Guardrail system to protect against hazards caused by objects at the edge of the road

Abstract

Guardrail system (1) for securing hazardous areas caused by objects (4) at the edge of the roadway, such as trees, poles or the like, with a guardrail arrangement (2) on the roadway side, which has a plurality of posts (21) that can be fixed on the ground and at least one guardrail (22) connecting the posts (21) together, wherein the guardrail system (1) further comprises at least one safety device (3) which, in addition to the guardrail arrangement (2) on the roadway side, is arranged sectionally in the area of ​​the object (4) forming a hazard point, wherein the safety device (3) has a greater resistance to deformation than the guardrail arrangement (2), characterized in that the safety device (3) is located on the side of the guardrail arrangement (2) facing away from the edge of the roadway, that the safety device (3) and the guardrail arrangement (2) are not connected to each other, and that deformation elements (23) are arranged on the side of the guardrail arrangement (2) facing the safety device (3), which are pressed against the safety device (3) and supported there in the event of a collision.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a guardrail system for securing dangerous areas caused by objects at the edge of the road, such as trees, masts or the like, according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] Such a guardrail system is known from DE 196 01 377 A1.

[0003] Such guardrail systems are used to secure roadways, with the particular aim of preventing a vehicle from leaving the roadway and crashing, for example, over an embankment or onto a bridge. These guardrail systems are particularly important when there are hazards at the edge of the road that pose an increased risk of accidents and frequently result in particularly serious accidents. This is particularly the case with trees or similar obstacles such as masts, etc., lining the edge of the road. Since such objects are often located directly at the edge of the road and cannot be removed for various reasons, such as environmental and nature conservation reasons in the case of plants, ensuring adequate protection is particularly problematic.

[0004] Conventional solutions primarily involve local reinforcement of the guardrail, as can be seen, for example, in EP 0 148 689 A1, DE 201 06 675 U1, and especially DE 10 2004 039 792 B4. However, this gives these known guardrail systems a relatively high deformation resistance at this hazardous location, resulting in particularly high stress loads for vehicle occupants upon impact with this protective device.

[0005] On the other hand, the design options in these areas are often very limited, as the hazardous objects are usually located close to the edge of the road, leaving little room for complex systems. In addition, park maintenance requires that no posts be driven into the ground next to a tree to prevent damage to the tree roots. This also further limits the design options.

[0006] The invention is therefore based on the object of providing an improved guardrail system for securing such danger points caused by objects at the edge of the road, with which in particular the load on vehicle occupants in the event of an impact is lower than in the prior art when the objects are very close to the edge of the road.

[0007] This object is achieved by a guardrail system having the features of claim 1. This is characterized in particular in that the guardrail system further comprises at least one safeguarding device which, in addition to the roadway-side guardrail arrangement, is arranged in sections in the region of the object forming a hazard point, wherein the safeguarding device is present on the side of the guardrail arrangement facing away from the roadway edge, that the safeguarding device and the guardrail arrangement are not connected to one another, and that the safeguarding device has a greater deformation resistance than the guardrail arrangement.

[0008] The present invention thus provides, for the first time, for two unconnected restraint systems to be arranged at such a hazardous location. These systems therefore initially operate independently of each other, which allows their behavior in absorbing impact energy to be particularly well adjusted.

[0009] A particular advantage here is that the safety device has greater deformation resistance than the guardrail arrangement. Due to the comparatively low deformation resistance of the roadside guardrail arrangement, the load on vehicle occupants in the event of an impact is relatively low. Furthermore, the guardrail typically diverts force away from the hazard area. In many accident scenarios, this allows personal injuries to be kept to a minimum.

[0010] Only in the event of a more severe impact does the greater deformation resistance of the safety device come into play and ultimately prevents the even more unfavorable course of an accident such as a direct impact with a tree, etc. This provides even better protection for the vehicle occupants.

[0011] Since the roadway-side guardrail arrangement rests on the safety device in sections near the hazard area in the event of a collision, posts for the guardrail can be omitted or a larger post spacing can be implemented. This makes it possible, for example, to protect the roots of a tree.

[0012] Furthermore, the guardrail system according to the invention allows the additional safety device to be locally limited to a hazard location, so that the occupant load for impacting vehicles is also only increased locally at the hazard location compared to a continuous guardrail, and the provision and installation costs can be kept to a minimum. Furthermore, it can be positioned relatively variably, for example, if there are impact obstacles such as roots or the like. Furthermore, in curves, the less rigid roadside guardrail arrangement can be adapted to the curve radius, while the rigid safety device can be installed straight by separating the two systems.

