Specifying a Vertical Crest Curve of a Roadway

by Anna Quinones

Submitted : Fall 2012

A vertical crest curve in a roadway is essentially a hill that must be designed and constructed to allow for the gradual transition between uphill and downhill. A gradual transition allows drivers to see a greater distance over the hill as they approach and drive over it, and it is, therefore, safer than abrupt changes or steep hills. This project seeks to define the best start and end points of a vertical crest curve and the equation of the parabola that describes the appropriate curvature to be constructed. The design is determined based on sight distance data and planned speed limit. Once this information is found, integration techniques are used to discover the volume of earth that will need to be removed to build the roadway according to the curve specifications.

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