CVE 363

Highway Design

Highway Location and Highway Geometric Design

Reading: Text Book: Chp14, Chp15

Route location
Route location is an important step in the design process.
It involves many factors related to both physical and
political nature.
Route Location is based on
 Topography (what is this?)
 Soils (why ?)
 Environment (why ?)
 Economics (why ?)
 Politics (why ?)
Phases of Route Location
 Office Study
 Reconnaissance
 Preliminary Location
 Final Location
Locational Design
Iterative process
Socioeconomic and environmental impacts are considered
Most economical route for the user and the economy is selected
Satellite imagery made process extremely easy & quick
Useful locational planning & design information:
 Land use, population density, and distribution
 Rural vs. Urban
 Regional geology
 Rock type, soil type,
 Future potential expansion
 Industrial, farm, residential, commercial, or recreational development
 Existing infrastructure
 Expand to existing or build new facility
 Photographs of controlling features
 Hills, rivers, vegetation
 Photogrammetric maps of area
 Used in CAD to visual see alternative designs
Phases of Route Location
1. Office Study of Existing Info
 Examine available engineering, social/demographic, environmental, & economic
data
 Outcome: select general areas for road
2. Reconnaissance Survey
 Identify several feasible routes using aerial photography, remote sensing (and
GIS),
 Determine control points at both ends for each route
3. Preliminary Location Survey
 Determine preliminary vertical and horizontal alignments for each feasible route
 Evaluate alternatives based on economic, environmental
 Select best alternative
4. Final Location Survey
 Prepare detailed layout of selected route
 Determine horizontal and vertical alignment
 Establish horizontal and vertical controls. What are these?
 Locate structures and important features
 Carry out detailed horizontal and vertical controls
Route/Highway Location Methods
1. Surveying
 Traditional surveying (distance and angle measurements –CVE241/242)
 Advanced surveying (GPS surveys –CVE241/242)

2. Aerial Photography ( a form of remote sensing?!…see below)

 The term “photogrammetry” is composed of the words “photo” and “meter”
meaning measurements from photographs.
 Applications of photogrammetry in transportation engineering include
topographic mapping, site planning, earthwork volume estimation for proposed
roads, compilation of digital elevation models (DEM), and image base mapping
(orthophotography).
3. Satellite Remote Sensing
 The art, science and technology of obtaining reliable information about physical
objects and the environment, through processes of recording, measuring, and
interpreting satellite images.
4. LIDAR Mapping (terrestrial and Airborne)
 LIDAR stands for Light Detection and Ranging; the process of producing a
cloud of points in x,y, and z format that represents the terrain surface.
 The LIDAR device emits laser beam that is reflected from a mirror and directed
at the earth surface. As laser is reflected by the earth surface, the time and
reflectance are measured and elevations are calculated.
Route Location is known…what is next
Once the general location for the route is known the design process
develops in a straight forward manner as follows:
 Draw typical section to define the transverse limits of the road
 Define horizontal alignment
 Determine existing ground profile
 Determine plan grade
 Determine /Draw X-sections at selected stations
 Determine earthwork
Earthwork is 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 when
 Selecting horizontal alignment
 Avoid major terrain problems and use some of the tips provided in the AASHTO
Design guide.
 Selecting vertical alignment
 Follow the terrain
 Balance earthwork
 Meet existing control
 Other considerations such as depressed or elevated roads
Route/Highway Design Concepts

Geometric alignment is a 3D problem broken down into

two 2D problems:
 Horizontal Alignment (plan view)
 Horizontal Alignment is a combination of tangents, horizontal curves and
spirals which defines the horizontal location of a roadway
 Vertical Alignment (profile view)
 Vertical Alignment is a combination of tangent grades and vertical curves
which defines the vertical location of a roadway

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3D Perspective

2D Plan
(Horizontal)

2D Profile
(Vertical)
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Road Plan and Profile

9
Stationing:
Distance Referencing Along Horizontal Alignment

Horizontal Alignment

Vertical Alignment

Each roadway point is uniquely defined by stationing along the x-axis. E.g., station 345+60
or @ the 345th 100 ft-station and 60 ft toward the 346th 100 ft (30 m)-station)
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Horizontal Alignment ∆

Definition:
 Straight segments of road (tangents) connected by suitable curves (horizontal
curves).