[0013] A further advantage is that, when several obstacles are arranged in a row, the safety barrier can be dimensioned and positioned variably and is not tied to the usual grid of guardrails installed in sections. Conversely, the roadside guardrail arrangement can also be designed independently of the safety barrier and can be constructed in a conventional, continuous manner.

[0014] The guardrail system according to the invention thus enables improved protection for the occupants of accident vehicles, particularly in the area of ​​hazards caused by trees, masts, or the like, with comparatively low design, assembly, and financial expenditure. Furthermore, it fully functions even in confined spaces and, in particular, allows for impact severity levels A between the hazards and B directly in the area of ​​the hazards.

[0015] According to the invention, deformation elements are further arranged on the side of the guardrail arrangement facing the safety device, which are pressed against the safety device in the event of a collision and supported there, so that a particularly favorable impact absorption behavior of the guardrail system according to the invention can be achieved. In the event of a collision, these deformation elements are supported on the safety device, so that following the elastic and plastic deformation work in the deformation elements, the effect of the safety device itself comes into effect. This enables a relatively soft absorption of the forces in a kind of first stage of the impact, while in a second stage of the impact, a greater supporting effect is achieved, so that the tree or mast or the like is reliably covered and the vehicle is generally guided away from such an obstacle.

[0016] Furthermore, the deformation elements can have a substantially circular cross-section. Deformation elements are known, for example, from the aforementioned DE 196 01 377 A1 and have proven themselves in practice many times over. Their primary purpose, however, is to connect the guardrail to a supporting profile. They are also particularly suitable for absorbing impact energy, as they initially absorb it elastically and then plastically, thus dissipating it. It has proven particularly effective to install these deformation elements with an upright axis, as they then prevent the guardrail from deflecting upwards or downwards, regardless of the direction of impact.

[0017] Advantageous further developments of the guardrail system according to the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0018] If the safety device has a profile beam which points towards the guardrail of the guardrail arrangement and is fastened at the back to posts which can be fixed on the ground, it can be provided with particularly little construction effort and yet with the desired stability.

[0019] The posts of the safety device can be arranged at a predetermined lateral distance from the object forming the hazard. This is particularly useful for protecting tree roots. According to the invention, it is entirely possible to choose a lateral distance greater than 1.5 m from the tree, since a sufficiently stable design of the profile beam still allows for reliable support in this area.

[0020] The guardrail system according to the invention is explained in more detail below using exemplary embodiments based on the figures of the drawing. It shows: Fig. 1 a perspective view of a guardrail system according to the invention on an object acting as a hazard point; Fig. 1 a plan view of the guard rail system according to Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a sectional view through the arrangement in the area of ​​the object according to the section line AA in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 a sectional view of the guardrail system according to the invention along the section line BB in Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 a sectional view of the guardrail system according to the invention along the section line CC in Fig. 2.

[0021] According to the presentation in the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, a guardrail system 1 comprises a roadway-side guardrail arrangement 2 and a safety device 3, which is arranged on the side of the guardrail arrangement 2 facing away from the roadway. The safety device 3 is arranged in sections in the area in which an object 4 is located close to the edge of the roadway, which represents a hazard. In the example shown, this object 4 is the lower part of two adjacent masts, which are fixed to the ground in a concrete foundation (see FIG. Fig. 3).

[0022] The guardrail arrangement 2 comprises a plurality of posts 21 fixed to the ground. For this purpose, they are driven into a ground 5. The posts 21 support a guardrail 22 that extends along the edge of the roadway. The posts 21 have been omitted in the area of ​​the safety device 3; instead, there are several deformation elements 23 that have a substantially circular cross-section and are installed with an upright axis.

[0023] The safety device 3 comprises a profiled beam 31, which in the example shown has a central section running parallel to the guardrail 22 and two beveled end pieces at the opposite ends, which are tapered toward the guardrail 22. These tapered end pieces of the profiled beam 31 guide a vehicle even more reliably past the object 4 in the event of a collision. The profiled beam 31 is secured to the ground by several posts 32.

[0024] Fig. Figure 3 shows a cross-section of the situation directly at object 4. In front of object 4, the profile beam 31 runs parallel to the guardrail 22, with a deformation element 23 arranged between the profile beam 31 and the guardrail 22. The deformation element 23 is directly coupled to the guardrail 22. However, the profile beam 31 is not connected to the deformation element 23. These two elements are either directly adjacent to one another, or there is a small gap between them.

