Mitigating Concentrated Sheet Flow of Water at Ends of Superelevated Curves

Alani, Adam; Roundy, Joshua; Kondyli, Alexandra

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Mitigating Concentrated Sheet Flow of Water at Ends of Superelevated Curves

2025-10-01
By Alani, Adam ; Roundy, Joshua ; Kondyli, Alexandra

File Language:

English

Details

Creators:

Alani, Adam ; Roundy, Joshua ; Kondyli, Alexandra
Corporate Creators:

University of Kansas. Dept. of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering
Corporate Contributors:

Kansas. Dept. of Transportation. Bureau of Research
Subject/TRT Terms:

Drainage Fluid Dynamics Hydraulics Hydroplaning Literature Reviews Runoff Superelevation
Publication/ Report Number:

K-TRAN: KU-22-6
Resource Type:

Tech Report
Geographical Coverage:

United States ; Kansas
Edition:

Final Report: August 2021 – January 2023
Corporate Publisher:

Kansas. Dept. of Transportation. Bureau of Research
Abstract:

Superelevated highway transitions experience an area of zero-cross slope as one side of the roadway transitions from a normal crown cross slope to superelevation. These areas of minimal transverse cross slope combined with minimal longitudinal grade can cause an increase in water accumulation on highways, which can increase the likelihood for hydroplaning. This research investigates hydroplaning and its causes using the current design literature from state departments of transportation regarding the improvement of pavement drainage to reduce the potential for hydroplaning. Engineers at the Kansas Department of Transportation identified several locations with potentially poor pavement drainage in areas of superelevation transitions, and then these locations were used to identify potential areas of problematic hydroplaning. The potentially problematic locations were then analyzed using data from digital terrain mapping and laser crack measuring systems to pinpoint specific areas near superelevated highway transitions where water accumulates to a sufficient depth; thereby, increasing the potential for hydroplaning. Several mitigation strategies are discussed for these locations, including the use of slope flow path minimization at transition areas to mediate water accumulation issues.
Format:

PDF
Funding:

C2192
Collection(s):

US Transportation Collection
Main Document Checksum:

urn:sha-512:20b62eb51fd98c28113db799c3637e1332c73850492aa2c12fede32bc7927c67d309842bee0cfadf451d684afb0869d68c87e491fdd43abe45dd4a560218346d
Download URL:

https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/87447/dot_87447_DS1.pdf
File Type:

[PDF - 5.24 MB ]

File Language:

English

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