One-piece metal plate foundation with integral offset plate for guardrails and other structures and guardrail system utilizing same

A guardrail system comprising:

• A plurality of one-piece guardrail supporting posts, each one-piece post formed from a one piece metal plate and including;
• i) A main plate body extending the longitudinal length of the one-piece post from a top to a bottom of the one-piece post;
• ii) A single rear flange extending at an angle from at least a longitudinal portion of the main plate body in a first direction at a rear edge of the main plate body and not extending beyond the main plate body in a direction opposite the first direction;
• iii) A single front flange extending at an angle from a longitudinal portion of the main plate body in a direction opposite the first direction at a front edge of the main plate body and not extending beyond the main plate body in the first direction;
• iv) An integral offset spacing plate extending from the front edge of the main plate body above the front flange and extending laterally forward of the front flange and with no mechanical fasteners coupling the offset spacing plate to the main plate body;
• and
• v) A single mounting flange extending at an angle in one direction from at least a longitudinal portion of the offset spacing plate at a front edge of the offset spacing plate and not extending beyond the offset spacing plate in a direction opposite the one direction;
• and
• at least one guardrail section secured to each mounting flange of each guardrail supporting post.

A one-piece plate foundation formed from a one piece metal plate and comprising:

• A main plate body extending the longitudinal length of the foundation from a top to a bottom of the foundation;
• A single rear flange extending from at least a longitudinal portion of the main plate body in a first direction at a rear edge of the main plate body and not extending beyond the main plate body in a direction opposite the first direction;
• A single front flange extending at an angle from a longitudinal portion of the main plate body in a direction opposite the first direction at a front edge of the main plate body and not extending beyond the main plate body in the first direction, wherein the front flange is substantially parallel to the rear flange;
• An integral offset spacing plate extending from the front edge of the main plate body above the front flange and extending laterally forward of the front flange and with no mechanical fasteners coupling the offset spacing plate to the main plate body;
• and
• A single mounting flange extending at an angle in one direction from at least a longitudinal portion of the offset spacing plate at a front edge of the offset spacing plate and not extending beyond the offset spacing plate in a direction opposite the one direction.