9/17/2009

Vertical Curve Profile Views

Vertical Alignment
Fundamentals

CE 322
Transportation Engineering
Dr. Ahmed Abdel-Rahim, Ph.D., P.E.
Fig. 3.3

Offsets Offset Formulas

 Offsets are vertical distances from initial  For an equal tangent parabola,
A 2 (G2  G1 ) 2
tangent to the curve Y
200 L
x OR Y  ax 2 
2L
x

 Y = offset (ft) at any distance, x, from the PVC

 x, A, and L are as previously defined
Fig. 3.4
 careful with units…
 1
st equation:

 if A is in %...x and L should be in feet

 If A is in ft/ft…L should be in stations and x in feet
 2nd equation:
 If grade is in %...x and L should be in station
 If grade is in ft/ft…x and L should be in feet

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Distance to Zero Grade

‘K’ Values (low or high point)
 Rate of change in grade at successive points  Computing high/low points for curves (provided the high/low
on the curve is point is not at a curve end) by,
 G1 L
 Constant  xhl = K  |G1| or xhl 
G2  G1
 = L/A in percent per ft  Where xhl = distance from the PVC to the high/low point in feet
 L/A …distance required per 1% change in gradient  Careful of units…
 1 equation:
st

 The quantity L/A is termed ‘K’  if G1 is in % then xhl is in feet

 if G1 is in ft/ft then xhl is in stations

 2nd equation:

 L can be in feet or stations and you will have xhl in similar

units.

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Example Problem Vertical Curve Through a Point

 A 1600-ft-long sag vertical curve (equal tangent) has a
 Illustration
PVI at station 200+00 and elevation 1472 ft. The  Solution steps
initial grade is –3.5% and the final grade is +6.5%.  Use Equation 3.1
 Determine parameters a, b, and c
Determine the elevation and stationing
 Substitute parameters into Equation 3.1
of the low point, PVC, and PVT.
 Solve for L as a quadratic equation

 Review problem
 Culvert clearance
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SSD and Curve Design

SSD and Crest  Design vertical curves, to provide
Vertical Curve Design adequate stopping-sight distance (SSD)

 Minimize costs by minimizing curve

length

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SSD and Curve Design SSD Factors

 SSD formulation was given in Chapter 2  Important for crest curves
and 3  Required sight distance
 Eq. 2.50 ds = d + dr (Eq. 2.50)  Curve length
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 Initial and final grades (which grade??)
 Eq. 3.12 SSD   V1  tr Eye and object heights
 a   

2 g     G  Fig. 3.6
 g  

 SSD given in Table 3.1

 using AASHTO values of a = 11.2 ft/s2 and tr = 2.5 sec

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Minimum Curve Length Minimum Curve Length

 Minimum curve length, based on parabola  For adequate SSD use the following
Using the equations
specifications:


A  SSD2
Lm  for SSD  L
200  
Eq. 3.13 2
H1  H 2  H1 (driver’s eye height) = 3.5 ft (1080 mm)

Eq. 3.14 Lm  2  SSD 

200  H1  H 2 2

for SSD  L  H2 (object height) = 2.0 ft (600 mm)

A

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Minimum Curve Length Example Problem 3.5

 Substituting these values into previous two  A highway is being designed to AASHTO guidelines
equations yields: with a 70-mph design speed and, at one section, an
equal tangent vertical curve must be designed to
US Customary Metric
connect grades of +1.0% and –2.0%.
For SSD < L
A  SSD 2
A  SSD 2
Lm 
2158
Lm 
658
(3.15) Determine the minimum length of vertical curve
necessary to meet SSD requirements.
For SSD > L
2158 658
Lm  2  SSD  Lm  2  SSD  (3.16)
A A

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Example Problem 3.5 Curve Where SSD > L

 Speed = 70 mph (See Mathcad worksheet)
Eq. 3.15, SSD < L  SSD = 730 ft
 Just reduce the final grade
 G1 = 1%
 G2 = -1%
Eq. 3.16, SSD > L  So…A = 2

Both are very similar, but choose 740.82 because >

SSD (730)

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K Values for Adequate SSD Notes About Both K-values Tables

Design Controls for Crest Vertical Curves Based on SSD
US Customary Metric  Because K = L/A…L = SSD2/2158 (US Customary)
Design
Stopping
sight
Rate of vertical
curvature, Ka
Design
Stopping
sight
Rate of vertical
curvature, Ka
 For SSD < L
speed speed
distance distance
(mi/h) Calculated Design (km/h) Calculated Design
(ft) (m)
Table 15 80 3.0 3 20 20 0.6 1
 Table 3.2,
20 115 6.1 7 30 35 1.9 2
3.2 25 155 11.1 12 40 50 3.8 4  SSD calculations use G = 0
30 200 18.5 19 50 65 6.4 7
35 250 29.0 29 60 85 11.0 11  For larger grades > 3% calculate SSD
40
45
305
360
43.1
60.1
44
61
70
80
105
130
16.8
25.7
17
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 Assume SSD < L
50
55
425
495
83.7
113.5
84
114
90
100
160
185
38.9
52.0
39
52  Effects of assumption
60
65
570
645
150.6
192.8
151
193
110
120
220
250
73.6
95.0
74
95
 Equation for Lm with SSD > L … equal to or larger than
70 730 246.9 247 130 285 123.4 124 other equation
75 820 311.6 312
80 910 383.7 384
a
Rate of vertical curvature, K, is the length of curve per percent algebraic difference in
intersecting grades (A). K = L/A
Source: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials,
“A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets,” Washington, D.C., 2001.

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Check SSD < L Assumption

 How would you  (see equations
test this 3.15 and 3.16)
assumption?  (see Matchcad
worksheet)

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