CIVN3027A – TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING

GEOMETRIC DESIGN OF ROADS – VERTICAL ALIGNMENT

Dr. Imuentinyan Aivinhenyo

School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Learning objectives

 To understand the various elements of a road alignment.

 To understand the properties of vertical curves

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Components of a road alignment

Vertical
(change in grade)

tangent
Horizontal
(change in direction) tangent

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Components of road alignment
Road alignment is composed of vertical and horizontal alignment.

 Vertical alignment
 Straight highway grades (tangents) and parabolic curves that connect these grades in a
vertical plane.

 Horizontal alignment
 Straight sections of the roadway (tangents) and the circular curves that connect their
change in direction in the horizontal plane.
Road design controls, in particular design speed of vehicles, play an important role.

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Source: CSIR Guidelines for human settlement planning and design
Components of a road alignment

tangent
circular curve
Horizontal Alignment

tangent
Plan View

Vertical Alignment tangent tangent

parabolic curve

Profile View / long section

 Coordination of vertical and horizontal alignment is very important

 Proper balancing of the grades of the tangents with curvatures of the horizontal curves
 Wrong: a horizontal curve with a large radius at the expense of a steep or long grade

 The location of horizontal and vertical curves with respect to each other.
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 Wrong: a sharp horizontal curve placed at or near the top of a vertical curve
Implications of poor alignment design!

 A poorly designed alignment can create serious hazards on high-

speed roads.

 Road alignments, once designed and constructed, is difficult and

expensive to adjust. It must be done right the first time!

 Studies have shown that high proportion of fatal accidents on rural

roads happens at curves.

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Alignment curves

Horizontal Curve Vertical Curve

𝑢2
𝑅= y = y0 + (G1x) + 1/2(rx2)
𝑔(𝑓𝑠 + 𝑒)

Determine: curvature (radius and Determine: parabolic function

superelevation runoff) 7
Vertical alignment

 Definition:
Straight sections, known as grades or tangents,
connected by vertical (parabolic) curves.

 Design of vertical alignments involves:

- Selection of suitable grades for the tangent sections
- Defining the appropriate length of the vertical curve

 Sensitive to the topography to reduce the amount of

earthworks (cut and fill).

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Vertical alignment

 Vertical curves are used to provide a gradual change from one tangent
grade to another so that vehicles may run safe and smoothly as they
traverse the road.

 Vertical curves are classified as crest or sag curves

Crest Curve
G2<0 G3>0
G1>0 𝛾
G = tan(𝛾)

Sag Curve

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Vertical alignment: stationing

 The distance along a curve/road/route in surveying is often represented

by stationing. Stations are typically expressed in units of 100 meters or
units of 1000 meters, however sometimes – because the American
notation of 100 feet ≅ 30 meters – in units of 30 meters.

 For example a true running distance or stake value 626.57m along the
curve/road/route is expressed as:

 6+26.57 or (6+26.57) in the 100m system

 0+626.57 or (0+626.57) in the 1000m system

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Vertical alignment: stationing in vertical curve design

Example: crest vertical curve (centre line of the road)

offset Y
elevation y

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Symmetrical or equal-tangent vertical curves

 The vast majority of vertical curves are arranged such that half of the
curve length is positioned before PVI and half after, i.e. being
symmetrical with respect to point PVI.
 Hence named equal-tangent vertical curves.

 Alternative: unsymmetrical vertical curve (‘dog-leg’), e.g. in locations with issues of

vertical clearance, e.g. a canal, or in a mountainous area.

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 Properties of vertical curves (symmetrical curve)

PVC (Point of Vertical Curve)

G1
Example: sag vertical curve
G2
Y PVT (Point of
Tangent at PVC Ym
A Tangent at PVT Vertical Tangent)

L/2 PVI (Point of Vertical Intersection)

L/2
L
• L is the length of the vertical curve in the horizontal plane!
L= Station of PVT – Station of PVC
• G1 & G2 are the initial and final roadway grades expressed in % or m/m (positive /,
negative \). Change in grade (Algebraic difference): A = |G1 – G2|
• Y is the offset (vertical distance from curve to tangent) at any distance x from the
PVC.
• Mid-offset Ym, is the vertical distance from PVI to the middle of the curve (elevation
y) (when designing a symmetrical curve). 13
 Properties of vertical curves

PVC
G1
Sag vertical curve
G2
PVT
A

L/2 PVI
L/2
L
 Characterizing the curve:

 Rate of change of curvature: K = L / |A| (the so-called K-factor)

 K is the horizontal distance needed to make a 1% change in gradient

 Which is a gentler curve - small K or large K?

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 A gentler curve has a higher K value (either it is a longer curve, or the algebraic difference is smaller)
 Properties of vertical curves

PVC
G1
Sag vertical curve
G2
PVT
A

L/2 PVI
L/2
L

Characterizing the curve:

 Rate of change of grade: r = (G2 - G1) / L [%/m] where:

 G is the grade [%] (positive /, negative \)

 L is expressed in [m]

 r is constant along a symmetrical curve 15

 Properties of vertical curves

PVC y
G1 0
y Sag vertical curve
Y G2
PVT
A
Point T
PVI

L
x
x0

 Point elevation y [m]:

 y = y0 + (G1x)/100 + 1/200 (rx2)

 with G in [%], y in [m] is the elevation along the curve, y0 = elevation at the PVC
(meters), x = horizontal distance from PVC [m], r = rate of change of grade: (G2-G1)/L
[%/m]; (which is + for sag, - for crest curves)
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