PLANNING AND ALIGNMENT

SURVEYS
HIGHWAY PLANNING SURVEYS
For assessing road length required, for a district, field surveys are carried out to
collect the data. The field survey thus required for collecting the factual data may be called
as planning survey.

The planning survey consists of the following studies.

• Economic studies

• Financial studies

• Traffic or road use studies

• Engineering studies
HIGHWAY ALIGNMENT
• The position or lay out of centre line of the highway on the ground is called the
alignment.

• It includes straight path, gradient and curves.

• Due to improper alignment , the disadvantages are;

Increase in construction cost

Increase in maintenance cost

Increase in vehicle operation cost

Increase in accident cost

REQUIREMENTS OF HIGHWAY ALIGNMENT
• Desirable to have a short alignment between two
Short terminal stations

• Easy to construct and maintain the road with

Easy minimum problem also easy for operation of vehicle

Safe • Safe enough for construction and maintenance

• Total cost including initial cost, maintenance cost

Economical and vehicle operation cost should be minimum
FACTORS AFFECTING ROAD ALIGNMENT
Availability of Low grades easy
Obligatory points
construction material curves

Crossings Geological features Proper drainage

Traffic Land acquisition Economic factor

miscellaneous
OBLIGATORY POINTS
• Obligatory points through which alignment is to pass
Examples:-bridge site, important town , Mountain pass etc.
• Obligatory points through which alignment should not pass.
Examples:-religious places, costly structure, unsuitable land etc.
LOW GRADES & EASY CURVES
Necessary to sacrifice the directness of road
CROSSING
Provision of stream crossing, river crossing and railway crossing
GEOLOGICAL FEATURES
No serious difficulties are met with earthwork, landslide
TRAFFIC
Origin and destination survey should be carried out in the area and the desire lines be drawn
showing the trend of traffic flow.
ENGINEERING SURVEYS FOR LOCATION OF HIGHWAY ALIGNMENT
Map study

Reconnaissance
survey

Preliminary
survey

Final location
and detailed
surveys
 MAP STUDY
• Rivers, hills, valleys are shown
• Survey of india 15-30 m contour intervals
• Alternative routes can be suggested
RECONNAISSANCE SURVEY
Objective:
• To examine the general character of the area
• To collect the info. About the important features of the area
Details to be collected :
Valleys, ponds, lakes, marshy land, hill, permanent structure
and other obstruction.
Value of gradient, length of gradient and radius of curve
Number and type of cross drainage structures.
 High flood level
Soil characteristics.
 Geological features.
 Source of construction materials- stone quarries, water
sources.
 PRELIMINARY SURVEY PROCEDURE : PRELIMINARY SURVEY

Objective : Primary traverse

Topographical features
• Survey the various alternative
Levelling work
alignments and to collect all the
necessary physical information and Drainage study
detail of topography, drainage and soil.
Soil survey
• To compare the different proposals
• To estimate quantity of earthwork Material survey
materials and other construction aspect Traffic survey
and to workout the cost
Determination of final
• To finalize the best alignment center line
LOCATION SURVEY

• Also called as detailed survey

• Detail examination of the field along the alignment finally recommended during preliminary survey
is called location survey
Objects:
• Transferring the alignment on to ground
• Helpful in colleting further info. Required for preparing the detailed plans for estimation
• To determine total cost of project

Two stages of location survey:

Paper location Field location

• Major and minor control points are established on the ground and center pegs are
driven, checking the geometric design requirements.

• Centre line stacks are driven at suitable intervals, say 50m interval in plane and rolling
terrains and 20m in hilly terrain.

• Temporary B.M. are fixed at interval of about 250 m & at all drainage & under pass
structure

• Earthwork calculations and drainage details are to be workout from the level books.

• Cross sectional levels are taken at intervals of 50-100m in Plane terrain, 50-75m in
Rolling terrain, 20m in Hill terrain.
• All topographical details are noted down and also plotted using conventional sign

• Hydrological details are also collected and recorded

• Detailed soil survey is carried out to enable drawing of soil profile

• CBR value of the soils along the alignment may be determined for design of pavement

• Data during detailed survey should be elaborate & complete for preparing detailed plan,
design & estimates of the projects
 DRAWING REQUIRED FOR HIGHWAY PROJECT

• shows proposed and existing roads and important places to be

Key map connected

Index map • Show the general topography of area by symbol

• Show the details of various alternative alignments and all the

Preliminary survey plans
info. Collected during preliminary survey

• Show all general details such as buildings, wells, nature of

Land acquisition plans
gradient

Detailed cross section • Detail cross section for a distance of about 25 m on either side of
center line

• Show the ground plan with alignment and boundaries ,contour at

Detailed plan and longitudinal section
interval of 1 or 2 m in plain country

• Also Drawings of cross drainage and other retaining structures , Drawings of road , intersections, Land plans
showing quarries etc
FACTORS AFFECTING SELECTION OF A BRIDGE SITE

Width of river
Straight reach
Foundation
River banks
Square alignment
Materials and labour
Velocity of flow
Free board
Minimum obstruction to waterway
Absence of scouring and silting
No confluence of large tributaries
Adequate vertical height
STAGES OF BRIDGE INVESTIGATION

• Reconnaissance survey
• Preliminary survey
• Detailed survey and project report