VERTICAL CURVES

1. VC Attributes

Used to connect gradients.

In route design they are provided at all changes of gradient.
Sufficiently large curvature for safety.
That is low rate of change.
Afford adequate sight distance for safe stopping at a given V.
Simple parabola to connect grades g1,g2

2. Gradient.
Expressed as %
-ve for downgrade, +ve for upgrade.
Angle of intersection for the two grades is grade angle, A.
A is algebraic difference of the two gradients.
Crest, summit, hogging - A +ve.
Sag, valley,Sagging - A ve.

Types of VC for varying A.

The angle of deflection of the two intersecting gradients is called the grade angle and equals A in Figure 1.
The grade angle simply represents the change of grade through which the vertical curve deflects and is the
algebraic difference of the two gradients.

A% = (g1% - g2%)
T1 I
T2 A%
sag g2%
g1%
g1% g2%
Crest
T1 T2
A%
g1% I
T1
g1%
T1 I
T2 A
I A
g1% T2
g1%

g2% A T2 g2%
I
T2 T1

g1%
A
T1
I
Figure
g %1
1

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 3. Permissible approximations in VC Computations.
From shallowness of the gradients
VC approximations.

-g1%
Horizontal
T1 D

L1
Y1 B

Y
Y2 C
L1 C G
T2+g2%
Y F
L/2 H

L
Figure2 J

8.10.1 Permissible approximations in vertical curve computation

In civil engineering, road design is carried out in accordance with the following documents:

(1) Layout of roads in rural areas.

(2) Roads in urban areas.
(3) Motorway design memorandum.
However, practically all the geometric design in the above documents has been replaced by Department of
Transport Standard TD 9/93, hereafter referred to simply as TD 9/93, with Advice Note TD 43/84.
In TD 9/93 the desirable maximum gradients for vertical curve design are:
Motorways 3%
Dual carriageways 4%
Single carriageways 6%

Due to the shallowness of these gradients, the following VC approximations are permissible, thereby
resulting in simplified computation (Figure 2)

(1) Distance T1D = T1BT2 = T1CT2 = T1l + lT2), without sensible error. This is very important and means
that all distances may be regarded as horizontal in both the computation and the setting out of
vertical curves.
(2) The curve is of equal length each side of l. Thus T1C = CT2 = T1l = lT2 = L/2, without sensible error.
(3) The curve bisects Bl at C, thus BC = Cl = Y (the mid-offset).
(4) From similar triangles T1Bl and T1T2l, if Bl =2Y, the T2J = 4Y.4Y represents the vertical divergence
of the two gradients over half the curve length (L/2) and therefore equals AL/200.
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 (5) The basic equation for a simple parabola is
y = C.l2
4. Purpose/Requirements of VC.
Adequate visibility.
Passenger comfort and safety

5. Adequate visibility
At design speed vehicle to stop or overtake safely.
Requirements achieved by use of sight distance and K-value.

6. Passenger Comfort and Safety.

Radial force acts in vertical plane.
Forcing vehicle away from centre of curvature of the VC.
In crest design vehicle leaves road surface.
In sag underside of vehicle hits the surface.
Safety achieved by
- Restricting the gradients.
- Choosing to reduce the force gradually and uniformly. K-
values help.

7. Types of VC used.

Restrictions placed on the gradients.

Flat - L<1
R 10
Definition of flat assumes that the VC forms part of a circle radius R.
Circular arc, ellipse, parabola assumed same
In practice, parabolic curve is used to achieve a uniform rate of change
of gradient hence uniform introduction of the vertical radius force.

i.e. x = cy2

d2x = 2c = constant
dy2

8(b) Equation of VC.

Curve is parabolic x=cy2

Y measured along the gradient.
X is offset from gradient.
X can also be vertical because of the assumptions.
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 Basic equation y = c 2
From similarly s
4y = A = y = LA
L/2 100 800

8. Design factors in Vertical Curves.

Rate of change of grade
Sight distance on summit curves
Headlight sight distance on sags.

10. Sight Distance (SD)

Safety design factor related to rate of change of grade.
Related to K-values.
Length of road ahead that is visible to the driver.
Must be greater than stopping distance.
Stopping distance depends on six factors
To cater for the six above, height of drivers eye above road surface
taken as 1.05m.
This height applicable to sports cars with very high braking efficiency.
Other vehicles with greater heights have longer sights.

11. Stopping Sight Distance (SSD)

Sight distance required by a driver to stop a vehicle when faced with
an unexpected obstruction on the carried way. It comprise:-
- Perception-reaction distance.
- Braking distance.
The above are the function of a driver age, fatigue, road conditions
e.t.c.
Design parameters based on average driver behaviour in wet
conditions.
95% of drivers eye height is 1.05m or above
The upper limit is 2m.

11(b) K-Values

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 In the past we used appropriate SD for the road type and V to
calculate minimum L.

Min L = KA meters.
K-values that Lmin of VC obtained using above equation contains
adequate visibility and provides sufficient comfort

12. Full Overtaking SD (FOSD)

Applies on single carriageways
Consist of
- Perception/reaction distance
- Overtaking distance
- Closing distance
- Safety distance
- K is the constant obtained from Transport office standards for
the particular road type and design speed.
- A is the algebraic difference of the gradients.

13. Length of curve and SD.

- For summit (crest) curve.
Diagram
When S L
Derive formula.

14. SD on Sags.
- Visibility on sag curves not obstructed as
it is in the case of crests.
- For v= 70kph and below in unlit areas
sag curves are designed to ensure that
headlamps illuminate road surface for
minimum SSD.

- Headlight is generally considered as
being 0.6m above road surface with its
beam tilted up at 10 to the horizontal

- Diagram
- Derive L= ( )

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15. Vertical Curve Computations

Calculate central offset Y

Calculate levels along the gradients
Add y to get curve levels