9/19/2016

Geometric Design
Week 05-01

Vertical Sight Distance

http://www.engr.uconn.edu/

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Crest Vertical Curve

http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/

Crest Vertical Curve

Sight distance
•

Where:
L = Length of vertical curve, m
S = Sight distance, m
A = Absolute value of the difference in
grades [|G1-G2|, percent
h1= height of eye above roadway surface, m
(typically :
• 1.07 m for driver’s eye level
• 0.60 m for car’s headlight level
h2= height object above roadway surface, m
(typically:
• 0.15 m for stopping sight distance 4
• 1.30 m for passing sight distance

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Vertical Curve – night driving

• For night driving on highways without lighting, the length of
visible roadway is that roadway which is directly illuminated
by the headlights of the vehicle.

Vehicle headlights have limitations on the projection distance for

the light intensity levels that are required for visibility purposes

Vehicle headlight mounting height (typically 600 mm above road

surface) is lower than the driver eye height. Sight distance is
controlled by the height of the vehicle headlights rather than by
the direct line of sight

Sag Vertical Curve

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Sag Vertical Curve

• 4 main criteria in establishing lengths of sag vertical curve:
1. Headlight sight distance
2. Rider comfort L = length of sag vertical curve, m
3. Drainage control S = light beam distance, m (or distance
required for safe vehicle operation)
4. General appearance
H = headlight height of 0.60 m
α= 1 degree
• Length of sag vertical curve

• When S < L A·S2

L=
200 · (H + S · tanα
α)
• When S > L
200 · (H + S · tanα
α) 7
L = 2·S –
A

Sag Vertical Curve

• For overall safety, a sag vertical curve should be long enough
so that the light beam distance is nearly the same as the
stopping sight distance

• The comfort effect of change in vertical direction is greater on

sag than on crest curves because gravitational and centrifugal
forces ar combining rather than oppossing forces