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Design of Summit Parabolic Curve

This document discusses summit parabolic curves, which are vertical curves with gradient upwards that connect two road grades. It provides details on the design of summit curves, including considering driver comfort, sight distance, and using a simple parabolic curve. It also gives the formulas needed to design a summit curve and work through sample problems calculating length, elevations, and stationing based on sight distance parameters and grade changes.

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Daryl Del Rosario
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2K views4 pages

Design of Summit Parabolic Curve

This document discusses summit parabolic curves, which are vertical curves with gradient upwards that connect two road grades. It provides details on the design of summit curves, including considering driver comfort, sight distance, and using a simple parabolic curve. It also gives the formulas needed to design a summit curve and work through sample problems calculating length, elevations, and stationing based on sight distance parameters and grade changes.

Uploaded by

Daryl Del Rosario
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Summit Parabolic Curve

• What is Summit Parabolic Curve?

Summit curves are vertical curves with gradient upwards.

• Design of Vertical Summit Curve


Summit curves are those curves which have convexity upwards. They are formed
under the four following conditions:
1. When a positive gradient meets another mild positive gradient
2. When a positive gradient meets a level zero gradient
3. When a positive gradient meets with a negative gradient
4. When a negative gradient meets another steeper negative gradient

During the design of vertical summit curve the comfort, appearance, and security
of the driver should be considered. The sight distance must be considered in the
design. All the types of sight distance should be considered during design as far as
possible. During movement in a summit curve, there is less discomfort to the
passengers because the centrifugal force developed by the movement of the
vehicle on a summit curve act upwards which is opposite to the direction in which
its weight acts. This relieves the load on the springs of the vehicle so stress
developed will be less.
A simple parabolic curve is preferred in summit curve due to its easy
implementation in the field, good riding comfort during driving and easy
computation. The important part in summit curve design is the computation of
the length of the summit curve which is done considering the sight distance
parameters.

• Two cases to Design a Vertical Summit Curve

S<L S>L

Where:
L = length of crest of vertical summit in meter or feet
S = Sight Distance in meter or feet
= height of eye of average driver above roadway in meter or feet
= height of object sighted above roadway in meter or feet
= algebraic difference in grades in percent = -

HRE-Summit Curve Page 1


= algebraic difference in grades in percent = -

S=

L=

Other Formulas

Radius of the Summit Curve,

Length of Curve for every 1° of


change in slope ,

• Practice Problem

1) 50 mph is the design speed on a vertical summit curve connecting a +2% grade and -2% grade
on a highway. Using a perception-reaction time of 2.5 sec and a coefficient of friction of 0.30,
determine the minimum length of the vertical curve.

2) A +5.2% grade is followed by a -2% grade of a vertical summit parabolic curve at station
2+230 with an elevation of 194.60 m. The parabolic curve is 450m long.
a. Compute the length of curve per 1° change in grade
b. Compute the elevation of the highest point of curve
c. Compute the stationing of point C whose elevation is 185.35

HRE-Summit Curve Page 2


3) A 5% grade intersects a -3.4% grade at station 1+990 of elevation 42.30 m. Design a vertical summit parabolic
curve connecting the two tangent grades to conform with the following safe stopping sight distance
specifications.

Design Velocity = 60 kph


Height of driver's eye from the road pavement ahead 1.37m
Height of an object over the pavement ahead = 100mm
Perception-reaction time = 3/4 sec
Coefficient of friction between the road pavement and the tires = 0.15

Determine the stopping sight distance, station of P.C. and P.T. and the location of highest point on curve.

HRE-Summit Curve Page 3


HRE-Summit Curve Page 4

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