This document discusses vertical alignment in road design. It defines vertical alignment as the vertical aspect of the road profile, including crest and sag curves. It describes the basic components of vertical alignment as grade and vertical curves. Grade is the slope of the road expressed as a percentage, while vertical curves are parabolic curves that provide gradual transitions between different grades to allow comfortable driving. The document discusses types of vertical curves such as sag curves at the bottom of hills and crest curves at the tops of hills, as well as symmetrical and unsymmetrical curves. It provides the equations used to design different types of vertical curves.