Geometric Design

Winter 2006
CEE 320

CEE 320
Steve Muench
 Outline
1. Concepts
2. Vertical Alignment
a. Fundamentals
b. Crest Vertical Curves
c. Sag Vertical Curves
d. Examples
3. Horizontal Alignment
a. Fundamentals
b. Superelevation
4. Other Non-Testable Stuff
Winter 2006
CEE 320
 Concepts

• Alignment is a 3D problem broken

down into two 2D problems
– Horizontal Alignment (plan view)
– Vertical Alignment (profile view)
• Stationing
– Along horizontal alignment
– 12+00 = 1,200 ft.

Piilani Highway on Maui

Winter 2006
CEE 320
 Stationing
Horizontal Alignment

Vertical Alignment
Winter 2006
CEE 320
From Perteet Engineering
 Vertical Alignment
Winter 2006
CEE 320
 Vertical Alignment

• Objective:
– Determine elevation to ensure
• Proper drainage
• Acceptable level of safety
• Primary challenge
– Transition between two grades
– Vertical curves
Sag Vertical Curve
G1 G2
G1 G2
Winter 2006

Crest Vertical Curve

CEE 320
 Vertical Curve Fundamentals

• Parabolic function
– Constant rate of change of slope
– Implies equal curve tangents

y  ax  bx  c
2

• y is the roadway elevation x stations

(or feet) from the beginning of the curve
Winter 2006
CEE 320
 Vertical Curve Fundamentals

PVI
G1 δ
PVC G2
PVT
L/2

L
x

y  ax  bx  c
2
Choose Either:
Winter 2006

• G1, G2 in decimal form, L in feet

CEE 320

• G1, G2 in percent, L in stations

 Choose Either:
• G1, G2 in decimal form, L in feet

Relationships • G1, G2 in percent, L in stations

At the PVC : x  0 and Y  c

dY
At the PVC : x  0 and  b  G1
dx

d 2Y G2  G1 G2  G1
Anywhere: 2
 2a  a
dx L 2L
PVI
G1 δ
PVC G2
PVT
L/2
Winter 2006
CEE 320

L
x
 Example
A 400 ft. equal tangent crest vertical curve has a PVC station of
100+00 at 59 ft. elevation. The initial grade is 2.0 percent and the
final grade is -4.5 percent. Determine the elevation and stationing of
PVI, PVT, and the high point of the curve.

PVI

2.0% PVT
G1=
G=
2 - 4.
5%
PVC: STA 100+00
EL 59 ft.
Winter 2006
CEE 320
 PVI

2.0% PVT
G1=
G=
PVC: STA 100+00 2 -4.5
EL 59 ft. %
 •G1, G2 in percent
Other Properties •L in feet

G1 x

PVT
PVC

Y
Ym G2

PVI Yf
A  G1  G2

A 2 AL AL
Y x Ym  Yf 
200 L 800 200
Winter 2006
CEE 320
 Other Properties

• K-Value (defines vertical curvature)

– The number of horizontal feet needed for a 1%
change in slope

L
K
A

high / low pt.  x  K G1

Winter 2006
CEE 320
 Crest Vertical Curves
SSD

PVI
Line of Sight

PVC PVT G2
G1

h2
h1

L
For SSD < L For SSD > L

L
A SSD 
2

L  2 SSD  

200 h1  h2  2

  2
Winter 2006

100 2h1  2h2 A

CEE 320
 Crest Vertical Curves

• Assumptions for design

– h1 = driver’s eye height = 3.5 ft.
– h2 = tail light height = 2.0 ft.

• Simplified Equations
For SSD < L For SSD > L
A SSD 
2
2158
L L  2 SSD  
2158 A
Winter 2006
CEE 320
 Crest Vertical Curves

• Assuming L > SSD…

2
SSD
K
2158
Winter 2006
CEE 320
 Design Controls for Crest Vertical Curves
Winter 2006
CEE 320

from AASHTO’s A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets 2001

CEE 320
Winter 2006

Design Controls for Crest Vertical Curves

from AASHTO’s A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets 2001

 Sag Vertical Curves
Light Beam Distance (SSD)

