| Hairpin Turn |
Article Index for Hairpin |
Website Links For Turn |
Information AboutHairpin Turn |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT HAIRPIN TURN | |
| road transport | |
| railway track layouts | |
|
) from which a hairpin turn gets its name]] in Italy .]] in France]] in Riverside, California .]] A hairpin turn (also hairpin bend, hairpin corner, etc.), named for its resemblance to a hairpin/ Bobby Pin , is a bend in a road with a very acute inner angle, making it necessary for an oncoming vehicle to turn almost 180º to continue on the road. Such turns in ramps and Trails may be called '''switchbacks''' in American English , by analogy with Switchback Railways . In British English 'switchback' is more likely to refer to a heavily undulating road—a use extended from the rollercoaster and The ''other'' Type of switchback railway. Hairpin turns are often built when a route climbs up or down a steep slope, so that it can travel mostly across the slope with only moderate steepness, and are often arrayed in a zigzag pattern. Highway s with repeating hairpin turns allow easier, safer ascents and descents of mountainous terrain than a direct, steep climb and descent, at the price of greater distances of travel. Highways of this style are also generally less costly to build and maintain than highways with Tunnel s. On occasion, the road may loop completely, using a tunnel or bridge to cross itself (example on Reunion Island : ). In trail building, an alternative to switchbacks is the Stairway . ROADS WITH SWITCHBACKS Some roads with switchbacks (hairpin turns) include: Europe :
USA:
Americas:
Asia:
Australia:
MOTORSPORTS Many venues used for motor racing incorporate hairpin turns in the racecourse even if the terrain is relatively level. In this case the purpose is to provide a greater challenge to the drivers or simply increase the lap length without increasing the area occupied by the track. RAILWAYS If a railway curves back on itself like a hairpin turn, it is called a Horseshoe Curve . See Hillclimbing (railway) for other railway ascent methods. REFERENCES |
|
|