Geometric Design

Cross Sections
1.0 Cross slopes
• Pavement crown is the raising of the centerline of the roadway above the
elevation of the pavement edges.
• Purpose of the pavement crown is to quickly remove the water from a traffic
lane to prevent a motor vehicle from hydroplaning.
• Types of pavement crown: centerline crown, in-sloping & out-sloping.

2.0 Roadway Grade

• Roadway grade is necessary for a number of applications in transportation

engineering. Grade is used to calculate stopping and passing sight distance on
vertical curves.
• Vehicle operation, particularly heavy truck, is affected by grade.
• The capacity of a roadway is also influenced by grade, depending on length
and gradient of slope.
• Besides, proper transverse slopes are necessary for pavement drainage.

3.0 Median Barriers

• Median barriers or road dividers are used primarily to prevent vehicles from
crossing the median and encroaching into opposing lanes.
• The width of the median strips varies from 1.2 m to 18 m.
• Sometimes, the median strips should have sufficient width to maintain
vegetation and to support low-growing shrubs and street lights.
• Median strips at intersection should receive careful consideration and should
be designed to permit necessary right-turn or U-turn.
Geometric Design

4.0 Shoulders
• Shoulders of the road are a reserved area by the verge of a road or motorway.
• They are kept clear of all traffic, so that in the event of an emergency or
breakdown, a motorist can pull into the shoulder to get out of the flow of
traffic and obtain an element of safety.
• The shoulders also serve as buffer area between the main thoroughfare and the
edge of the road.
• Besides, e such as ambulances and police cars may also use the shoulder to
bypass traffic congestion. These uses lead to the alternate names breakdown
lane and emergency lane.
• Shoulders also allow the development of full traffic capacity in future, such as
expansion from two lanes to three lanes at certain part of Seremban Æ KL
Highway.
• The slope of the shoulder should be grater than that of the pavement,
especially for turf shoulders.

5.0 Footpath
• It is also named as pedestrian paths or sidewalks.
• It is a path for pedestrians that is situated alongside a road or formed like
sidewalks that are alongside roads.
• They are usually constructed of concrete, asphalt, brick, stone or even rubber.
• It is important to safeguard the pedestrian, to have a barrier zone between the
main road and the shops, to place the traffic sign and for aesthetical purposes.

5.0 Guardrails
• A guardrail should be provided where:
i) fills are greater than 1v:4H
ii) in locations where there is sudden change in alignment
iii) where a greater reduction in speed is necessary
iv) there is steep slope or deep ditch at side of the road.
• Where a guardrail is used, the width of the shoulders is increased
approximately 0.6m to allow space for placing the posts.

6.0 Road Curbs

• The use of curbs is generally confined to urban and suburban roadways.
• In areas where sidewalks are not provided, curb adjacent to traffic lanes
should be low in height and constructed with a flatter vertical angle so as not t
create an obstruction.
• Generally, curbs can serve some or all of the following functions, such as:
- Drainage control
- Roadway edge delineation
- Aesthetics
- Delineation of pedestrian walkways
- Assistance in roadside development.
• Curbs at parking areas and adjacent to sidewalks should be 6 to 8 in. in height,
with a curb face that is nearly vertical.
Æ clearance should be sufficient to clear passenger-car fenders and
bumpers
Æ permit opening of car doors without scraping.