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CVG 4150
Fall 2016

Lecture 4
Roadway Design (Geometric Design)

Facult de gnie| Faculty of Engineering

uOttawa.ca

Geometric Design

Background
Physical proportioning of facilities such as structural design
Cross section
Horizontal alignment
Super elevation
Vertical alignment
Channelization

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Geometric Design

Classification: orderly grouping of roads into systems according to the
type and degree of service they provide to the public

Single classification system for road: great advantage, however,
it is not practical

Several people are involved with the design of roads; functional
classification of highways
Road designer
Land use planner
Highway designer

Necessary to have a classification system that can be
satisfactorily applied by all three

Classification should be clear and convey the same message to all the
people who use the system

Can be based on location (rural or urban), road service, design speed,
and divided or undivided
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Geometric Design

Functional classification: function they serve
(Geometric design)

Jurisdictional classification: responsible for their construction,
maintenance, and operation
Private
Municipal
State (provincial)
Federal

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Geometric Design

Functional classification of highways (from Geometric
Design Guide for Canadian Roads, GDGCR)
Design classification system (63 type)
Rural (R)

Urban (U)
Lane

Local (L)

Local (L)

Collector (C)

Collector (C)

Arterial (A)

Arterial (A)
Expressway (E)

Freeway (F)

Freeway (F)

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Geometric Design

Functional classification of highways (GDGCR)

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uOttawa.ca

Functional classification of highways (GDGCR)

Local Road
Provide access to property
Less than 2,500 vehicles per day
Low traffic speed
Generally no bus routes
Cyclists special facilities as required
Sidewalks on at least one side of road
Truck restrictions preferred
Low priority for winter maintenance
Collector Road
Provide access to property and traffic movement
2,500 to 8,000 vehicles per day
Less than 1,500 bus (or streetcar) passenger per day
Signalized intersections at arterial roads
Truck restrictions permitted
Cyclists special facilities as required
Sidewalks on both sides of the road
Medium priority for winter maintenance
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Functional classification of highways (GDGCR)

Minor Arterial Road
Traffic movement is a primary function
Some property access control
8,000 to 20,000 vehicles per day
1,500 to 5,000 bus passenger per day
Speed limits 40 to 60 km/h
No Stop signs; main intersections controlled by traffic signals
No truck restrictions
Sidewalks on both sides
High priority of winter maintenance
Major Arterial Road
Traffic movement is a primary function
Subject to access controls
Greater than 20,000 vehicles per day
Greater than 5,000 bus passengers per day
Speed limits 50 to 60 km/h
Cyclists special facilities desirable
Sidewalks on both sides
High priority of winter maintenance
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Functional classification of highways (GDGCR)

Expressway
Traffic movement is a primary function
No property access
Speed limits 80 to 100 km/h
Greater than 40,000 vehicles per day
No local transit service
Pedestrians and cyclists prohibited
Grade-separated intersections (no traffic signals)
Highest priority of winter maintenance
Freeways
Uninterrupted traffic flow
Full control of access (access to and exit from these facilities
are permitted only at controlled locations such as entrance
and exit ramps)
Highways
Uninterrupted traffic flow
Partial control of access (access or exit may permitted
directly from or to abutting property or via a limited number
of at-grade intersection)
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Functional classification of
highways
Rural roads (GDGCR)

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Functional classification of highways

Geometric Design

Urban roads (GDGCR)

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Cross-Section Elements of Highways

The cross-section of a highway includes a number of elements critical to the design
of the facility.
 Travel lanes
 Shoulders
 Side slopes
 Curbs
 Medians and median barriers
 Guardrails
 Drainage channels

General design practice is to specify the cross-section at each station (i.e., at points
100 ft apart and at intermediate points where a change in the cross-sectional design
occurs).
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Travel Lanes and Pavement

Paved travel lanes provide the space that moving (and sometimes parked) vehicles
occupy during normal operations. The standard width of a travel lane is 12 ft
Shoulders
Is the portion of the roadway contiguous with the traveled way that accommodates stopped
vehicles, emergency use, and lateral support of sub-base, base, and surface courses
side-slopes
They must be carefully designed to provide for safe operation
3:l (maximum for safe operation of maintenance and mowing equipment).
4:l (maximum desirable for accident safety). Barriers should be used for steeper slope.
2: 1 (maximum on which grass can be grown).
6: 1 (maximum structurally stable for where sandy soils are predominate).
Curbs
Made of either Portland cement concrete or bituminous concrete (rolled asphalt curbs) that
are used mainly on urban highways to delineate pavement edges and pedestrian walkways.
(control drainage, aesthetics, and reduce right of way).
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Median barrier
is a longitudinal system used to prevent an errant vehicle from crossing the portion
of a divided highway separating the traveled ways for traffic in opposite directions
Guardrail
Is intended to prevent vehicles from entering a dangerous area of the roadside or median
during an accident or intended action.
Drainage channels
Are usually located on the pavement side of a curb to provide the principal drainage
facility for the highway. They are sloped to prevent any hazard to traffic, and they usually
have cross slopes of 5 to 8 percent and are 1 to 6 ft
wide.
Right of Way
Is the total land area acquired for the construction of a highway. The width should be
sufficient to accommodate all the elements of the highway cross section, any planned
widening of the highway, and public-utility facilities that will be installed along the
highway. Two lane urban collector (40 - 60 ft), two-lane arterials (84 ft),undivided fourlane (64 -108 ft), divided arterials (120 -300 ft).

