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Camber elevations at 315.5 m

Short answer

Straight camber: centre of lane 315.448 m, pavement edge 315.395 m. Parabolic: centre of lane 315.474 m, edge 315.395 m.

The centre line of a double lane road has an elevation of 315.5 m as recorded from longitudinal profile. The camber is 3.0% and the lane width is 3.5 m. Find the elevation of the road at the edges of the pavement and the center of lane if (i) straight line camber is provided, (ii) parabolic camber is provided.

Data

Centre line RL = 315.5 m, camber = 3.0% (1 in 33.3), two-lane carriageway, lane width = 3.5 m so pavement width B=7B=7 m (half-width 3.5 m). Distances are measured from the centre line: centre of lane at x=1.75x=1.75 m, pavement edge at x=3.5x=3.5 m.

(i) Straight-line camber

Fall =c x=c\,x.

  • Centre of lane: 315.5−0.03(1.75)=315.448315.5-0.03(1.75)=\mathbf{315.448} m
  • Edge of pavement: 315.5−0.03(3.5)=315.395315.5-0.03(3.5)=\mathbf{315.395} m

(ii) Parabolic camber

Parabola with crown at the centre line: y=2c x2By=\dfrac{2c\,x^2}{B} (so the total fall at the edge, x=B/2x=B/2, is the same, cB/2=0.105cB/2=0.105 m).

  • Centre of lane (x=1.75x=1.75): y=2(0.03)(1.75)27=0.02625y=\dfrac{2(0.03)(1.75)^2}{7}=0.02625 m, RL =315.474=\mathbf{315.474} m
  • Edge of pavement (x=3.5x=3.5): y=0.10500y=0.10500 m, RL =315.395=\mathbf{315.395} m
LocationStraight camber (m)Parabolic camber (m)
Centre line315.500315.500
Centre of lane315.448315.474
Edge of pavement315.395315.395

The parabolic camber keeps the middle of the pavement flatter (better riding) and is steeper near the edges, which helps drainage.

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

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