Plane Surveying Route Curves

Civil Engineering 235 Department of Civil Engineering, UBC

HORIZONTAL CIRCULAR CURVES:

a) Definitions Route curves used to connect two tangents in a horizontal plane are defined in several ways. We can refer to a curve by the degree of the curve or by the radius of the curve. The degree of the curve is defined as the angle subtended by a sector of a circle with a given arc or chord length. In Imperial units the degree of curve, Dc , is the angle subtended by (a) 100 ft chord (railway definition), or (b) 100 ft arc (highway definition). The metric degree of curve, Dm , is the central angle subtended by an arc or chord of 10 metres. Thus the functions of the 1 metric curve are one-tenth of the corresponding functions of a 1 imperial curve (in feet) and the ratio of metric curves to foot curves is (10 m/100 ft) = (32.808/100) = .32808. However, in the metric system a curve is more usually expressed by its radius, Rm . The figures illustrate the various definitions and the relationship between degree of curve and radius of curve.

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Plane Surveying Route Curves

Civil Engineering 235 b) Properties of a Circular Curve Department of Civil Engineering, UBC

Rc = radius Lc = length of curve (arc) Tc = sub-tangent C = long chord Ec = External distance Mc = middle ordinate P.I. = point of intersection ? = intersection or central angle B.C. = beginning of curve (P.C) E.C. = end of curve (PT)

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Plane Surveying Route Curves

Civil Engineering 235 Basic relationships are: Department of Civil Engineering, UBC

180 Lc 573 or Rm = c Dm c Rc 10 c Length, Lc = or Lm = 180 Dm 180 Lc Central Angle, c = Rc T Tangent,T c : c = tan or T m = Rm tan 2 2 Rc Lengthof Curve, Lc : Lc = 100 or Lm = 10 c Dc Dm Long Chord : Cc = 2 Rc sin or Cm = 2 Rm sin 2 2 1 R +Ec ExternalDi tan ce, Ec : c s = or Ec = Rc ( Sec - 1 ) or E m = Rm ( Sec - 1 ) 2 2 Rc cos 2 MiddleOrdinate: M c : Rc - M = Rc cos or M c = Rc ( 1 - cos ) 2 2 or M m = Rm ( 1 - cos ) 2 Radius, Rc =

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Plane Surveying Route Curves

Civil Engineering 235 c) Deflection Angles For a curve of 100 ft arc Department of Civil Engineering, UBC

Deflection angle from tangent for a 100 ft arc is Dc /2. Deflection angle from tangent for less than 100 ft arc, is proportionately less; i.e. for 27 ft arc deflection is 27/100 x Dc /2. We can use this property by running in any curve in 100 ft arcs and calculating each successive deflection angle as 1/2 Dc . However, this means that we have to make a chain correction because the chord length for a 100 ft arc is something less than 100 ft. It is given by C = 2 Rc sin Dc /2. [Corrections to chord length less than 100 ft arc proportional.] [In practice we adjust for corrections to deflection angles and chainage at the end of curve E.C.] For a curve of 10 m arc: Deflection angle, , from tangent is Dm /2. Deflection angle from tangent for less than 10 m is proportionately less; i.e. for 2.7 m is = (2.7/10)(Dc /2). Therefore, the deflection angles for each station on a metric curve (in which stations are 10 m apart) are shown below with the associated assumptions: i) ii) The metric degree of curvature (D m ) is the central angle to an arc 10 m long. The bearing of the first 10 m of the curve deviates from the tangent by D m /2; subsequent chords vary from the preceding chord by D m .

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Plane Surveying Route Curves

Civil Engineering 235 iii) Department of Civil Engineering, UBC At the end of the curve (consisting of full 10 m stations) the tangent deviates from the last chord by D m /2 again.

d)

Laying in a Circular Curve Curves are normally run in the field by means of deflection angles or tangent offsets. For the deflection angle method, the points (stations) on the curve are established by turning angles from the tangent with a transit set-up on the BC; measuring along the chord the required distance between stations; and establishing the point on the curve. An alternate method is to lay in the points on the curve by measuring along the tangent a distance y = R sin [(57.3 x )/R] and "throwing" the curve point an offset distance x = R - (R2 - y2)1/2. We use the deflection angle method in this case.

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Plane Surveying Route Curves

Civil Engineering 235 Department of Civil Engineering, UBC

i)

Procedure for laying in the curve using Imperial measurements: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Locate P.I. Determine length of Tc from curve data and set B.C. in field. Locate E.C. in field by measuring Tc forward from P.I. Set transit up on B.C. with plate reading 000' sighting on the P.I. Deflection angles: 85 + 17.20 85 + 00 84 + 00 83 + 00 82 + 00 81 + 00 80 + 76.00 1314' 1243' 943' 643' 343' 043' 00'

6.

