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Vertical Curves

1) Vertical curves are used in roads and railways to connect sections with different gradients smoothly. They can be circular arcs or parabolas, with parabolas being preferred due to ease of calculation. 2) There are four types of vertical curves defined by whether the gradient is increasing or decreasing at each end: summit (convex), sag (concave), and two others where the gradient changes direction within the curve. 3) The length of a vertical curve is calculated based on the difference in gradients and the rate of change of grade, with examples provided.

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Raffi Chudhary
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924 views10 pages

Vertical Curves

1) Vertical curves are used in roads and railways to connect sections with different gradients smoothly. They can be circular arcs or parabolas, with parabolas being preferred due to ease of calculation. 2) There are four types of vertical curves defined by whether the gradient is increasing or decreasing at each end: summit (convex), sag (concave), and two others where the gradient changes direction within the curve. 3) The length of a vertical curve is calculated based on the difference in gradients and the rate of change of grade, with examples provided.

Uploaded by

Raffi Chudhary
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Curves

Vertical Curves
• In addition to horizontal curves that go to the right or left,
roads also have vertical curves that go up or down.
• Vertical curves at a crest or the top of a hill are called
summit curves, or oververticals.
• Vertical curves at the bottom of a hill or dip are called sag
curves, or underverticals.
Curves
Vertical Curves
• In the same way that horizontal curves are used to connect
intersecting straights in the horizontal plane, vertical curves
are used to connect intersecting straights in the vertical
plane.
• These straights are usually called gradients and the
combination of the of the gradients and vertical curve is
known as vertical alignment.
Curves
Vertical Curves
• The vertical alignment is composed of a series of straight-
line gradients connected by curves, normally parabolic in
form.
• These vertical parabolic curves must therefore be provided
at all changes in gradient.
• The curvature will be determined by the design speed,
being sufficient to provide adequate driver comfort with
appropriate stopping sight distances provided.
Curves
Vertical Curves
Purpose of Vertical Curves
• Vertical curves are similar to horizontal curves in that they
are designed for a particular speed.
The main functions of a vertical curve are to provide:
• Safety and comfort travelling between gradients
• Adequate visibility to enable vehicles to stop or overtake
safely.
Curves
Vertical Curves
• When two different gradients meet they are connected by
a curve in a vertical plane is called vertical curve. it is used
in roads and railway.
Objective:
• To round off the angle at the apex and to obtain a gradual
change in grade or gradient, so that abrupt change in
grade is avoided at the apex.
• Vertical curves may be:
a) Circular arc b) Arc of Parabola
• For simplicity of calculation work, the parabola is preferred.
• When the ratio of length of curve to radius is less than 1 to 10, i.e
𝐿
< 1 to 10
𝑅
• Than there is no practical difference b/w shapes of parabola,
circle and an ellipse, the parabola will be used.
Curves
Vertical Curves

• In practice, road and railway gradients are comparatively


flat and it is often unimportant what type of vertical curve is
used.
• The usual curves are circular or parabolic. However, it is best
to use a vertical curve having a constant rate of change of
gradient, i.e., a parabola and as it turns out, parabolic
vertical curves are very easy to calculate and use.
Curves
Vertical Curves
• Parabola has desirable characteristics of:
1) Constant rate of change of slopes which contributes
to sooth alignment transition.
2) Ease of computation of vertical offsets which permits
easily computed curve.
• The Grade for the gradient of a road is expressed in two ways:
a) As a percentage i.e 2 % 1.5 %

b) As 1 in n , where n is horizontal distance in meter or


feet corresponding to 1m or 1ft rise or fall. E.g 1 in 80 &
1 in 100.
1 in 50 = 2%, 1 in 25 = 4%,
Sign convention:
a) Gradient rising ( ascending) to the right are taken +ve
b) Gradient falling ( descending) to right are taken –ve
Curves
Vertical Curves
Types of vertical curve:
1) An up grade followed 2) A down grade followed
by a down grade by an Up grade

Summit or Convex Sag or Concave


Curves
Vertical Curves
Types of vertical curve:
3) An up grade followed 4) A down grade followed
by another up grade by another down grade

Sag or Concave Summit or Convex


Curves
Vertical Curves
Example 01: Find the length of vertical curve connecting two
uniform grades from the following data:
a) + .8% and - 0.6%, rate of change of grade is 0.1 per 30m
b) – 0.5% and +1%, rate of change of grade is 0.05 per 30m
Solution:
(g1% − g2%) (0.8 – (−.6))
a) L = = 𝑥 30 = 420 m
r% 0.1

(−0.5 – (+ 1))
b) L = 𝑥 30 = 900 m
0.05

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