Highway & Railroad Engineering
CEPC0203
02 Geometric Design of Highway and Railroad Engineering
Engr. John Denver D. Catapang
Instructor, Civil Engineering Department
Topics
Design controls and criteria
Horizontal alignment
simple curves
compound curves
reverse curves
spiral curve
Vertical alignment
crest vertical curves
sag vertical curves
Earthworks
Design Controls and Criteria
Performance Key Design
Levels Required Controls
safety design speed
efficiency traffic volume
serviceability design vehicles
other factors:
human
road’s physical elements
environment
Driver considerations
characteristics pedestrian & bicyclist outputs
information processing & safe crossing provisions reduce driver errors
reaction time separation from vehicle improve safety
visual perception traffic enhance user comfort
driver expectancy accessibility for promote accessibility
information overload differently-abled users
variability in driver abilities
Vehicle considerations
design vehicle selection
turning radii
highway grades
vehicle dimension and weights
lane width
shoulder width
bridge width and vertical clearance
pavement design
operational characteristics
acceleration and deceleration lanes
stopping sight distance
passing sight distance
vehicle mix
Braking distance
distance a vehicle travels from the
moment the brakes are applied until
it comes to a full/complete stop
vehicle speed, deceleration rate,
roadway grade, road surface
condition, vehicle condition
important for:
stopping sight distance
horizontal & vertical alignment
signal timing
Sight distance considerations
length of roadway visible to a driver, allowing them to perceive and react to
hazards, obstacles, or changes in alignment
SSD DSD PSD HSD
minimum distance drivers need necessary distance Applicable to sag
required for a driver to additional time to for a driver to safely vertical curves during
bring their vehicle to a detect, perceive, and overtake a slower nighttime conditions,
complete stop after react to unexpected vehicle considers the
perceiving a hazard information or limitations imposed
challenging roadway by vehicle headlights
conditions
Stopping sight distance
SSD values are used to determine minimum lengths
of vertical curves and minimum radii for horizontal
curves
Example 1: Determining Braking Distance
A student trying to test the braking ability of her car determined that she needed
5.64 more to stop her car when driving downhill on a road segment of 5 percent
grade than when driving downhill at the same speed along another segment of 3
percent grade. Determine the speed at which the student conducted her test and
the braking distance on the 5 percent grade if the student is traveling at the test
speed in the uphill direction.
source: Garber, N. J., Hoel, L. A. (2020). Traffic and Highway Engineering (5th ed). Cengage.
Example 1: Determining Braking Distance
answer:
test velocity = 83.96 kp/h
braking distance = 69.38 meters
source: Garber, N. J., Hoel, L. A. (2020). Traffic and Highway Engineering (5th ed). Cengage.
Example 2: Exit Ramp Deceleration Distance
A motorist traveling at 105 km/h on an expressway intends to leave the expressway
using an exit ramp with a maximum speed of 56 km/h. At what point on the
expressway should the motorist step on her brakes in order to reduce her speed to
the maximum allowable on the ramp just before entering the ramp, if this section of
the expressway has a downgrade of 3 percent?
source: Garber, N. J., Hoel, L. A. (2020). Traffic and Highway Engineering (5th ed). Cengage.
Example 2: Exit Ramp Deceleration Distance
answer:
braking distance = 97.06 meters
source: Garber, N. J., Hoel, L. A. (2020). Traffic and Highway Engineering (5th ed). Cengage.
Example 3: Distance Required to Stop for an
Obstacle on the Roadway
A motorist traveling at 88 km/h down a grade of 5 percent on a highway observes a
crash ahead of him, involving an overturned truck that is completely blocking the
road. If the motorist was able to stop his vehicle 9 m from the overturned truck,
what was his distance from the truck when he first observed the crash? Assume
perception-reaction time = 2.5 s.
source: Garber, N. J., Hoel, L. A. (2020). Traffic and Highway Engineering (5th ed). Cengage.
Example 3: Distance Required to Stop for an
Obstacle on the Roadway
answer:
stopping sight distance = 170.46 meters
source: Garber, N. J., Hoel, L. A. (2020). Traffic and Highway Engineering (5th ed). Cengage.
Example 4: Distance Required for a diversion road
A temporary diversion has been constructed on a highway of +4% grade due to
major repairs that are being undertaken on a bridge. The maximum speed allowed
on the diversion is 32 km/h. Determine the minimum distance from the diversion that
a road sign should be located informing drivers of the temporary change on the
highway. Assume that a driver can read a road sign within his or her area of vision at
a distance of 9 m for each 25 mm of letter height.
Speed limit on highway = 104 km/h
Letter height of road sign = 200 mm
Perception-reaction time = 2.5 sec
source: Garber, N. J., Hoel, L. A. (2020). Traffic and Highway Engineering (5th ed). Cengage.
Example 4: Distance Required for a diversion road
answer:
minimum distance = 99.00 meters
source: Garber, N. J., Hoel, L. A. (2020). Traffic and Highway Engineering (5th ed). Cengage.
Activity 1: Stopping Sight Distance
to be posted in your google classroom
Questions?
Thank you!
