1.

DPWH STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS FOR CONSTRUCTION HIGHWAY

In line with the mandate of the DPWH to secure the quality and safety of road

infrastructure, mentioned are the prescribed minimum design standards in

preparing the engineering design of industry road projects included in the

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), for the guidance and compliance of all

concerned.

1.1. SAFETY ON THE PROJECT

If the engineer in the project notices anything on the site that is

considered hazardous, a site instruction should directly be given to the

contractor regarding this matter that could cause safety problems, such

as:

A. Obstruction to the traffic flow, if needed the person-in-charge should

use hands so that two way traffic can be maintained.

B. Lack of traffic control, use stop or go boards.

C. Insufficient warning signs for the road users.

D. Improper use of equipment that put-on danger.

E. Excavation that is not properly fenced and lighted during night time.

F. The contractor is liable for all road safety devices and arrangement on

the job site, this includes signage, lighting and other road safety devices

needed to warn and protect road users.

1.2. QUALITY CONTROL

Substandard materials will result in substandard work. The

accountability for testing and acceptance lies fully with the contractor,

and it is the responsibility of the materials engineer to administer all testing

and to ensure that the tests comply with the standard specifications and

operations.

1.3. LOCATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES

Before the contractor begins any excavation below existing ground

specifically adjacent to the existing road and properties, the utility experts

should be given advanced notices and site inspection should be settled

and the same applies to heavy equipment crossing the road.

1.4. EXCAVATION

Unsuitable materials that may be encountered through the

excavation, should be removed to the contentment of the project

engineer. Pictures should be taken before replacement of excavation

materials and shall be measured. The volume should be registered in a log

book for record purposes. Excavated materials should be removed from

the site. The conveying and the disposal is within the authority of the

project engineer.
1.5. PAVEMENT

Any item of work reflected on the plans or contract such as clearing

& grubbing, sub - grade preparation, base materials preparation, PCCP

(Portland Cement Concrete Pavement) and riprap (loose stones) should

agree with the DPWH standard specification which is the bases of

reference in any construction activities.

Table 1

1.6. RIPRAP AND GROUTED RIPRAP

A. Class A concrete shall be used. (Class A (1:2:4) cement:sand:gravel)

B. Mortar must be one part cement and three parts sand.

C. Mortar joints must be 2 1/2 cm to 4 cm.

D. The stones shall not be less than 15 kgs in weight.

1.7. STONE MASONRY

The stone shall be clean, hard & durable & shall be subject to

engineer’s satisfaction. Stones must have a thickness of not less than 150

mm and widths of not less than 1 & 1/2 times their respective thickness,

and lengths of not less than 1 & 1/2 times their respective widths.
 1.8. ROAD MARKINGS

A. The project engineer should validate from the bill of quantities the

type of road markings that is required whether continuous or broken.

The dimensions, colors and materials type should agree to the

specification prescribed in the DPWH blue book.

B. The project engineer should control the laboratory to assure that the

type of materials is correct and has been approved.

C. Pre - marking must be carefully carried out by the contractor and

checked and approved by the project engineer before laying on the

road markings to start.

2. HIGHWAY PLANNING

Highway plans are the documentation prepared to convey physical

information so that designers, reviewers, and the people can understand both

the existing conditions and project. It protects the existing highway system, and

to provide for its future needs by complete and integrated consideration of the

traffic demands, engineering factors, socio-economic factors and

environmental issues. Plans also allow a contractor to construct the project and

define the right of way obtainable or to be acquired.

2.1. ACTIVITIES

A. Undertaking complex highway design projects

B. Providing technical advice and guidance

C. Establishing engineering standards and policies

D. Performing environmental and technical reviews of highway designs

E. Administering highway access controls

F. Providing drafting services

2.2 TYPES OF PLANS

2.2.1. ADMINISTRATION PLAN

The administration should meet the needs of its staff by

providing them with the resources needed to do their work and

direction in the areas of human resources and financial

management.

2.2.2. ENGINEERING PLAN

Design Practices provides geometric design guidance and

reviews designs prepared in the regional offices for adequacy and

compliance with department design standards while Functional

Design are responsible for undertaking of design studies involving

the more complex and specialized highway projects such as multi-

lane rural and urban highways, channelized at-grade intersections,

and traffic interchanges.

