 It includes the specific design elements of a

highway, such as
◦ the number of lanes,
◦ lane width,
◦ median type and width,
◦ length of freeway acceleration and deceleration
lanes,
◦ need for truck climbing lanes for highways on steep
grades,
◦ and radii required for vehicle turning
 All these elements and the performance
characteristics of vehicles play an important
role.
 Physical dimensions of vehicles affect a
number of design elements such as the
◦ radii required for turning
◦ Height of highway overpass
◦ Lane width
 The alignment of a highway is a three
dimensional problem with measurement in x,
y and z direction.
 It is a bit complicated, therefore the
alignment problem is typically reduced to two
dimensional alignment as shown in figure on
next slide.
 The alignment of a highway is a three
dimensional problem measured in x,y, and z
dimensions.
 Horizontal alignment of road shown in x and
z coordinates called the plan view.
 Vertical alignment of the road is shown on
the y axis and is called the profile view.
 Further simplified by using highway position
and length instead of x and y.
 Distances are measured in terms of stations,
with each station consisting of 100ft of
highway alignment distance.
 For example, a point 4250 ft from a specified
origin is said to be at station 42+50
 The point of origin is at station 0 + 00
 Specifies the elevations of points along a
roadway.
 Elevations are determined by need to provide
proper drainage and driver safety.
 A primary concern of vertical alignment is to
establish a transition between two roadway
grades by means of a vertical curve.
Two types of Vertical Curves:
1. Crest Vertical Curves.
2. Sag Vertical Curves.
 The initial road grade is called G1 the final road grade
is called G2 and is typically given in percent.
 PVC is the initial point of the vertical curve.
 The point of intersection of the initial tangent grade
and the final tangent grade is the point of vertical
intersection (PVI).
 The absolute value of the difference between G1 and
G2 is called A and is given in percent.
 The point of intersection of the vertical curve with the
final tangent grade is called the PVT .
 The length (L) of the vertical curve is the horizontal
distance between PVC and PVT.
 Equal Tangent, if PVC to PVI is L/2.
 For a vertical curve, the general form of the parabolic equation is;
 y = ax2 + bx + c

➢ where, ‘y’ is the roadway elevation of the curve at a point ‘x’ along
the curve from the beginning of the vertical curve (PVC).
➢ ‘C’ is the elevation of the PVC since x=0 corresponds the PVC
➢ When x = 0, y = C = elevation on curve
 To define ‘a’ and ‘b’, first derivative of
equation gives the slope.

dy
= 2ax + b
dx
 At PVC, x=0;

dy
= b
dx
 dy
G =
dx

G1 = b
Where G1 is the initial slope.
 Taking second derivative of equation1, i.e.
rate of change of slope;
2
dy
2
= 2a
dx
 The rate of change of slope can also be
written as
dy 2 G2 − G1
2
=
dx L
 Equating equations
G2 − G1
2a =
L
 or

G2 − G1
a=
2L