HRENG

Vertical Alignment

•Vertical alignment is the process of determining

the correlation of geometric features of the
highway to encourage uniform operation
throughout.
•Vertical alignment is usually documented by a
profile.
•Profile – A curved line which graphically portrays
the intersection of the vertical plane with the
surface of the earth.
CE 323 1

Profiles of Vertical Alignment

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Elements of Vertical Alignment

1. Grades
2. Vertical Parabolic Curves
3. Sight distance Requirements

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Consideration on Grades
• Gradient is the rate of rise or fall along the
longitudinal direction of the highway
• Grades should be as flat as possible for
economy of vehicle operations.
• Proper sight distances shall be preserved if
rolling grades will be permitted to avoid
excessive earthworks.
• Adverse grades shall be avoided along long
climbs.

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Consideration on Grades
• If possible, place grades at points where
excavation balances embankment.
• Grades should be at least 0.060m above pipe
culverts.
• Grades should be established 0.50m above
maximum water level.
• Grades of bridges should allow 1.5m freeboard
above the maximum flood water elevations to
the bottom of girders for streams carrying debris
and 1.0m for other cases.

CE 323 5

Factors Affecting Selection of Grades

Topography of country or the general terrain
Type of traffic using the roadway (passenger
cars, trucks, recreational vehicles)
Drainage elements
Access to adjoining properties
Obligatory points and road railways as well as
canal crossing
Appearance or general view of the highway.

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Factors Affecting Selection of Grades

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Types of Grades
1. Maximum Grade
The highest grade that may be given to a road, which is also,
called the exceptional grade. This type of grade is permissible to
short stretches only to avoid excessive earthworks. Speed of
moving vehicles has some effect to this extent.
100 km/hr -------------------------------- 3% max grade
40 kph ------------------------------------- 5%-12% grade
most roadways in the Philippines – 6%
2. Minimum Grade
On though-cut sections, grades should be at least 0.5% to provide
longitudinal drainage. On curbed pavements a minimum of 0.35%
maybe used on high type pavements and accurately crowned to
facilitate drainage. Flat or level grades may be used on uncurbed
highways that have adequate crowns for lateral drainage on high
fills.

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Types of Grades
3. Average Grade
The total rise or fall in a given road divided by
the total length of the road. It is usually used for
the preliminary stages of finishing the grades.

4. Ruling Grade
The prevailing gradient in a given highway and
usually fixed in such a way that vehicles can
negotiate long stretches without much fatigue
or without an uneconomical vehicle operation.

CE 323 9

Types of Grades
5. Floating Grade
The grade acceptable for hilly country or
terrain.

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Control Grades for Design

• Critical length of grade
Maximum length which a loaded truck can travel
without unreasonable speed reduction
Based on accident involvement rates with 15
KPH speed reduction as threshold

– Where maximum grades may not suit general design

requirements on alignment then, critical length of
grade may be used.
– For a given grade, lengths less than critical result in
acceptable operation in the desired range of speeds

CE 323 11

Vertical Parabolic Curves

All intersections of grade

tangents shall be connected by
parabolic veritcal curves. Vertical
parabolic curves should provide
adequate sight distance, safety,
good drainage, and pleasing
appearance.
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Types of Vertical Curve

1. Summit Vertical Parabolic Curves
Summit vertical curves are used to connect to smooth
transition a positive tangent grade intersecting a
negative tangent grade. Summit or crest curves shall
be long enough to permit safe operation.
2. Sag Vertical Parabolic Curves
Sag vertical curves are used to connect to smooth
transition a negative tangent grade intersecting a
positive tangent grade. The design of these curves is
usually controlled by the headlight distances.

CE 323 13

Types of Vertical Curves

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General Controls For Vertical Alignment

• A smooth grade line with gradual changes, consistent wit
types or class of highway and the character of terrain is
preferred to a line with numerous breaks and short lengths
of grades.
• The roller coaster grade type profile should be avoided.
Gradual grades made possible by heavier cut and fill or
introducing some horizontal curvature or relatively straight
sections.
• Undulating grade lines, involving substantial lengths of
momentum grades, should be appraised for their effect
upon traffic operation since they may result in undesirably
high downgrade speeds of trucks.
• A broken-back grade line should be avoided.