2.2.3. ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES PLAN

Manages environmental initiatives and conducts

environmental impact assessments and environmental screenings

of all projects undertaken. It also manages the contaminated sites

remediation program for departmentally owned property.

2.2.4. GEOGRAPHIC PLAN

Maintains the department's plan depository for highway

engineering drawings and legal plans. It publishes the official

Highway Map and provides a wide range of mapping,

cartographic and graphic services.

2.2.5. Roadside Development plan

Access Management and Utilities administers access and

development controls established to protect the highway system

and Land Use and Development reviews land development

proposals adjacent to the provincial highway system and provide

recommendations related to their compatibility with current and

future highway system requirements.

3. COLORED PHOTOGRAPHS

3.1. AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS

Aerial photographs are photographs of the ground from a raised

positions using various platforms, mostly aircrafts for studying the surface of

the Earth. It’s one of the most frequent, versatile and economical form of

photograph. It is the collection of information about the physical

phenomenon without having a physical contact with the object. Aerial

photography is used particularly in photogrammetric surveys which are

often basis for topographic maps.

3.1.1. TYPES OF AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS

A. Oblique – Photographs that are taken at an angle. If photos are

taken from a low angle earth surface-aircraft are called low oblique

and if taken from high are high or steep oblique.

B. Vertical – Photographs that are taken straight down. They are

mainly used in image interpretation and are traditionally taken with

special large format cameras with calibrated and documented

geometric properties.

C. Combined – Photographs that depends on their purpose. It can

be panorama, stereo photography techniques or 3D images from

several photographs of the same area from different spots.

 D. Orthophotos – Photographs which have been geometrically

corrected to be usable as a map. It is a simulation of a photograph

taken from an infinite distance, looking straight down to nadir.

3.2. HAND-HELD PHOTOGRAPHS

Photographs that are documentary feature film held by a

photographer. It allows to get in and close and quickly capture very

unique angles.

4. HIGHWAY LOCATION

In determining the location of a proposed highway is to focus the

geometric features of highway design, the taking after surveys must make led

then afterward the need of the road may be concluded. In alignment and route

locations surveys have four principles these are: desk study, reconnaissance

survey, preliminary location survey, final location survey.

4.1 DESK STUDY

Once the need of the highway is assessed, the next system is

deciding the alignment and route location. The role of the central line of

the highway on the floor is called the alignment. Horizontal alignment

includes straight paths and curved paths. Vertical alignment incorporates

curves and gradients. Alignment selection is essential because a bad

alignment will beautify the construction, protection and car operating

costs. Once an alignment is constant and constructed, it is no longer

convenient to trade it due to make bigger in value of adjoining land and

development of steeply-priced constructions by using the roadside. In

general, the purpose of alignment selection system is to find an area for the

new highway that will end result in the lowest total construction, land,

environmental costs and traffic. Before doing a practice can be made of

selecting a location for a highway improvement, we should get a data

about the traffic desires and estimates its own characteristics as a road

itself. Surveying the location involves the geologic and photogrammetric

skill that gives the basic details for the design, as well as the analysis for the

final location of the highway.

4.1.1. STEPS IN HIGHWAY LOCATION

 First, Find the terminal points of the plan

 Second, Do a preliminary and reconnaissance surveys and

collects information about the details in topography, climate,

and any other factors.

 Third, Select a corridor

 Fourth, identify the centerlines within the corridor.

 Fifth, Make a preliminary design for the alternative alignments

  Sixth, examining the alternative alignment within the grades,

volume of earthwork, drainage and etc.

 Lastly, make the final design and location of the chosen

alternative route.

4.2 RECONNAISSANCE SURVEY

In reconnaissance survey, its purpose is to evaluate the suitability of

one or more corridor routes for a highway in some specific points that may

be many kilometers away. A good reconnaissance survey can save money

wisely in constructing a new road. Road engineers should do a condition in

both time management and finance of this stage for highway location. First

step, collecting the data (terrain classifications, soil type and depth,

directness of the route and many more), location and maps relating to the

area. And the second step, visiting the site additional data.

