Metal beam rail terminal

Abstract

The invention features a new and improved safety treatment for rails, such as a highway guardrail or barrier, which through compression of elongated segments of a telescoping terminal dissipates energy from vehicle impacts approaching from substantially upstream of the rail and reduce the hazard of "spearing." The impact energy is resisted by frictional and, in preferred embodiments, mechanical compression by a smaller segment of a filler disposed within a larger segment. In some embodiments, the invention further provides a nose piece to further reduce the spearing effect.