples from the base plate as a result of a longitudinal force applied to the crash cushion and applies a torque to the base plate as a result of a lateral force applied to one of the guardrails.    
     
     
         11 . The slipbase post of  claim 10 , wherein the base plate is coupled to a concrete footing with one or more anchor bolts.  
     
     
         12 . The slipbase post of  claim 10 , wherein the base plate is coupled to the ground with one or more posts.  
     
     
         13 . The slipbase post of  claim 10 , further comprising a slipbase configured to couple the first vertical member to the base plate, the slipbase having a plurality of notched slots adapted to allow slippage as a result of the longitudinal force and prevent slippage as a result of the lateral force.  
     
     
         14 . The slipbase post of  claim 10 , wherein the first vertical member, the horizontal member, and the second vertical member are formed from circular tubes.  
     
     
         15 . The slipbase post of  claim 10 , further comprising a first vertical plate configured to couple the second end of the second vertical member to the upstream ends of the guardrails.  
     
     
         16 . The slipbase post of  claim 15 , further comprising a second vertical plate configured to couple the second end of the second vertical member to an anti-side penetration device.  
     
     
         17 . A crash cushion, comprising: 
 an energy-absorbing structure disposed between a pair of thrie beams, the thrie beams being curved such that their concave sides face each other;    each thrie beam having one or more tension cables coupled between upstream and downstream ends of the concave side of the thrie beam;    the thrie beams coupled at their upstream ends to a slipbase post and coupled at their downstream ends to a vertical structure; and    an anti-side penetration device coupled adjacent the upstream ends of the thrie beams.    
     
     
         18 . The crash cushion of  claim 17 , wherein the energy-absorbing structure comprises Z-tubes that are suspended from the tension cables.  
     
     
         19 . The crash cushion of  claim 17 , wherein the vertical structure comprises a utility pole.  
     
     
         20 . The crash cushion of  claim 17 , wherein the slipbase post comprises: 
 a first vertical member coupled to a base plate;    a horizontal member coupled to the first vertical member and extending in a direction towards the anti-side penetration device; and    a second vertical member coupled at a lower end to the horizontal member and coupled at a second end to the upstream ends of the thrie beams, whereby the first vertical member decouples from the base plate as a result of a longitudinal force applied to the anti-side penetration device and applies a torque to the base plate as a result of a lateral force applied to one of the thrie beams.