12/4/2016

Toomanystandards(2)|ComparativeGeometrics

ComparativeGeometrics
thedimensionsofhighwayengineering

Toomanystandards(2)
Postedon03/03/2014

Introduction
Iamnotsurebywhatprocesssomeonedecidesthatahighwaydesignstandardneedsupdating.Maybeit
happensonaregularbasis,perhapseveryfiveyearsorperhapssomeonedecidesthattherehavebeensomany
changesindesignphilosophythatanewstandardisessential.Whateverthecase,overrecentyearsseveral
countrieshavedecidedtoupdatetheirstandards.
Forexample,in2013theAfghanistanNationalStandardsAuthorityissuedarequestforthepreparationofnew
standardsandregulations,andin2011QatarannouncedtheawardfortheupdatingoftheQatarhighwaydesign
manual.
Onequestionthatarisesis,whetheranyofthesenewstandardsofferanythingnewtothehighwayengineering
community.Asabriefcheckofthis,detailsonsidefrictionandhorizontalradiushavebeenextractedfrom
recentlyupdatedstandardsforNigeria,Tanzania,GeorgiaandAlbania.Thesedetailsarecomparedwith
benchmarkfigurestakenfromanationalstandardfromSwitzerland.
Nigeria
In2013theRoadSectorDevelopmentTeamoftheFederalMinistryofWorks,withtheassistanceofthe
consultantsRoyalHaskoningDHV,producedanupdateoftheNigeriasHighwayManual.Part1,volumeIofthe
manualcoversGeometricDesign.
Tanzania
TheTanzaniaMinistryofWorksintroducedanewroadgeometricdesignmanualin2011.Thedevelopmentofthe
newmanualwasfinancedbytheTanzanianGovernmentandpreparedthroughtechnicalcooperationbetween
theMinistryofWorks(MOW),theTanzaniaNationalRoadsAgency(TANROADS)andtheNorwegianPublic
RoadsAdministration(NPRA).
Albania
Around2007theSpanishcompanyEPTISApreparedanewhighwaydesignmanualforAlbania.Thedocument
wasdevelopedaspartofanEUfundedprojectmanagedbytheEuropeanCommissiondelegationtoAlbania.
DocumentARDM2coversthegeometricdesignofroads.
Georgia
AspartofaWorldBankproject,newroaddesignstandardswerepreparedforGeorgiaandissuedin2009.Itis
believedthesestandardswerepreparedbyaconsultingcompanyfromGermany.
Switzerland
TheSwissorganisationVSS(AssociationofHighwayandTransportationSpecialists)isinvolvedinresearchand
standardisationinthefieldofroadsandtransportation.OneofitsdocumentsisVSS640080whichprovides
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Toomanystandards(2)|ComparativeGeometrics

detailsonthebasicsofhighwaydesign(includingdetailsonsidefrictionandhorizontalradius).
Comparisonofvaluesforside
frictionandminimum
horizontalradius
Sidefriction
ThevaluesforNigeria,Tanzania
andSwitzerlandareverysimilar:

Minimumhorizontalradius
Thevaluesforminimumhorizontalradiusareallverysimilar:

Comment
Youcouldexpectthevaluesforsidefrictionandminimumhorizontalradiustobedifferentbetweencountries.
Afterall,countriescouldexpecttohavedifferenttypicalvaluesfortypicaltyrewearorroadsurfaceconditionand
countriesmightbeexpectedtohavedifferentpoliciesonfactorsofsafetytobeappliedtoeithersidefrictionor
horizontalradius.Butwhatthetablesshowareessentiallythesamesetsofvalues.
Perhapsthevariousdevelopmentteamsdidnotmakeadequatebackgroundresearchfortheircountryofinterest
orperhaps,andatleastforthedesignofmaintrafficroutes,basicdesigndetailsarealwaysthesame.Inthiscase,
itwouldbeeasierandcheaperforacountrysuchasTanzaniatopurchaseacopyoftheSwissstandardsandissue
localdeviationnoteswherecircumstancesaresospecialtowarrantit.Afterall,thiswouldnotsetaprecedent
theRepublicofIrelandusesthisapproachinitsadoptionofUKhighwaydesignstandardsformaintrafficroutes.
TherewouldalsobetheadvantagethattheworkonupdatingdesignstandardswouldbecarriedoutbytheSwiss
organisation,andtherewouldbenoneedforTanzania(Nigeria,Georgia,Albania)tocarryouttheirownregular
updates.
References
294Tanzania,RoadGeometricDesignManual(2011ed),MinistryofWorks,2011
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Toomanystandards(2)|ComparativeGeometrics

732Switzerland,VSS640080Projektierung,Grundlagen(basicsofroaddesign),VSS1991
1155Albania,ARDM2Roaddesignmanualvol.2/geometricdesign,MPWTT,2007
1389Georgia,SSTGzebi:2009/Georgiaroaddesignstandards,LEPL2009
1505Nigeria,Highwaymanualpart1Design/vol.I:geometricdesign,FederalMinistryofWorks2013
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Aboutroadnotes
RobertBartlettisaninternationalconsultantwithover30yearsofprofessionalexperienceasahighwayandtrafficengineer
withleadingcompaniesandorganisationsinseveralcountries,includingGermany,China(HongKong),QatarandtheUK.
Specialisedinurbanstudies,transportandtheuseofGIS,researchhasincludednewideasonsubjectssuchasthestudyofsocial
justiceusingGIS,thedimensionsofvehicles,andcomparativegeometrics(highwaysandtransport).
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