4.3 PRELIMINARY LOCATION SURVEY

In preliminary survey, its final information in a paper location defines

the line for the final location survey. It is all about the study of one or more

suitable corridor highways. Paper location and alignment should show the

ties to existing maps to let the location party to mark the centerline.

Preliminary survey is made to collect the additional information that may

affect the location of the route, the shape of the ground, the position of
 the trees, bridges, power lines and many more. Practical routes are set

closely as possible so that the vertical and horizontal alignment is

determined. They are evaluated economically, and the environmental

impact of the area.

4.4 FINAL LOCATION SURVEY

Final location survey serves the dual purpose in establishing the

center line of the chosen alignment, establishing the approved layout

and collecting the additional data for the design of the drawings. The

final vertical and horizontal alignments were determined and the final

positions of the structures were located. In this survey, it will ensure that

you already complete the information that was needed in preparing to

complete the construction.

5. BRIDGE LOCATION

The design and location of a bridge all depends upon traffic case. In

general, the bridge should be built to serve the traffic best, unless there are

other situation that are controlling. According to MS Troitsky is “bridge for the

highway but not highway for the bridge”.

Poor location and wrong sizes of the structure can make the bridge

vulnerable to failure. Bridge is an expensive structure so there is no room for a

mistake. In order to avoid it we need to considerate the requirements to come

up with a sustainable bridge. The process includes preliminary engineering,

hydrology and hydraulics, roadway alignment, and environmental and

geological concerns. All of this topic must be consider to ensure that the bridge

is appropriate to the location and to satisfy its permit.

5.1. PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING

Preliminary engineering incorporates work, then throughout visits of

the site. Under this is preparation for site investigation and site works.

Preparation for site investigation includes photography, collecting maps,

geological and hydrologic reports. Site works includes geotechnical

investigation, site investigation and site survey.

5.1.1. PREPARATION FOR SITE INVESTIGATION

Preparation for site investigation includes photography,

collecting maps, geological and hydrologic reports. Aerial

photographs are photographs of the ground from a raised position.

It is helpful in determining the strength of streams. Stable streams will

show up in the same location year after year, while the locations of

unstable streams may show changes in photographs taken during

different years.

GIS (Graphic Information System) used to design and analyze

geographic data like land, streams, watersheds, etc. Topographic

maps are helpful to locate the bridge and infrared maps can show

areas that are liable to being wet and may show problem areas

with wetlands or springs. County pats and other landownership

maps should be used to establish ownership of private lands where

the bridge may be located.

5.1.2. SITE WORK

Site works includes geotechnical investigation, site

investigation and site survey. Borings are desirable for sites with

undesirable and complicated soils or highly fractured shear

bedrock faces. Wet and unstable sites with clay and silt soils should

be avoided. Complex bridge sites require a thorough investigation

because of problems correlated with stream dynamics, floodplains,

wildlife, and so forth. The more complex the site, the more

disciplines will have to be deliberated.

The recommended site survey should be at least 300 ft

upstream and downstream from the proposed bridge site to

allocate enough stream reach information for a sufficient hydraulic

analysis. 150 ft on each side of the stream to supply adequate

information to design road approaches and 50 ft for tops of bank

on each side of the stream for the entire floodplain.

6. COMPONENTS OF ROAD

6.1. EMBANKMENT

The embankment is built to reinforce the other three layers of the road

pavement system. The construction of embankments for highways can take

up a large part of the total cost. Embankments can be made from almost

any common type of deposit aside from topsoil.

6.2. SUB-GRADE

The sub-grade is compose of soils that have been specially prepared to

meet the requirements to support the other two layers.

The sub-grade is a selected soil material that is carefully compacted to

give uniform support to the pavement. The sub-grade lies direct on the

embankment or the native soil.

6.3. BASE

The base is an intermixture of crushed rock. The base layer gives uniform

support to the road pavement. It allows water that enters any joints or cracks

in the road pavement to move rapidly to the sub-drain without saturating

and softening the sub-grade. The base layer lies direct on top of the sub-

grade and is built of clean sand or rock.

