Cross Section Elements (2)

CE562

Text: A Policy on Geometric Design, pp. 305-375

Drainage Channels and Sideslopes
General Considerations

Design considerations of highway drainage includes

• safety
• good appearance
• control of pollutants
• economy in maintenance

This can be achieved by applying

• flat sideslopes
• wide drainage channels
• rounding
Drainage Channels and Sideslopes
Types of Drainage Channels
Culvert

800
802
814

804

806
Intercepting
channel 812

810
794

808

Toe-of-slope Flume
channel
798

800

Roadside
Wh
ite channel
802

Riv
e r
804

808
806
Drainage Channels and Sideslopes
General Considerations

Drainage channels should:

• have adequate capacity for the design runoff,
• minimize damage to the highway caused by
unusual storm water,
• minimize risk for motorists,
• be resistant to the high speed water flows where
expected,
• prevent sedimentation of the particles carried by
water.
 Drainage Channels and Sideslopes
Sideslopes
Sideslopes should
• insure the stability of the roadway
• provide opportunity for recovery of an out-of-control vehicles
 Drainage Channels and Sideslopes
Roadside Channels
• Steep sides improve hydraulic efficiency and reduce right of way costs
• Flatter sides improve slope stability and traffic safety, reduce maintenance
costs
• Sideslopes 1:4 or flatter provide a good chance of recovery for errant vehicles
and relax drivers' tension (roadside channel is visible to drivers)
• Sideslopes of 1:5 or 1:6 are recommended in the flat areas of the northern
states to reduce snow drifts
• Intercepting channels have a flat cross section form by a dike made with
borrow material
• Median drainage channels are shallow depressed areas with inlets
• Flumes are open channels or pipes used to connect intercepting channels or
shoulder curbs with roadside channels
• Channel lining prevents channels erosion caused by fast stream of water
Used: grass (where possible), concrete, asphalt, stone, nylon

AASHTO's Highway Drainage Guidelines provides guidance in drainage design

 Drainage Channels and Sideslopes
Sideslopes
Safety consideration
• Rounded hinge point reduces the chance of an errant vehicle
becoming airborne
• Foreslopes 1:6 or flatter can be negotiated by errant vehicles
• Foreslopes 1:3 with liberal rounding provide a good chance for
recovery
• Slopes steeper than 1:3 can be used only where justified by local
conditions. The use of roadside barriers should be considered
Maintenance consideration
• Flat and well-rounded side slopes simplify establishment of turf
and its maintenance
• Slopes 1:3 or flatter enable the use of motorized equipment
 Drainage Channels and Sideslopes
Sideslopes
Other rules
Flat, well-rounded side slopes create a streamlined cross section.
Advantages for the streamlined cross sections are:
• natural, pleasant appearance,
• improved traffic safety,
• snow drift prevented,
• easy maintenance.
Retaining walls should be considered where slopes would be steeper
than 1:2.
Standard slope for rock cuts is 2:1. In good-quality rock, slopes
range from 6:1 to vertical. Benches in the slopes are sometimes
used.
Exhibit 4-1
 Traffic Barriers
Six alternatives of dealing with roadside hazard
• remove the obstacle
• relocate the obstacle
• use a breakaway device
• use barriers
• delineate the obstacle
• do nothing
Longitudinal barriers
• Flexible - dynamic deflection upon impact, designed to contain rather than
redirect vehicles
• Semirigid - redirect vehicles along the path
• Rigid - does not deflect, dissipates energy by raising, lowering the vehicle,
and by deformation of the vehicle sheet metal
Crash cushions - shield rigid objects by decelerating the vehicle

AASHTO's Roadside Design Guide provides guidance in barriers design and use
Roadside Barriers

Barriers should be installed only if it is clear that they offer the least
crash and casualty potential.
http://www.clrp.cornell.edu/techassistance/
visited on Feb 12, 2008
 Deflection
Distance
http://www.clrp.cornell.edu/techassistance/
visited on Feb 12, 2008
Median Barriers
The following justifies the use of median barriers:
 multilane roadway,
 heavy traffic,
 narrow median,
 traveled ways at different elevations,
 rigid obstacles in the median,
 partial access control.

Type of median barrier is selected based

on the median width. The narrower is
the median the more rigid barrier must
be used (lateral deflection consideration).
Low-Tension Cable Barriers

“Washington State Cable Median Barrier”

by
Richard B. Albin, D. Lance Bullard, Jr.
Wanda L. Menges
at www.transportation.org/sites/aashtotig/docs/
 Medians
Medians are used on arterials with four or more lanes.

Function of medians
• separate opposing traffic
• recovery area for out-of-control vehicles
• stopping area
• storage of left-turning and U-turning vehicles
• minimize headlight glare
• provision for future lanes

Types of medians
• depressed - on freeways with slope 1:6 (1:4), drainage inlets, safety grates
• raised - relatively narrow on arterial streets
• flush - crowned or slightly depressed on all types of urban arterials
• convenient to convert into two-way left-turn lanes (3.0-4.8 m wide)

Width of medians ranges from 1.2 to 24 m.

Full separation of traveled ways is achieved when the median is at least 12 m wide.
 Frontage Roads

• control access to the

arterial
• serve adjoining property
• maintain circulation of
traffic when the arterial
is blocked
• separate local traffic
from the through traffic
• collects local traffic
 Outer Separations

Outer separation is the

area between the
arterial and frontage
road.
THE END