Cant is the transverse slope "Slope (geography)") that occurs in curves on the platform of a railway track or the carriageway of a road, in order to compensate with a component of its own weight, the inertia (or centrifugal force, although this name is not accurate) of the vehicle, and ensure that the total resultant of the forces remains parallel to the horizontal plane, acting as a centripetal force directed at all times towards the center of the curve. The objective of camber is to counteract the inertia that propels the vehicle towards the outside of the curve. It also has the function of evacuating water from the road (in the case of roads), requiring a minimum inclination of 0.5%.

The theoretical formula for the superelevation (valid for railways and highways), in the absence of friction, for a speed and a radius of gyration is:[1]​.

where is the cant angle. The superelevation is defined precisely as

this tangent, so it is a dimensionless magnitude.

Contenido

En los ferrocarriles, el peralte ayuda a guiar al tren en la curva, evitando que las pestañas de las ruedas toquen los carriles, reduciendo la fricción y el desgaste. Las principales funciones de los peraltes son:.

El peralte necesario en una curva depende de la velocidad esperada de los trenes y el radio "Radio (geometría)") de curvatura. Sin embargo, puede ser necesario elegir un valor de compromiso ya que hay vías por las que circulan trenes lentos de carga y de alta velocidad. Generalmente los trenes lentos desgastan el carril interno, mientras que los de alta velocidad desgastan el carril externo.

Spain

In Spain, RENFE regulations measure superelevation as the difference in elevation between one lane and another. The formula used is derived from the general formula[2]​ with its maximum being:.

With a limit of 160 millimeters and a minimum stipulated in:.

Where L is the length of the transition curve in meters, V is the speed in km/h and R is the radius of the curve in meters.