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Camp Road Maintenance

Priscilla Treadwell

By Claire Pendergast




Tip 4: Crown or Super-Elevate Your Road


These methods are the primary means of draining surface water off the road, and preventing standing water that weakens the road.  To crown means to create a high point that runs lengthwise along the center of the road. Either side of this high point is sloped gently away from the center toward the outer edge of the road. To super-elevate means to tilt the entire road surface (except the uphill shoulder) in one direction so that water from the entire width of the road flows off as sheet flow to the side of the road. Super-elevating or crowning are the quickest ways to get water off the road, preventing significant erosion of the road surface. Depending on the road width, super-elevation has the advantage of being easier to maintain during grading and plowing.


A flat road allows water to puddle on the road surface, creating potholes or eroding the road surface. Potholes continue to grow each time a vehicle splashes through them, resulting in the loss of fine clay particles that are necessary for a good road surface. Standing water seeps into the roadbed, weakening the road and making it susceptible to tire rutting. Proper grading will prevent potholes from forming and provide a safer surface for travel. The figures below show how crowning and super-elevation promote surface water drainage.


A general rule for level or gently-sloping gravel roads is ½ -inch of crown or super-elevation per foot of road width. A slope of ¾ -inch per foot of road width may be necessary for steeper sections to counteract the tendency of water to travel downhill over the road surface. Crowns greater than ¾ -inch per foot are not generally recommended, as they can be difficult to maintain and drive over. Crowning should be done annually because snow plowing and normal use flattens the road over the course of a year. While super-elevation of the road was traditionally done on curves for safety reasons, super-elevating the road in any section is also a way to direct water off the road as nonerosive sheet flow. Following the natural contours of the landscape is a good way to determine which direction to tilt the road.


Please find more detailed information regarding Camp Road Maintenance at https://www.maine.gov/dep/land/watershed/camp/road/gravel_road_manual.pdf

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