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Highway geometry – vertical alignment part 2

Road Profile Drawing – Vertical Alignment Part 2

Enter or import the PVIs (PGL) and the existing ground levels (NSL), edit them in the tables, and get a scaled road profile with parabolic vertical curves, PGL, data band and title block, cut into sheets. Print or save as PDF at true scale, export to Excel, or download a DXF for AutoCAD / MicroStation.

by Shahid Pervaiz: pervaiz.shahid@gmail.com

How to use the Road Profile Drawing tool

Everything runs in your browser – nothing is uploaded. If you are new to the tool, follow these steps in order.

1

Enter the PVIs (PGL) and the ground levels (NSL)

Type into the PVI chain (PGL) table and the Ground levels (NSL) table, or copy rows in Excel and paste them into a cell. Press Enter to move down.

Preparing your own data – the easy way: press Load Sample Data, then ⬇ Export to Excel (.xlsx). That workbook is your template: replace the sample rows with your own (keep the heading row), save it, and bring it back with ⬆ Import from Excel (.xlsx). Its Settings sheet holds the drawing settings and title block, so you can fill those in Excel too.

SheetColumns, in this order
PVI chainPVI No. · Chainage (m) · Elevation (m) · Curve length L (m)
Horizontal curvesCurve No. · Start chainage PC · End chainage PT · Radius · Direction L / R
SuperelevationChainage · Left edge % · Right edge %
Ground levelsChainage (m) · Ground level
  • One row per PVI, chainage increasing. Your PGL.TXT and NSL.TXT files (values separated by spaces or commas) import as they are.
  • L is the length of the symmetric parabolic vertical curve at that PVI – 0 for an angle point without a curve; the first and last PVI have none.
  • The ground levels are optional: leave that table empty and only the PGL is drawn.
  • CSV / TXT files work too: ↑ Import Table (.csv) on each table reads the same comma-separated files the MicroStation macro used (a heading row is allowed), and ↓ Export Table (.csv) gives you a CSV template.
2

Check the design

The Checks box lists typing mistakes, overlapping vertical curves and K values below the AASHTO minimum for the design speed. The Vertical curve schedule gives the grades, A, L, K, PVC, PVT and the high / low point of every PVI.

3

Set the drawing and the title block

  • Drawing settings – scales (pick from the list or type any), paper, how strips are cut, grid, datum, level interval, design speed. With Auto text size ticked the text height suits the scale.
  • Title block – pick a seal style and fill in project, client (name and logo), consultant, drawing number, revisions and initials. Each sheet gets its own chainage range and drawing number.
4

Print, PDF, DXF and report

There are two outputs, so the drawings and the report can be issued separately:

  • 📐 Generate A3 Drawing Set – the drawings: a short form for the cover (this tool's A3 cover with your details, your own cover image, or no cover), then a new tab with the cover and every profile sheet at true scale. Print it with Scale = 100%, or choose Save as PDF.
  • 📄 Generate Report (A4) – the design report, like the other engineering tools: the report form (project details, consultant, cover choice, project introduction), then a new tab with the A4 cover, project data, checks, vertical curve schedule and level table. If nothing opens, allow pop-ups for this site.
  • ⬇ Download DXF gives all sheets for AutoCAD / MicroStation, drawn in paper millimetres (plot at 1:1).
5

Save your project and open it later

💾 Save Project (.json) saves everything in one file; 📂 Load Project opens it again on any computer. ＋ New Project clears the page. While Autosave in this browser is ticked, your work also comes back the next time you open the page on this computer.

6

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1 · PVI chain (PGL)

One row per PVI: PVI no., chainage, elevation and the vertical curve length L (0 for none). Your PGL.TXT file imports as it is. Edit any cell, press Enter to go down, or paste rows copied from Excel into a cell. Import takes the same CSV/TXT file the MicroStation macro used.

2 · Ground levels (NSL)

Existing ground (NSL) along the road: chainage and level. Your NSL.TXT file imports as it is.

3 · Horizontal alignment (curves)

One row per horizontal curve: curve no., start chainage PC, end chainage PT, radius and direction L or R. Empty = the road is drawn as a tangent.

4 · Superelevation

Crossfall of the left and right edges about the PGL (axis of rotation), in %, at the chainages where it changes; straight between rows. Outside the table the normal crossfall applies.

5 · Drawing settings

6 · Title block

Checks

Vertical curve schedule

Drawing sheets

Print tip: in the print dialog keep Scale = 100% (not “Fit”), margins none. Choose “Save as PDF” to get a PDF of every sheet at its paper size. The DXF is drawn in paper millimetres (1 unit = 1 mm on the sheet), like the MicroStation macro – plot it at 1:1.