Geometric Design

By
Harikrishna gaddam
Assistant Professor
Department of Civil Engineering
Horizontal Alignment
Objective:
Geometry of directional transition to ensure:
Safety
Comfort
Primary challenge
Transition between two directions
Horizontal curves
Fundamentals
Circular curves
Superelevation

Horizontal Alignment
Components of Highway Design
Plan View
Profile View
Horizontal Alignment
Vertical Alignment
Horizontal Alignment
Tangents Curves
Tangents & Curves
Tangent
Curve
Tangent to
Circular Curve
Tangent to
Spiral Curve to
Circular Curve
Layout of a Simple Horizontal Curve
R = Radius of Circular Curve
BC = Beginning of Curve
(or PC = Point of Curvature)
EC = End of Curve
(or PT = Point of Tangency)
PI = Point of Intersection
T = Tangent Length
(T = PI BC = EC - PI)
L = Length of Curvature
(L = EC BC)
M = Middle Ordinate
E = External Distance
C = Chord Length
= Deflection Angle


Properties of Circular Curves
Degree of Curvature
Traditionally, the steepness of the curvature is defined by either the
radius (R) or the degree of curvature (D)
In highway work we use the ARC definition
Degree of curvature = angle subtended by an arc of length 100 feet

Degree of Curvature
Equation for D
Degree of curvature = angle subtended by an arc of length 100 feet

By simple ratio: D/360 = 100/2*Pi*R

Therefore

R = 5730 / D

(Degree of curvature is not used with metric units
because D is defined in terms of feet.)


Length of Curve

By simple ratio: D/ = ?

D/ = 100/L

L = 100 / D

Therefore

L = 100 / D
Or (from R = 5730 / D, substitute for D = 5730/R)

L = R / 57.30

(D is not .)


Horizontal Curve Fundamentals
R
T
PC
PT
PI
M
E
R

/2 /2
/2
R R
D
t
t 000 , 18
180
100
=
|
.
|

\
|
=
2
tan
A
= R T
D
R L
A
= A =
100
180
t
L
Horizontal Curve Fundamentals
|
|
.
|

\
|

A
= 1
2 cos
1
R E
|
.
|

\
|
A
=
2
cos 1 R M
R
T
PC
PT
PI
M
E
R

/2 /2
/2
L
Example 1
A horizontal curve is designed with a 1500 ft.
radius. The tangent length is 400 ft. and the PT
station is 20+00. What are the PI and PT
stations?
Centripetal or Centrifugal?
As a vehicle moves in a circular path
Centripetal acceleration acts on the vehicle in the direction of
the center of the curve
The acceleration is sustained by
Component of the vehicles weight related to the roadway
superelevation
Side friction developed between the vehicles tires and the
pavement surface
Or a combination of the two

Centrifugal Force
Imaginary force that drivers believe is pushing
them outward while maneuvering a curve
In fact, the force they feel is the vehicle being
accelerated inward towards the center of the
curve
Centripetal Acceleration
Is counter-balanced by two factors:
Superelevation
Side Friction Factor
Research has been conducted (dated) that has
established limiting values for superelevation rate (e
max) and side friction demand (f max)
Applying the limiting values results in the minimum curve
radius for various design speeds
Superelevation
Limits of the rate superelevation are related to
Climate
Ice and snow can slow vehicles. Should not create a situation
where these vehicles slide into the center of the curve when
traveling slowly or standing still.
Constructability (cost)
Adjacent land use
Frequency of slow moving vehicles

Superelevation
Too much super
When traveling slowly, must steer up the slope or against
the horizontal curve to maintain proper path
Undesirable to have such situations when slow traveling
traffic can occur often (urban areas with congestion)
Considerations for SUV traffic, high center of gravity, can
cause roll-overs on such designs
Superelevation
cp f p
F F W = +
o o o o cos sin cos sin
2 2
v v
s
gR
WV
gR
WV
W f W =
|
|
.
|

\
|
+ +

F
c
W 1 ft
e

R
v

Superelevation
o o o o cos sin cos sin
2 2
v v
s
gR
WV
gR
WV
W f W =
|
|
.
|

\
|
+ +
( ) o o tan 1 tan
2
s
v
s
f
gR
V
f = +
( ) e f
gR
V
f e
s
v
s
= + 1
2
( ) e f g
V
R
s
v
+
=
2
Side Friction Factor
The vehicles need for side friction to maintain
path on curve
Upper limit of side friction is the point at which a
tire would begin to skid, point of impending skid
We design for safety, so f values substantially less
than this
Side Friction Factor
How do we choose maximum side friction factors
for use in design?
We measure the level of centripetal or lateral
acceleration that causes drivers to react
instinctively to choose a lower speed.
We set this as the maximum side friction factor.
Maximum Rates of Superelevation
Controlled by four factors:
Climate conditions (snow/ice regions)
Terrain conditions (flat, rolling, mountainous)
Type of area (rural, urban, suburban)
Frequency of very slow-moving vehicles
Conclusion: no universal e
max
can be set
However, for similar areas, a consistent maximum
superelevation should be selected
Recommended Practice
12 percent superelevation should not be
exceeded
4 or 6 percent superelevation is applicable for
urban design with little constraints
Superelevation may be omitted on low-speed
urban streets where severe constraints exist
Minimum Radius
Controls design speed
Can be determined from the max
superelevation and the max side friction factor
Can be calculated from equation 3.34 or
determined from Table 3.5
Example Minimum Radius
EX: 70 mph design speed; e = 8%; f
s
= 0.10,
Determine the minimum radius of curve
(measured to the traveled path).

Example Continued
f t R
R
e
f g
V
R
v
v
s
v
40 . 1819
) 08 . 0 10 . 0 ( 2 . 32
) 467 . 1 70 (
100
2
2
=
+

=
|
.
|

\
|
+
=