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Geometric Design

Horizontal alignment
The horizontal alignment consists of straight sections of the road
(tangents) connected by curves. The curves are usually segments of circles,
which have radii that will provide for a smooth flow of traffic.

Minimum radius,
The length of the curve,
Computation of the horizontal offsets
from the tangents to the curve

Transition Curve
Tangent

TS

CS
SC
Circular Curve

Transition Curve
ST

Tangent

Curve with transition Spiral

Types of horizontal curves:

simple,
compound,
reversed,
Spiral.

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Simple Curve
The curve is a segment of a circle with radius R,
PI

 point of intersection (PI)

Is the point at which the two
tangents intersect, also it is known
as vertex (V).

Circular Curve

Tangent

PC

PT

Tangent

 point of curve (PC)

Is the point at which the curve begins
Simple Curve

 point of tangent (PT)

Is the point at which the curve ends
A simple circular curve is described either by its radius(xxx-ft-radius curve), or
by the degree of the curve (a x degree curve)

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Compound Curves

Compound curves consist of two or more simple curves in succession, turning in the
same direction, with any two successive curves having a common tangent point

These curves are used mainly

 At-grade intersections,
 Ramps of interchanges,
 Highway sections in difficult topographic
areas

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Reverse Curves
Reverse curves usually consist of two simple curves with equal radii turning
in opposite directions with a common tangent. They are generally used to
change the alignment of a highway.
suitable for low speed roads such as a temporary bypass.

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Spiral curves
A transition curves with a continuously changing radii, is sometimes used
in horizontal alignment design.
It is used to provide a gradual transition between tangent sections and
circular curve sections. the most common type is the Euler Spiral.
Transition Curves
Transition curves are placed between tangents
and circular curves or between two
adjacent circular curves having substantially
different radii.

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PCC

PI

R2
R1

PC

Tangent

PI
PT

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layout of a simple horizontal curve

There are two ways to define degree of the curve, which is based on 100 ft of
arc length or on 100 ft of chord length. Highway practice uses arc definition
whereas railroad practice uses chord definition.
If is the angle in radians subtended at the center by an arc of a circle,
Then the length of that arc
L =R
If Dais in degrees


radius of curve =R,

Arch
Chord
degree of curve D
The angle subtended at the center
of a circular arc 100 ft in length

Arch definition for R

in terms of Da is based
on an arch of 100 ft,

Chord definition for R

in terms of Dc is based
on a chord of 100 ft,

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Formulas for Simple Curves

: (intersection angle) is the angle between the two tangents.
T : is the Tangent length
C: is the length of the chord AB, which is known as the long chord,
E: is the external distance from the point of intersection
to the curve on a radial line

M: is the middle ordinate which is the distance between

the midpoint of the long chord and the midpoint of the
curve,

L: is the length of the curve

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Field Location of a Simple Horizontal Curve

Simple horizontal curves are usually located in the field by staking out points
on the curve using deflection angles.
Deflection angles are measured from the tangent at
the point of curve (PC) and the lengths of the chords
joining consecutive full stations.
The first deflection angle VAp to the first full station
on the curve, which is usually less than a station away
from the PC, is equal to 1/2 .
The second deflection angle VAq is (1/2 +D/2)
The next deflection angle VAv is (1/2 +D/2 + D/2) = (1/2 +D)
.
Deflection angle VAB is (1/2 +D/2 + D/2 +D/2 +2/2 )=(1/2 +3D/2 +2/2 ) =(/2 )
Therefore ,to set out the horizontal curve, it is necessary to determine
1 and 2.
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To locate the whole stations on the ground

 Use the appropriate deflection angle (as we found earlier)
 Find l1 to locate the first full station
 Compute the cord length corresponding to arc length
of 100 ft to locate the full stations.

 Compute l2 to locate the end station of the curve

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Example:
A horizontal curve is designed for a two-lane road in mountainous terrain. The
following data are known.
Intersection angle: 40 degrees
Tangent length: 436.76 feet
Station of PI: 2700 +10.65
fs = 0.12
e = 0.08
Determine the following.
(a) Design speed
(b) Station of the PC
(c) Station of the PT
(d) The deflection angles and the chord lengths for setting out the curve at
whole stations from the PC.

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Compound Curves

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Example:
The figure bellow shows a compound curve that is to be set out at a highway intersection.
If the point of compound curve (PCC) is located at station (565 +35),
Determine the deflection angles for setting out the curve.

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Reverse Curves
If d and D are known,
the following variables can be determined.

Therefore, WOY is a straight line, and hence,

If d and R are known,

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