PGSuper  4.1
Precast-prestressed Girder Bridges
Profile

The roadway profile is defined by a series of grade breaks (PVI) and vertical curves.

The profile begins with a reference point before the start of the bridge and then is defined by a sequence of vertical curves.

The entry grade of the first vertical curve and the exit grade of the last vertical curve are projected backwards and forwards along the profile.

Item Description
Station Station of the reference point
Elevation Profile elevation at the reference point
Grade Profile grade at the reference point in the direction of increasing station
Vertical Curves The vertical curves for this profile
[Add] Adds a vertical curve
[Remove] Deletes the selected vertical curves
[Sort] Sorts the vertical curves based on PVI Station

Vertical curves are defined by the following parameters:

Item Description
PVI Station Point of Vertical Intersection station
Exit Grade The profile grade at the exit point of the vertical curve
L1 Distance from the beginning of the vertical curve to the PVI, or the total length of the vertical curve if L2 is left blank
L2 Distance from the PVI to the end of the vertical curve.

NOTE: The PVI of the first vertical curve can be used as the Reference Point

NOTE: The exit grade of the previous curve is taken to be the entry grade of the next curve.

NOTE: The total length of the vertical curve is L1 + L2.

NOTE: For symmetrical vertical curves, enter the total curve length as L1 and leave L2 blank.

NOTE: Leave L1 and L2 blank to define a point of vertical intersection (PVI) for a grade break.

NOTE: While grade breaks do occur, they are not common. When a grade break is modeled, a warning will be put in the Status Center telling you that a zero-length vertical curve has been modeled. If you intended to model a grade break then no action is necessary. If you meant to model a vertical curve, then this status item will alert you to the input error.