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1.1 Problem Statement

There had been no special tools to measure the slope of road shoulder Department of Public Works just use the
leveling tool to measure the slope of the road shoulder. The most common problem is the slope of the shoulder is not
exactly measure without using a special tool. To build the shoulder of the road, the contractor usually only used
excavators (JCB) for digging and leveling the ground. Employees then only roughly estimate the percentage gradient
of the road shoulder. This scenario requires more labor to operate it. Therefore, there is a need to provide a device for
measuring the slope of the road shoulder.

2. Literature Review

Road shoulder is the road reserve on the edge of a road or highway. In general it is emptied of any type of vehicle
however, in the event of an emergency or vehicle breakdown, the driver can switch to the shoulder of the road to get
out of the traffic flow safely. The road shoulder is also useful as a measure to avoid road accidents by providing space
for the driver turned to the side if the vehicle from front failed to switch to the proper lane due to loss of control.
Emergency vehicles such as ambulances and police cars can also use the shoulder of the road to encourage congestion
on major routes. Thus, the road shoulders also known as the emergency lane.

2.1 History

Road shoulder is a continuous path element. The cross-section of the road, road shoulder position is located at the
side of the road. Road shoulder or emergency lanes usually narrow than a normal traffic lane. For roads with low
levels of geometry, there is often no road shoulder, if there were, it consists of unpaved gravel. Therefore, there are
times when the road shoulder of the road shall be so soft and not suitable in times of emergency when the vehicle from
front to avoid the loss of control. For reasons of safety, emergency lane not only paved highway built along but also
built on some major roads.

For roads with high levels of geometry, as the emergency lane paved main street. To save costs, there are times
when no emergency lanes paved in accordance with the same thickness as the main lanes, given the emergency lane is
only used in emergency only. Road shoulder is important in geometric way to fulfill functions such as: -

a) Provide space for the vehicle to stop in the event of an emergency or for a purpose.
b) As an emergency room to the vehicle to avoid an accident
c) Increased visibility can improve the level of safety.
d) Load roads can be improved and give a uniform speed.
e) For the construction of the security fence (Guard rails).
f) As a support structure for supporting the road surface.

Road shoulder width should be according to the conditions that allowed the not too narrow or there is a sharp bend.
Shoulder width road is too narrow or inadequate along a section of road causing drivers tend to drive the vehicle in the
middle of the road. This in turn resulted in the flow of traffic to slow because the vehicles had to reduce speed when
at odds with the vehicle from the front at close range.

According to standard ‘Lembaga Lebuhraya Malaysia’ (LLM), a minimum width of road shoulders in normal
conditions is 3.0 m and 2.5m of paved shoulder width. Usually, the shoulder of the road should be steeper to
accelerate surface water drainage. In general, the cross slope above the road side traffic lane cross slope for a rougher
surface texture.

* Noraidawati Nordin. Tel.: +60176660361 ; fax:06-2636687
E-mail address: noraidawati@pmm.edu.my
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