6.4. PAVEMENT

The top layer is called the pavement. Its materials can either be Hot

Mix Asphalt (HMA) and Portland Cement Concrete (PCC). The pavement

itself can withstand bending, and distributes vehicle weights over a large

area.

6.5. SUB-DRAIN

The sub-drain collects water from the base and the sub-grade drains

that water into the ditch. The sub-drain lies alongside the pavement, base

and sub-grade. The sub-drain is basically a trench with a perforated pipe

near the lowest part. It is surrounded by clean coarse aggregates which

allows rapid passage of water.

6.6. RIGHT OF WAY

Right of way is the area of land acquired and allocated for construct

and development of road along its alignment. The width of the right of

way is called land width and it depends upon the width of formation,

slope of cuttings and embankments, minimum sight distance on horizontal

curves, drainage system and also on the importance of the road and

possible future development.

6.7. FORMATION WIDTH

Formation width is the sum of widths of carriage way or pavements,

shoulders and separators if any.

6.8. ROAD MARGINS

Road margins are the portion of the road beyond the carriageway

and on the roadway. The various elements in the road margins are parking

lane, frontage road, drive way, cycle track, footpath, guard rails and

embankment slope.

6.8.1. PARKING LANE

A Parking Lane is an auxiliary lane bordering the travel way

intended for parking vehicles.

6.8.2. FRONTAGE ROADS

These are provided to give entrance along an important highway.

The frontage road may be run parallel to the pavement road and

isolated by separators.

6.8.3. DRIVE WAY

The drive way interconnects the highway with commercial

establishment like fuel stations service station, malls or restaurants.

6.8.4. CYCLE TRACK

A cycle track is an exclusive bike facility that combines the user

experience of a separated path with the on-street structure of a

customary bike lane. A cycle track is different from motor traffic and

distinct from the sidewalk. The minimum width of a cycle track is 2m

and it may be increased by 1m for each additional track.

6.8.5. FOOTPATH

A path for pedestrian to walk along. Footpath is simply sidewalk.

6.8.6. GUARD RAILS

These are provided at the edge of shoulder when the road is

constructed on a fill of height more than 3m to prevent the vehicle

from running of the highway.

6.8.7. SIDE SLOPES

Side slopes are the slopes provided of the side of earth work of the

road in embankment in cutting for its stability; side slopes in the road

are so design as to keep the earthwork firm in embankment or in

cutting.
6.9. WIDTH OF PAVEMENT OR CARRIAGE WAY

Carriage way is the width of roadway constructed for vehicular traffic.

Carriage way width is based on the width of traffic lane and number of lane

required. The numbers of lane required on a highway depends on the traffic

capacity of each lane. The lane width required is measured on the basic of

the width of vehicle and minimum side clearance required for safe drive.

6.10. SHOULDER

Shoulder are the portion of the road way between the outer edges of

carriage way & edges of top surface of embankment or inner edges of the

side drains in cutting. These are allocated along the road edge to use in an

emergency lane for vehicle required to be taken out of the pavement or

road way. Minimum width of shoulder 4.6m is advisable so that a vehicle

station at the side of the shoulder would have a clearance of about 1.85m

from the pavement edge.

6.11. KERBS

Kerbs are the borderline between the pavement & shoulders or

footpath.
7. WHY BUILD A ROAD?

The primary mean of transportation are roads. Modernization in all phases

of life demands modernization and growth of transport infrastructure, which

leads to faster and better flow of transport services. These provide human

access to different location. Various types of roads are constructed to fulfill

needs. Motorways are constructed to provide rapid and secure access

between significant cities. Highways are constructed to connect two or more

cities. Rural areas have different types of road to interconnect farm lands with

the city. There are different type of roads manufactured within a city main road,

boulevard, street and each type has its own prominence and condition.

Roads take farm products to market and children to school. Roads are

the channel of life's activities. Roads make a critical contribution to profitable

development and progression and bring important social benefits. They are vital

significance in order to produce a nation grow and develop. In addition,

providing accession to employment, health, social and education services

makes a road network critical in fighting against indigence. Roads open up

more areas and motivate economic and social progression. For those reasons,

road infrastructure is the most valuable of all public courier.