Chain in curve and check whether located E.C. checks in chainage and alignment. If an intermediate set-up is required follow this procedure: a) Set transit at intermediate station (say 83 + 00)

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Plane Surveying Route Curves

Civil Engineering 235 b) c) Department of Civil Engineering, UBC Back sight on B.C. with plate and vernier's reading 000'. Plunge telescope and turn vernier through 643' to get on "local tangent" and then a further 300' to set station 84 + 00. Note that in practice telescope is swung through 943' for station 84 + 00, exactly the same as calculated above from the set-up on B.C. If a set-up on 84 + 00 with a sight on 83 + 00 with vernier reading 643' and for 85 + 00 deflection angle is 1243'. In other words, on an intermediate set-up set on vernier the deflection angle for that station you sight on and move forward in the usual manner.

d)

e)

ii)

Procedure for laying in a curve using metric measurements: The procedure is the same except, a) b) the design standard for the curve will likely be the radius Rm of the curve instead of Dm , and distance measures are in metres.

Example: A curve of 100 m radius is to be run in between two tangents intersecting at = 45. The P.I. chainage for #12 P.I. is 1 + 423.73 [or 1000 metres + 423.73 metres from some fixed reference point]. We have also calculated the tangent bearings to be S8500'E and S4000'E. The stations on the curve are to be at 10 m intervals. 1) 2) 3) 4) Locate P.I. Determine length of T from T = R tan /2

100 x tan 22.5 = 41.42 m

Set B.C. and E.C. in the field Set transit on B.C. and swing the deflection angle to the first full station [i.e. 1 + 390.00] 1 + 390.00 7.69 D m 573 = 10 D m = = .769 2 10.00 2 2R m - 1 + 382.31

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Plane Surveying Route Curves

Civil Engineering 235 The curve data is: ? R T L P.I. #12 -T B.C. +L E.C. Dm Dm /2 = 45 = 100 m = 41.42 m = 78.54 m = 1+423.73 = 41.42 = 1+382.31 = 78.54 = 1+460.85 = 543'48" = 251'54" Department of Civil Engineering, UBC

Calculation of deflection angles:

Station or Curve BC 1+382.31 1+390.00 1+400.00 1+410.00 1+420.00 1+430.00 1+440.00 1+450.00 1+460.00 1+460.85 Check

Deflection Angle 0 = 0 1 = 212'12" [.769x251'54"] 2 = 504'06" 3 = 756'00" 4 = 1047'54" 5 = 1339'48" 6 = 1631'42" 7 = 1923'36" 8 = 2215'30" 9 = 2230'07" [.085x251'54"] 9 = /2 = 2230'00"

Adjusted Deflection Angle 0 = 0 1 = 212'12" 2 = 504'05" 3 = 755'58" 4 = 1047'51" 5 = 1339'44" 6 = 1631'37" 7 = 1923'30" 8 = 2215'23" 9 = 2230'00"

EC

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Plane Surveying Route Curves

Civil Engineering 235 Department of Civil Engineering, UBC

ROUTE CURVE EXERCISE:

The objective of the route curve exercise is to gain familiarity with the theory, design and layout of highway curves. In highway (and railway) location, the horizontal curves used at points of change in direction are arcs of circles. The straight line connecting these circular curves are tangent to them and are called tangents. The field exercise is for each party to design and lay out two circular curves connecting two tangents. The party as a whole will establish control points, measure the intersecting angle between tangents and assist with curve design and layout. Each party is required to layout a circular curve between two tangents on an imaginary road. Two stakes are set in the field, defining the beginning of the curve (Point B.C.) and an arbitrary point along the direction of the first tangent. The parties are provided with the chainage of the intersection (P.I.), radius of the curve, R, and the central angle, ?. Follow the steps below to set up the station on the curve: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Calculate the chainage of the beginning (B.C.) and end (E.C.) of the curve. Find the location of P.I. along the tangent line assigned to your group. Set up the transit at P.I. and find the location of E.C. Calculate the deflection angles for all the intermediate stations. Lay the stations along the curve, including the point E.C.

Note that every individual should enter all the details of calculations and the field procedure in his/her field book. After laying all the stations along the curve, the TAs will examine your calculations and the accuracy of the stations, and assign the accuracy mark for all the members of the party. Equipment per party: Transit Steel Tape Plumb Bobs (3) Stakes (6) Chaining Pins Crayon Range Pole

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