Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
superelevation

superelevation

1 8.6
A raised outer edge on a curved road or track to help vehicles turn safely
  • noun
  • /ˌsuːpərˈɛləˌveɪʃən/
  • Specialized
: superelevación
  • The engineers designed the highway with a significant superelevation to improve safety on the sharp curves.

Examples

  • To enhance the driving experience, the road has been constructed with an appropriate superelevation for smoother handling during turns.

  • This set of road cross-section drawings shows (A) two lanes of travel in one direction, (B) two lanes of opposite travel, (C) the shoulders, (D) drainage, (E) median, and at the bottom, a superelevation or cross-section of a banked curve.

    Academic text (2012)

  • Proper superelevation helps vehicles maintain their speed while navigating through tight turns.

Surface Forms

superelevation singular
superelevations plural

Morphology

superelevation = elevation (semi-transparent) = super + elevation

Form is clearly 'super' + 'elevation' but the precise engineering sense (raising the outer edge of a curve) is specialized and may not be fully predictable to a general learner.

Etymology

Superelevation comes from the parts super- 'over' and elevation 'a raising', like the familiar word 'elevator'. So it means lifting the outer side of a road or railway 'over' the inner side, tilting the curve like a racetrack so vehicles can turn safely.