Objective:
 Establish geometry of directional transition to ensure safety and comfort

Primary challenges
 Transition between two directions using tangents and curves
 Relationship between design speeds and curvature
 Relationships with superelevation and side friction

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Horizontal Alignment

Tangents Curves

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Tangents & Curves

Tangent

Curve

Tangent to
Circular Curve

Tangent to
Spiral Curve to
Circular Curv13e
Horizontal Alignment
Concept

What is the horizontal

alignment
 Projection of the facility on
a horizontal plane
Alignment elements
 Tangents  Straight
sections
 Circular (Simple) curves
 Curves with constant
radius
 Transitional elements 
Curves with varying radius
used to transition between
tangents and circular
curves
Properties of Simple Curves
Arc and Chord

Arc
 Distance between two points along the
edge of a curve measured along the curve

Chord
 Distance between two points along the
edge of a curve measured as a straight
line
Properties of Simple Curves
Degree of Curvature

Degree of curvature  Expression of the length of a curve

 Equivalent to specifying the radius of a curve
 Should not be confused with external angle , which is the total central angle
subtended by the entire length of the curve

Can be defined in terms of arc and chord

Arc  Angle Dsubtended Chord  Angle D subtended
at the center by a at the center by a
circular arc 100 ft 100 ft chord
in length
50
R
D
100

D sin  
2R 360 o 2
 5729.58 
o

R  
 D 
Properties of Simple Curves
General Equations

(along curve)

: External angle of deflection (central

angle subtended by the entire curve)

 
L  2R  
 360 
Horizontal Curve Stationing
Properties of Simple Curves
Examples 1- 2

Example 1: What is the length of a

curve with a radius of 1500 ft and a
deflection angle of 15o
 
R  1500ft L  2R  
 360 
  15o
 2(1500) 15 
 360 
 392.70 ft

Example 2: What is the length of the

long chord of the curve of example 1?
R  1500ft LC  2R sin  
 2
  15o
 2(1500)sin 15 
 2
 391.58 ft
Properties of Simple Curves
Example 3

Example 3: What is the station of PT for a horizontal curve with the

following characteristics:
  
R  2175 ft T  R tan L  2R  
2  360 
T  420ft
 
PI  31 03.0 420  2175tan  21. 9
2 L  22175  
 3 60 
tan   0.193
2 L  831.3 ft

 10.93
2
  21.9o

Station of PC  PI T
 31 03.0 - 4  20.0 
 26  83.0

Station of PT  Station of PC  L
 26  83.0  8  31.
3
 35  14.3
Determination of Design Curve Radius

Recall the relation between superelevation, speed and curve radius shown
earlier
v2
e  fs 
gR

Maximum design values for superelevation

 Allowable design value: e = 0.12
 Suggested maximum design value: e = 0.10
e = 0.08 where snow and ice conditions occur

When considering maximum values for superelevation, the minimum

radius of a curve can be calculated by the following equations
o
v 2  5729.58 
emax  fs  Dmax  
gRmin  Rmin 
o
v 2  5729.58  Maximum degree of
Rmin  Rmin   
ge max  fs   Dmax  curvature allowed
Determination of Design Curve Radius

Example: Determine the minimum radius (measured to the travel path) of a

curve having the following characteristics:
v2
v  75 mph 110 ft/s emax  fs 
gRmin
e  0.08
fs  0.09 110 2
0.08  0.09
32.2Rmin
Rmin  2009.5 ft

Does a minimum curve radius means a desirable radius?

 No, as this may be uncomfortable for driving and present more safety risks
 Whenever possible, curve radius longer than the minimum should be selected

Formula for calculating the design value of the superelevation associated

with a given radius
v2
edes  f for R  Rmin
gR s`