Assignment & worksheet

#1. Determine the minimum length of a crest vertical curve if the grades are
+4% and -2%. Design speed is 70 mi/h. State assumptions used in
solving this problem.
#2. Determine the minimum length of a sag vertical curve if the grades are -
4% and +2%. Design speed is 70 mi/h. State assumptions used.
Consider the following criteria:
(a) Stopping sight distance
(b) Comfort
(c) General appearance
#3. A crest vertical curve connects a +4.44% grade and a -6.87% grade. The
PVI is at station 43+50.00 at an elevation of 1240.00 ft. The design speed
is 30 mi/h. Determine:
(a) The length of the vertical curve using the AASHTO method (“K”
factors)
(b) The station of the BVC
(c) The elevation of the BVC
(d) The station of the EVC
(e) The elevation of the EVC
(f) The station of the high point
(g) The elevation of the high point
(h) The elevation of station 44+23.23
#4. A simple circular curve exists with a degree of curve D=12◦ and e = 0.08.
A structure is proposed on land on the inside of curve. Assume the road
is on level grade. Determine:
(a) The radius of the curve
(b) The current maximum safe speed of the curve
(c) The minimum distance allowable between the proposed structure and
the centerline of the curve such that the current maximum safe speed of
the curve would not need to be reduced
 #5. A horizontal curve is designed for a two-lane road in mountainous
terrain. The following data are known.
Intersection angle: 40 degrees
Tangent length: 436.76 feet
Station of PI: 2700+10.65
fs = 0.12
e = 0.08
Determine the following.
(a) Design speed
(b) Station of the PC
(c) Station of the PT
(d) Deflection angle and chord length to the first even 100 ft station.
#6. A compound circular curve having radii of 600 ft and 450 ft is to be
designed to connect two tangents deflecting by 75°. If the deflection angle
of the first curve is 45° and the PCC is located at station (675+35.25),
determine the deflection angles and the corresponding chord lengths for
setting out the curve.
#7. A circular curve connects two tangents that intersect at an angle of 48°.
The point of intersection of the tangents is located at station (948+67.32).
If the design speed of the highway is 60 mi/h, determine both the point
of the tangent and the deflection angles to whole stations for laying out
the curve. (Select appropriate values for e and f.)
#8. Determine the distance required to transition pavement cross slope from
a normal crown section with a normal crown cross slope of 2% to
superelevation of 6% on a two-lane highway with a design speed of 50
mi/h.
#9. A level section of highway is to be connected to a section of highway with
a -5% grade. The level highway section ends at station 108 + 40
(elevation 865 ft) and is to connect with the -5% section of highway at
station 139 + 20 (elevation 758 ft). Using a design speed of 50 mi/h,
determine the stations and elevations of the PVCs, PVIs, and PVTs of the
 two vertical curves required to connect the highway segments, as well as
the length of the constant grade section (connecting grade is to be as
small as possible).
#10. A horizontal curve on a two-lane highway (10-ft lanes) is designed for 50
mi/h with a 6% superelevation. The central angle of the curve is 35
degrees and the PI is at station 482 + 72. What is the station of the PT
and how many feet have to be cleared from the lane's shoulder edge to
provide adequate stopping sight distance?

#11. A horizontal curve on a two-lane highway (12-ft lanes) has PC at station

123 + 80 and PT at station 129 + 60. The central angle is 35 degrees, the
superelevation is 0.08, and 20.6 ft is cleared (for sight distance) from the
inside edge of the innermost lane. Determine a maximum safe speed
(assuming current design standards) to the nearest 5 mi/h.

#12. An equal tangent vertical curve connects an initial grade of -3% and a
final grade of +1% and is designed for 60 mi/h. The PVI is at station
250+50 and elevation 732 ft. What is the station and elevation of the
lowest point on the curve?

#13. An equal-tangent crest vertical curve is designed with a PVI at station

110 + 00 (elevation 927.2 ft) and a PVC at station 107 + 43.3 (elevation
921.55 ft). If the high point is at station 110 + 75.5, what is the design
speed of the curve?

#14. A vertical curve is designed for 55 mi/h and has an initial grade of +2.5%
and a final grade of -1.0%. The PVT is at station 114 + 50. It is known
that a point on the curve at station 112 + 35 is at elevation 245 ft. What
is the stationing and elevation of the PVC? What is the stationing and
elevation of the high point on the curve?
#15. An equal-tangent crest vertical curve has a 50-mi/h design speed. The
initial grade is 3%. The high point is at station 33 + 40.76 and the PVT is
at station 37 + 24.66. What is the elevation difference between the high
point and the PVT?

#16. A section of highway has vertical and horizontal curves with the same
design speed. A vertical curve on this highway connects a +1% and a
+3% grade and is 420 ft long. If a horizontal curve on this highway is on
a two-lane section with 12-ft lanes and has a central angle of 37 degrees
and a superelevation of 6%, what is the length of the horizontal curve?

#17. A section of a two-lane highway (12-ft lanes) is designed for 75 mi/h. At

one point a vertical curve connects a -2.5% and +1.5% grade. The PVT
of this curve is at station 36 + 50. It is known that a horizontal curve
starts (has PC) 294 ft before the vertical curve’s PVC. If the
superelevation of the horizontal curve is 0.08 and the central angle is
38 degrees, what is the station of the PT?

#18. A sag vertical curve connects a 1.5 percent grade with a 2.5 percent grade
on a rural arterial highway. If the criterion selected for design is the
minimum stopping sight distance, and the design speed of the highway is
70 mi/h, compute the elevation of the curve at 100-ft stations if the
grades intersect at station (475 00) at an elevation of 300 ft. Also
determine the elevation and station of the low point.

#19. A proposed highway has two tangents of bearings N 45◦54’36’’ E and N

1◦22’30’’ W. The highway design engineer, attempting to obtain the best
fit for the simple circular curve to join these tangents, decides that the
external ordinate is to be 43.00 ft. The PI is at station 65+43.21.
 Determine:
(a) The central angle of the curve
(b) The radius of the curve
(c) The length of the tangent of the curve

(d) The station of the PC

(e) The length of the curve
(f) The station of the PT
(g) The deflection angle and chord from the PC to the first full station on
the curve.

#20. A +g1 grade is connected by a vertical curve to a -g2 grade (g2<g1). If the
rate of change of gradient of the curve is constant, show that the height y
of any point of the curve above the BVC is given as: