SIMPLE CURVE

1. Two tangents intersecting at STA.V 5+156 have an angle of intersection of 40°. These are to
be connected by simple curve with radius of 210.27. Determine station PC and PT.
5+156 Solution:
40° Sta. PC = Sta. PI - T
I 40 °
T = R tan 210.27 tan
2 2
PC PT T = 73.26
Sta. PC= (5+156) - 73.26
Sta. PC= 5+082.74
R = 210. 27 Sta. PT = Sta. PC + Lc
20 I
Lc =
D
20(40 °)
Lc =
1145.916/201.27
Lc = 140.57m
Sta. PT= Sta. PC+ Lc
Sta. PT= (5+082.74) + 140.57
Sta. PT = 5+223.25
2. A circular curve has an angle of intersection of 32°20’. If the distance is 17.78m and the point
of intersection is at 68+080, find its radius, tangents, station PC and PT and the degree of curve.
32°20’ Solution:s
I
17.78 E= R ( sec −1)
2

1
PC PT 17.78= R
[( cos
32° 20 '
2 ) ] -1 = 0.0041

R = 431.84
 1145.916
D= D= 2.65°
431.84
I 32° 20 '
(
M= R- 1 cos
2 ) (
431.84 1 cos
2 ) (431.84)(0.039)

M= 17.08m
32° 20'
C = 2 (431.84) sin C= 241.80m
2
20(32 ° 20 ' )
Lc =
2.65
Lc= 244.025
32° 20 '
T= 431.84 tan T = 125.19
2
Sta. PC = (68+080) - 125.19 Sta. PC = 67+954.81
Sta. PT = 67+954.81 + 244.025 Sta. PT = 68+198.84m

3. In a railroad simple curve, if the angle of intersection of tangents is 63°04’. And its tangent
distance of 70.40 m. What is the length of the long chord?

Solution
I
T = R tan
2
T
R= 63° 04 ’ R = 114.73m
tan
2
I 63° 04 ’
C= 2Rsin C= 2(114.73)sin
2 2
C= 120.0m
COMPOUND CURVE
1. 1. A compound curve laid on their tangents have the following data : I1 = 31° , I2 = 36 °, D1 =
3° and D2 = 5 °. Find the length of the common tangent passing thru the P.C.C.

1145.916
First fine the R =
D
1145.916
R1 =
3°
R1 = 381.972m
1145.916
R2 =
5°
R2 = 229.183m
T = T1 + T2
I1 31°
T1 = R1 tan T1 = 381.972 tan
2 2
T1 = 105.93 m
I2 36 °
T2 = R2 tan T2 = 229.183 tan
2 2
T2 = 74.47 m
T = 105.93 + 74.47 T = 180.4m

2. A PI is located at station 38+00.00 with a left deflection of 72°00'00"L. The compound curve
begins at sta 33+50.00. The first curve has a 700.00 ft radius and 30°00'00" central angle.
Determine the radius and central angle of the
second curve and the length of both curves.

Since we have the radius and central angle of

the first curve, we can compute its tangent:
Compute Δ2 using Equation D-1

Determine the distance from the PI1 to the PI which is a

side of the triangle.

The distance between PI1 and PI2 is the sum of the curve tangents. Using the Law of Sines and
the known T1, we can compute T2.

Using T2 and Δ2, R2 can be determined.

Finally, compute each curve's length.

3. A PI is located at 55+69.23 with a deflection angle between tangents of 85°00'00"R. The
compound curve must begin 463.64 ft before the PI and end 405.60 ft after. Central angles of the
two curves are 30°00'00" and 55°00'00" respectivley. Determine the radius of each curve,

Because we only have angles of the vertex triangle with no distances (and insufficient given data
to compute any), the curve system can't be solved that way. Instead, we will use the traverse
method.

To start, the curve system is rotated to make the initial radial line run North. Then using right
angles and Δs, bearings of the other lines can be determined.

Updated sketch with bearings:

Compute Latitudes and Departures:

 Line Bearing Length Latitude Departure
O1-BC1 North R1 R1 0.00
BC1-PI East 463.64 0.00 463.64
+405.60 x
PI-EC2 S 5°00'00"E 405.60 -405.60 x cos(5°00'00")
sin(5°00'00") 
EC2-O2 S 85°00'00"W R2 -R2 x cos(85°00'00") -R2 x sin(85°00'00")
-(R1-R2) x -(R1-R2) x
O2-O1 S 30°00'00"W R1-R2
cos(30°00'00") sin(30°00'00") 

Sum and reduce the Latitudes:

Sum and reduce the Departures:

We have two equations with unknowns R1 and R2. Solve them simultaneously. We'll use
substitution.

Solve the Latitide summation for R1

Substiute the equation for R1 in the Departures summation and solve R2:

Solve R1:

With R1 and R
Reverse Curve
1. For a reverse curve, the first PI is at 33+50.15 with a 75°20'00"L deflection angle and second
PI is at 40+16.70 with a 83°50'00"R deflection angle.

The first curve has a 375.00' radius. Determine the radius of the second curve.

2. Refer to the opposite Figure, 1 and 2 are two

parallel lines, s = 250 m. We 1 B T1 V1 would like to
connect the two lines by reversed curves consisted of two
simple 1 R2 circular curves, R1 = 200 m and R2 = 300
m. Compute the main elements of F G the reversed
curves, T1 and T2, 1,2 R1 Cs and , t1 and t2. 2 O1
2 V2 T2 E Solution: T1 =  & T2 =   = 0 & 1 = 2

From the intersection point of joint tangent, C, establish a line FG parallel tolines 1 and 2;
s = BF + EG
BF = R1(1 – cos 1)
EG = R2(1 – cos 1)
s = (R1 + R2) – (R1 + R2) cos 
cos 1 = [(R1 + R2) – s]/(R1 + R2)
1 = 2 = 60 00 00
T1 = R1 tan (1/2) = 115.47 m
T2 = R2 tan (2/2) = 173.21 m

3. The perpendicular distance between two parallel tangents of a reversed curve is 35m.The
azimuth of the common tangent is 300°.If the radius of the first curve is 150m, determine the
radius of the second curve.

Solution:
R1 = a + x ; a = R 1- x
R2 = b + y ; b = R2 - y
35 = a + b
35 = (R1- x) + (R2 - y)
cos 30° = X/150 ; x= 150 cos 30°
cos 30° = y/R2 ; y= R2 cos 30°
35 = (150 - 150 cos 30o) + (R2 - R2 cos 30o)
*Solving for R2* R2 = 111.24m