Vertical Alignment

Vertical Curves
Reference : Principles of Highway Engineering and Traffic
Analysis by Mannering
 The alignment of a highway is a three-
dimensional problem measured in x, y, and z
coordinates . This is illustrated, from a driver's
perspective.
However, in highway design practice, three-
dimensional design computations are cumbersome
and, what is perhaps more important, the actual
implementation and construction of a design based
on 3-dimensional coordinates has historically been
prohibitively difficult. As a consequence, the 3
dimensional highway alignment problem is reduced
to two 2-dimensional alignment problems,
 the horizontal alignment of a highway is
referred to as the plan view, which is roughly
equivalent to the perspective of an aerial
photo of the highway . The vertical alignment
is represented in a profile view, which gives
the elevation of all points measured along the
length of the highway.
 Aside from considering the alignment
problem as two 2-dimensional problems, one
further simplification is made .
 This distance is measured in terms of
stations, with each station consisting of 100
ft (1000 m for metric) of highway alignment
distance .
 Vertical alignment specifies the elevation of
points along a roadway . The elevation of
these roadway points is usually determined
by the need to provide an acceptable level of
driver safety, driver comfort, and proper
drainage (from rainfall runoff) .
A primary concern in vertical alignment is
establishing the transition of roadway
elevations between two grades . This
transition is achieved by means of a vertical
curve .
 Vertical curves can be broadly classified into
crest vertical curves and sag vertical curves
 In connecting roadway grades (tangents) with
an appropriate vertical curve, a mathematical
relationship defining elevations at all points
(or equivalently, stations) along the vertical
curve is needed . A parabolic function has
been found suitable in this regard because,
among other things, it provides a constant
rate of change of slope and implies equal
curve tangents . The general form of the
parabolic equation, as applied to vertical
curves, is