43.6 Understanding Terms and Expressions
43.6.1 Road - Basic Terms
a Cut situation
b F
ill situation
c Centreline
d Natural surface
e Hinge point
f Catch point
g Carriage way
h Shoulder
i Slope
j Top
k Toe
Term / expression Description
Carriage way The part of the road on which users drive
onc
e the road is finished.
Shoulder or Verge Often located next to the carriage way, usu-
ally with a slightly higher slope ratio than the
carriage way.
Slope Located next to the verge and can be
thought of as linking the road level with the
natural surface. The ratio of the slope is
greater than the ratio of the verge. A slope
starts at the hinge point.
Natural surface or original
ground
The undisturbed surface before project con-
struction.
Finished road level Describes the final road surface.
Catch point or daylight
point
Indicates the point of intersection between
the slope and the natural surface. Both the
hinge point and the catch point lie on the
slope. For a cut slope, the catch point forms
part of the top of a bank. For a fill slope, the
catch point forms part of the bottom of a
bank.
Chainage or station The cumulative distance along the centreline,
frequently but not always starting at zero.
43.6.2 Road - Horizontal and Vertical Geometry Elements
The app supports the following elements in the horizontal component of align-
ments:
T
erms and expres-
sions
Horizontal alignment
686 Roads - General