COMPARISON BETWEEN CUBIC PARABOLA AND CLOTHOID TRANSITION CURVE

No. Cubic Parabola Clothoid Source Remark

American Mathematical
Society

• A new, simple and

Cubic Parabola is derived by
making certain assumptions in the
clothoid formulae. It is a simple
2 Nikolaos Eliou &
function of the form of y=f(x). Cubic
parabola can never turn more than
90⁰.
The calculation required to set out
cubic parabola are more
3 which able do clothoid calculation easily. So, benefit of
straightforward since its formulae
do not involve infinite series.
CUBIC PARABOLA is not a true
spiral and should only be used
where the deviation angle (φ) is
less than approximately 12⁰. In
cubic parabola three assumptions
4 sharp curve with great value of deviation angle. This makes
are made during derivation of the
cubic parabola formulae:
• The second and subsequent
terms in the expansion of sin φ
and cos φ are neglected as
accurate transition
Clothoid is sometimes referred to as
curve type, for use
the ideal transition curve because it is
in road and railway
a true spiral. It is a transition curve in
alignment design -
the form of x=f(l), y=f(l), having as
main characteristic the linearity of
Georgios Kaliabetsos
curvature variation versus its length.
• Railway
Clothoid is spiral which goes round
Management and
and round
Engineering – V
Profilidis
The calculation required to set out • Railway
Nowadays, many highway design software are available
clothoid are complicated by the fact Management and
that some of its formulae involve Engineering – V
simple calculation provided by cubic parabola is insignificant.
infinite series. Profilidis
Clothoid is true spiral it doesn’t use
Since LRT build under limited land, it is common to have
any assumptions like those applied on Surveying for Engineers -
cubic parabola, which results on no J. Uren, W.F. Price
usage of cubic parabola is not ideal.
limitation of deviation angle.
 COMPARISON BETWEEN CUBIC PARABOLA AND CLOTHOID TRANSITION CURVE

being too small – the validity of

this will depend on value of φ
• Tan δ is assumed to equal δ
radians. Since δ=φ/3 the
validity of this will also depend
on the value of φ
• The length along tangent is
assumed to equal the length
along the curve (y=l). Again, the
value of φ will be critical to the
validity of this, since greater
deviation, the less likely is
assumption to be true.

A new, simple and

The use of the cubic parabola is
acceptable only for small values of
transition curve length. When the
5 railway alignment design
length of the transition curve
exceeds a certain limit, it could
obtain a “flatter” alignment.
The true radius of curvature at the
curved end of cubic parabola is less
than clothoid, it allows higher value
6 of cant. Instantaneous change of
radius between circular and
transition can result in perceptible
lateral jerk.
There will be amendment when
realignment done using chord and
7 versine method, the transition
curve will actually be a clothoid not
cubic parabola.
Clothoid formulae able to provide
greater length of transition.
The true radius of curvature at the
curved end of clothoid is more than
cubic parabola
Rules developed for dealing with
transition curves by the chords and
versine method in realignment can be
used without amendments on layouts
designed using clothoid.
accurate transition curve
type, for use in road and
With longer transition, curve becomes smoother and it
would enhance passenger’s comfort and allowable speed.
- Nikolaos Eliou &
Georgios Kaliabetsos
Lateral jerk which could be exist when using cubic parabola
Understanding Track
could be serious as radius diminishes. . For this reason it is
Engineering -Permanent
recommended that in designing sharply curve track, and/or
Way Institution
nonballasted, the clothoid calculation should be used.
Greater LRT is located in densely populated area and
Understanding Track intersects with many external parties, so repeated
Engineering -Permanent realignment is uncommon. It would be big hassle if
Way Institution amendment continuously done because of realignment if
cubic parabola was used.
 REFERENCE OF CLOTHOID USAGE IN OTHER PROJECTS

No Project Minimum Radius (m)

1 Hyderabad Metro 120

2 Kanpur Metro 120

3 Lucknow Metro 120

4 Mauritius LRT 60
5 Riyadh Metro 120

6 Kuala Lumpur LRT3 90