[0025] In the event of a collision, the impact energy is initially applied to the guardrail assembly 2, which is absorbed as far as possible by the guardrail 22 and the deformation element 23 through elastic and plastic deformation. However, as the deformation progresses, the deformation elements 23 increasingly support themselves on the profile beam 31.

[0026] Fig. Figure 4 shows a sectional view of the guardrail system 1 in the area adjacent to an object 4. This shows the profile beam 31, which is attached to a post 32. Furthermore, the guardrail 22 is again visible with a deformation element 23 attached around it. As already explained, the deformation elements 23 are not connected to the profile beam 31, but are merely adjacent to it.

[0027] Fig. 5 shows a section through the guardrail system 1 outside the area of ​​the safety device 3. This shows that the guardrail 22 is attached directly to a post 21 in this partial area.

[0028] In the example shown, the profile beam 31 has a rectangular cross-section and is constructed from solid steel. It is secured to the ground by four posts 32, which are positioned at a significant distance of more than 1.5 m from the object 4. Such a distance is particularly advantageous if the object 4 is a tree whose roots could be damaged when driving in the posts 32.

[0029] Likewise, the guardrail arrangement 2 does not have any posts 21 in the area of ​​the object 4, so that no damage to the root system may occur.

[0030] In addition to the embodiment explained, the invention allows for further embodiments.

[0031] Thus, the degree of deformation resistance of the safety device 3 relative to that of the guardrail arrangement 2 can be adjusted in such a way that a targeted and suitable coordination of the individual components and thus an excellent protective effect can be achieved. Depending on the application and specific traffic situation, suitable system settings can be created.

[0032] The object 4 described at the danger point can also be a tree, a boulder, or another obstacle. In particular, it is also possible for several such obstacles to be adjacent to one another and covered by a common safety device 3.

[0033] Furthermore, several such safety devices 3 can be provided along the guardrail arrangement 2 at regular or irregular intervals. This is appropriate, for example, in tree-lined avenues where trees are located at predetermined intervals along the roadside.

[0034] The safety device can also be designed in a different way than that shown, as long as it provides reliable support for the guardrail arrangement 2 at the danger point, but is still not connected to it. For example, the profiled beam 31 can also have a different cross-section and / or not contain beveled end pieces. Furthermore, it is not necessary for the safety device 3 to have a profiled beam; a solid material can also be used instead.

[0035] If the object 4 present as a hazard is not a tree or there is no risk of damage from the roots, the posts 32 of the safety device 3 can also be positioned closer to the object 4. For example, in the case of a mast, these posts could also be attached to its concrete foundation.

[0036] Instead of the deformation elements 23 shown with a circular cross-section, deformation elements with a polygonal cross-section and / or a different axial orientation can also be used. This is particularly useful if, in the event of a collision, the guardrail is intended to deflect upwards, for example, to more reliably prevent a vehicle from sliding over it.

Claims

[1] Guardrail system (1) for securing danger points caused by objects (4) at the edge of the road, such as trees, masts or the like, with a road-side guardrail arrangement (2) which has a plurality of posts (21) which can be fixed on the ground and at least one guardrail (22) connecting the posts (21) to one another, wherein the guardrail system (1) further comprises at least one securing device (3) which, in addition to the roadway-side guardrail arrangement (2), is arranged in sections in the region of the object (4) forming a hazard point, wherein the securing device (3) has a greater deformation resistance than the guardrail arrangement (2), characterized bythat the safety device (3) is present on the side of the guard rail arrangement (2) facing away from the edge of the roadway, that the safety device (3) and the guard rail arrangement (2) are not connected to one another, and that deformation elements (23) are arranged on the side of the guard rail arrangement (2) facing the safety device (3), which deformation elements are pressed against the safety device (3) and supported there in the event of a collision. [2] Guardrail system according to claim 1, characterized by that the deformation elements (23) have a substantially circular cross-section and are preferably installed with the axis oriented upright. [3] Guardrail system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the safety device (3) has a profile beam (31) which points towards the guardrail (22) of the guardrail arrangement (2) and is fastened at the rear to posts (32) which can be fixed on the ground. [4] Guardrail system according to claim 3, characterized by that the posts (32) of the safety device (3) are arranged at a predetermined lateral distance from the object (4) forming the danger point.

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