Compared to the highest point on a crest vertical curve, the elevation of the Point of Vertical Intersection (PVI) is typically:

Compared to the highest point on a crest vertical curve, the elevation of the Point of Vertical Intersection (PVI) is typically:

• A. Lower
• B. Higher
• C. Cannot determine
• D. Equal

Answer: (B)

The point of vertical intersection is where the extensions of the tangents to the parabolic vertical curve at the ends would meet. For a crest vertical curve, the curve is concave downward, and the slopes at the ends have opposite signs. When you extend those tangents, they cross above the curve’s highest point (the vertex). That means the PVI occurs at an elevation higher than the crest’s maximum elevation. The higher the curvature or the longer the transition, the further above the crest the PVI tends to be. So the best answer is that the PVI is higher than the highest point on the crest.

The point of vertical intersection is where the extensions of the tangents to the parabolic vertical curve at the ends would meet. For a crest vertical curve, the curve is concave downward, and the slopes at the ends have opposite signs. When you extend those tangents, they cross above the curve’s highest point (the vertex). That means the PVI occurs at an elevation higher than the crest’s maximum elevation. The higher the curvature or the longer the transition, the further above the crest the PVI tends to be. So the best answer is that the PVI is higher than the highest point on the crest.