Madda Walabu University 1
School of Engineering & Technology
Department of Civil Engineering
CHAPTER I & II-Introduction & Route Selection
Transportation Engineering - an important component of Civil Engineering
Highway Engineering
Branch of Civil Engineering which deals in the location, design, construction, maintenance,
economics, financing, planning and programming of roads.
Deals with provisions for meeting public needs for highways, planning, design, construction,
maintenance, and rehabilitation of highways.
Economics and financing of highway construction, traffic control, safety of highways and
environmental impact of highways.
In general term highway development involves the following three basic engineering design aspects.
1. Geometric Design
2. Drainage design
3. Pavement Design
Route Selection
Basic Principle - Balance user costs and highway costs
Highway Engineering I (CEng-3182) Chapter 1 & 2 Engr. Nanette Ando-Ubaldo
Madda Walabu University 2
School of Engineering & Technology
Department of Civil Engineering
Principle:
Identification (Pre-Feasibility Study)
Study Existing Information (Desk Study)
o Conducted in office prior to any field investigation
o Obtained from existing reports, maps, etc
o Collect and evaluate all available information of the area
Technical or Engineering –related (topography, geology, climate, ADT)
Social and demographic (land-use, zoning)
Environmental
Wildlife, historic, archeological, recreational
Pollution (air, noise, water)
Economic
Construction, maintenance and operational costs
Trends in area economic activities
Conduct Reconnaissance Survey
o Aerial photography is used, get more information from:
Satellite images
Topographical Map
Geological map, agricultural maps, natural resource maps
o Factors considered:
Terrain and soil conditions
Availability of construction materials, water
Serviceability to industrial and population areas
Intersections with other transportation facilities
Rivers, railroads, other highways
Directness of route
o Establish control points, if any
Highway Engineering I (CEng-3182) Chapter 1 & 2 Engr. Nanette Ando-Ubaldo
Madda Walabu University 3
School of Engineering & Technology
Department of Civil Engineering
Feasibility Study
Highway Engineering I (CEng-3182) Chapter 1 & 2 Engr. Nanette Ando-Ubaldo
Madda Walabu University 4
School of Engineering & Technology
Department of Civil Engineering
Evaluation Summary Table
Evaluation Results
Criteria
Alternative I Alternative II Alternative III
Length
Design Control
Cut & Fill Balance
Need for Special Structure
Environmental Impact
Potential High Cost Item
Highway Engineering I (CEng-3182) Chapter 1 & 2 Engr. Nanette Ando-Ubaldo
Madda Walabu University 5
School of Engineering & Technology
Department of Civil Engineering
Feasibility Study
Evaluating route alternatives
o Use preliminary alignments to perform
Economic evaluation
Environmental evaluation
o At this stage, environmental impact studies are conducted for each alternative, when
required
o Select the best alternative as preliminary alignment
Preliminary Design Stage
Final Location Survey
o Involves detailed layout of selected route
o Establishes final horizontal and vertical alignments
o Establishes final positions of structures and drainage channels
o Establish special requirements
Recreational areas
Schools
Survey Techniques
o Remote sensing aerial photos
o Computer graphics – GIS (Geographic Information System) and others
o Ground Survey – transit and level and EDM (Electromagnetic Distance Measurement) ,
Total Station
The Design Process
o Draw typical section to define the transverse limits of the road
o Define horizontal alignment
o Determine existing ground profile
o Determine plan grade
o Draw cross-sections at selected stations
o Determine earthwork
o Repeat
Earthwork
o A major component of any road construction project. On most jobs it is desirable to
minimize earthwork to lower the cost of the project
To do this, consider the following:
Horizontal Alignment
o Avoid major terrain problems and use of the tips provided in design
guides
Vertical Alignment
o Follow the terrain
o Balance earthwork
o Meet existing controls
o Other considerations such as depressed or elevated roads
Highway Engineering I (CEng-3182) Chapter 1 & 2 Engr. Nanette Ando-Ubaldo