CE 323 15

General Controls For Vertical Alignment

• On long grades, it is preferable to lighten the

grades near the ascent, particularly on low
design speed highways.
• Where at grade intersections occur on
highway sections with moderate to steep
grades, it is desirable to reduce gradient
through the intersection.

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Sight Distance Requirements

• Requirements on safe sight distances
particularly stopping sight distance along
summit curve and headlight sight distance
along sag curves, along with grades are the
primary elements that would control the
curve length.

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Crest Vertical Curves

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Types of Crest Curves

A=G1+G2 A = G1
G2 = 0

+G1

-G2

+G1

+G2
-G1

+G1

CE 323 -G192

Crest Vertical Curves

• Two Cases
– I. When Sight Distance Is Less Than Length of
Curve (SSD < L)
– II. When Sight Distance Is Greater Than Length of
Curve (SSD > L)

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Source: USDOT, FHWA

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Case 1

SSD

PVI

g1 g2
Line of Sight

h2
h1 PVT
PVC

L
2
ASSD 
L For SSD < L
CE 323

100 2h1  2h2 
2
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Case II
SSD

PVI
Line of Sight

PVC PVT

g1 h2 g2
h1

L  2SSD  
200 h1  h2  
2

For SSD > L

A
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Crest Vertical Curves

• Where:
– L = length of vertical curve, m
– S (SSD/PSD/ISD) = sight distance, m
– A = algebraic difference in grades, percent
– h1 = height of eye above roadway surface, m
– h2 = height of object above roadway surface, m
• Note:
– For Stopping Sight Distance,
• h1 – 1080 mm (3.5 ft)
• h2 – 600 mm (2.0 ft), different for PSD

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Crest Vertical Curves

• Using default (Stopping Sight Distance) driver

and object heights as:
• h1 – 1080 mm (3.5 ft)
• h2 – 600 mm (2.0 ft),
• When S is less than L,
AS 2 AS 2
L Metric  L US Customary 
658 2158
• When S is greater than L,
658 2158
LCE 323 2 S  Metric  L  2S  US Customary
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
A A

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Crest Vertical Curves

• Using default (Passing Sight Distance) driver

and object heights as:
• h1 – 1080 mm (3.5 ft)
• h2 – 1080 mm (3.5 ft-opposing driver’s ht.),
• When S is less than L,
AS 2 AS 2
L Metric  L US Customary 
864 2800
• When S is greater than L,
864 2800
LCE 323 2 S  Metric  L  2S  US Customary
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
A A

Crest Vertical Curves

• Using default (Passing Sight Distance) driver

and object heights as:
• h1 – 1080 mm (3.5 ft)
• h2 – 1080 mm (3.5 ft-opposing driver’s ht.),
• When S is less than L,
AS 2 AS 2
L Metric  L US Customary 
864 2800
• When S is greater than L,
864 2800
LCE 323 2 S  Metric  L  2S  US Customary
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
A A

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Example 1 (-5 litilit,falag-ey,Mangili)

• Determine the minimum length of summit vertical curve needed to join a +2% grade with a -
3% grade on a section of a highway with an 80.49 kph design speed. Assume f=0.40 and the
perception reaction time is 2.5 seconds.

80.49
= + = = 22.36 /
2 ( + ) 3.6
22.36
= 22.36 / 2.5 + = 116.57
2(9.81)(0.40 + 0.02)
ASSD 
2
( )( . )
L = = 103.239m DNS

100 2h1  2h2 
2 ( ∗ . ∗ . )

L  2SSD  

200 h1  h2  2

= 2 116.57 −
. .
= 101.54m ANS
A ( )

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Example 2

• A vertical summit curve has tangent grades of

+3% and -2%. Compute the length of curve for
a stopping sight distance of 120m

( %)( )
L= ( ∗ . ) ∗ . )
= 109.42

( . ) . )
L = (2*120) - %
= ______
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Example 3

• A vertical summit curve has tangent grades

+2.5% and -1.5%. Compute the passing sight
distance if the length of curve is 182m.

/ >
( ) )
L = (2*PSD) -
( . . )
182 = (2*PSD) - . . %
= _________ ANS

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