Highway Engineering I

Chapter three

Cross-sectional Elements of Roads

 Introduction
 Cross-section are normally consist of the carriageway,
shoulders or curbs, drainage features, and earthwork
profiles.
 Carriageway- the part of the road constructed for
moving traffic, including traffic lanes, auxiliary lanes such
as acceleration and deceleration lanes, climbing lanes, and
passing lanes, and bus bays and lay-byes. ƒ
 Roadway- consists of the carriageway and the shoulders,
parking lanes .
 Earthwork profiles- includes side slopes and back slopes
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Typical crossectional elements of rural road

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 Cont.….d
 For urban cross-sections, cross-section elements may also
include facilities for
pedestrians,

cyclists,

other specialist user groups. These include curbs, footpaths, and

islands. It may also provide for parking lanes.

 For dual carriageways, the cross-section will also include

medians.

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Typical crossectional elements of of urban road

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 Main cross-sectional element
 Carriageway width: Width of the carriageway have great influence on safety and
comfort.
 Factors which influence the width of a carriageway are: …
Design volume …
Vehicle dimensions
Design speed …
Road classification
 In urban areas , lane width is normally not less than 3.5m.Narrower lanes are used
for economic or environmental reasons.
 In rural roads, recommended lane width is 3.65m to: reduce accidents and
increase capacity.
 Lane widths of 3.65m are used for Design Classes DC10 and DC9.
 Narrower lanes are appropriate on lower volume roads.

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 Cont.…d
 Shoulder is the portion of the roadway contiguous to the carriageway
used for:
 The accommodation of stopped vehicles;

 Traditional and intermediate non-motorized traffic, animals, and

pedestrians;
 Emergency use; the recovery of errant vehicles; and

 Lateral support of the pavement courses.

 Assist in horizontal sight distance

 Decrease accident risk

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• A shoulder width of 3 to 3.35m is internationally considered
adequate for most high-speed high-volume roads (motorways).
…
• However, to reduce cost of dual carriageways and single
carriageways in rural roads only and single carriageways in
rural roads, only 1m wide hard strips are used in addition to
2.5m wide grass verges.
– Shoulders should be flush with the edge of the traveled lane
and be sloped to facilitate drainage (2-4 % if paved, 4-6 % if
not paved).
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 Normal cross fall(Camber):

 Pavements on straight sections of two-lane and multilane roadways without

medians are sloped from the middle downward to both sides of the roadway. „
 This provides a cross slope, whose cross section can be either curved or plane or a
combination of the two.
 Normal cross fall(Camber):should be facilitates drainages of pavement laterally.
 The amount of normal cross fall to be provided depends upon the type of road
surface and intensity of rain fall.
 The normal cross fall should be 2.5 percent on paved roads and 4 percent on
unpaved roads.
 Shoulders having the same surface as the roadway should have the same normal
cross fall.

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 Median
 A median is the element of a divided roadway that separates
the lanes in opposing directions .
 Functions:
Separating …Vehicles
to recover …
Safe waiting place
…Left turning …vehicle
Space for road furniture
…Storage lanes
Median can be either raised, flush or depressed
 Median width vary depending on the availability of right-of-way

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 Sidewalk
 Sidewalks are usually provided on roads in urban areas, but very
seldom they are provided in rural areas. „
 Generally, sidewalks should be provided when pedestrian traffic is
high along main or high along main or high-speed roads either rural
or urban areas.
 The width of sidewalk depending on the volume of pedestrian,

 Cross walks should be provided at appropriate place and interval

 Side walks should be delineated by Side barriers from road for safety
of pedestrian.
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 Ancillary elements of road cross-section
 Median barrier – a longitudinal structure used to prevent an errant vehicle
from crossing the portion of a divided highway separating the traveled way
for traffic in the opposite directions
 Roadside barrier – protect vehicles from causing hazards onto roadside and
shield pedestrians
 Curbs – raised structures used mainly on urban roads to delineate pavement
edge and pedestrian walkways. Curbs are also used:
To control drainage
Improve aesthetic
Reduce right-of-way
 Are classified as
Barrier curbs – relatively high designed for preventing vehicles from
leaving the toad
Mountable curbs – are designed so that vehicles can cross them
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 Ancillary elements of road cross-section
 Gutters – drainage ditches located on the pavement side of a curb to
provide the principal drainage facility for the highway
 Guard rails – longitudinal barriers on the outside of sharp curves at
sections with high fills (greater than 2.5 m)

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 Elements of Road Cross-section

 Side slopes are provided on embankments and fills to provide

stability for earthworks. „
 They also serve as a safety feature by providing a recovery area for
out-of-control vehicles.
 Right-of-way – the total land area required for the construction of the
roadway
To accommodate all the elements of the road cross-section

Planned widening of the road

Public utility facilities that will be installed along the highway

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 THANKS
By :- Debela Deme

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