G1
headlight beam (diverging from LOS by β degrees) G2

PVC PVT

h1 PVI
h2=0

L
For SSD < L For SSD > L

A SSD  2
200 h1   SSD  tan  
L L  2 SSD  
200 h1  S tan  
Winter 2006

A
CEE 320
 Sag Vertical Curves

• Assumptions for design

– h1 = headlight height = 2.0 ft.
– β = 1 degree

• Simplified Equations
For SSD < L For SSD > L

A SSD   400  3.5 SSD  

2
L L  2 SSD    
400  3.5 SSD   A 
Winter 2006
CEE 320
 Sag Vertical Curves

• Assuming L > SSD…

2
SSD
K
400  3.5SSD
Winter 2006
CEE 320
 Design Controls for Sag Vertical Curves
Winter 2006
CEE 320

from AASHTO’s A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets 2001

CEE 320
Winter 2006

Design Controls for Sag Vertical Curves

from AASHTO’s A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets 2001

 Example 1
A car is traveling at 30 mph in the country at night on a wet road
through a 150 ft. long sag vertical curve. The entering grade is -2.4
percent and the exiting grade is 4.0 percent. A tree has fallen across
the road at approximately the PVT. Assuming the driver cannot see
the tree until it is lit by her headlights, is it reasonable to expect the
driver to be able to stop before hitting the tree?
Winter 2006
CEE 320
 Example 2
Similar to Example 1 but for a crest curve.

A car is traveling at 30 mph in the country at night on a wet road

through a 150 ft. long crest vertical curve. The entering grade is 3.0
percent and the exiting grade is -3.4 percent. A tree has fallen across
the road at approximately the PVT. Is it reasonable to expect the
driver to be able to stop before hitting the tree?
Winter 2006
CEE 320
 Example 3
A roadway is being designed using a 45 mph design speed. One
section of the roadway must go up and over a small hill with an
entering grade of 3.2 percent and an exiting grade of -2.0 percent.
How long must the vertical curve be?
Winter 2006
CEE 320
 Horizontal
Alignment
Winter 2006
CEE 320
 Horizontal Alignment

• Objective:
– Geometry of directional transition to ensure:
• Safety
• Comfort
• Primary challenge Δ
– Transition between two directions
– Horizontal curves
• Fundamentals
– Circular curves
– Superelevation
Winter 2006
CEE 320
 Horizontal Curve Fundamentals
PI
T Δ
E

T  R tan L
M
2 PC Δ/2 PT

 100
L R 
180 D R R

 180  Δ/2 Δ/2

100 
   18,000
D 
Winter 2006

 R
CEE 320

R
 Horizontal Curve Fundamentals
PI
T Δ
E
M
L
PC Δ/2 PT

 1 
E  R  1
 cos  2  R R

Δ/2 Δ/2
 
M  R1  cos 
Winter 2006

 2
CEE 320
 Example 4
A horizontal curve is designed with a 1500 ft. radius. The tangent
length is 400 ft. and the PT station is 20+00. What are the PI and PT
stations?
Winter 2006
CEE 320
 Superelevation W p  F f  Fcp

Rv

≈
Fc
α
F cn
F cp
α e
W 1 ft
Wn Ff

Ff Wp
α

 WV 2  WV 2
W sin   f s W cos   sin    cos 
Winter 2006
CEE 320

 gRv  gRv
 Superelevation

 WV 2  WV 2
W sin   f s W cos   sin    cos 
 gRv  gRv
V2
tan   f s  1  f s tan  
gRv
V2
e  fs  1  f s e 
gRv

V2
Rv 
g  f s  e
Winter 2006
CEE 320
 Selection of e and fs

• Practical limits on superelevation (e)

– Climate
– Constructability
– Adjacent land use
• Side friction factor (fs) variations
– Vehicle speed
– Pavement texture
– Tire condition
Winter 2006
CEE 320
 New Graph

Side Friction Factor

Winter 2006
CEE 320

from AASHTO’s A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets 2004

 New Table

Minimum Radius Tables

Winter 2006
CEE 320
 New Table

WSDOT Design Side Friction Factors

For Open Highways and Ramps

from the 2005 WSDOT Design Manual, M 22-01

Winter 2006
CEE 320
 New Graph

WSDOT Design Side Friction Factors

For Low-Speed Urban Managed Access Highways

from the 2005 WSDOT Design Manual, M 22-01

Winter 2006
CEE 320
 New Graph

Design Superelevation Rates - AASHTO

Winter 2006
CEE 320

from AASHTO’s A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets 2004

 New Graph

Design Superelevation Rates - WSDOT

emax = 8%
Winter 2006
CEE 320

from the 2005 WSDOT Design Manual, M 22-01

 Example 5
A section of SR 522 is being designed as a high-speed divided
highway. The design speed is 70 mph. Using WSDOT standards,
what is the minimum curve radius (as measured to the traveled vehicle
path) for safe vehicle operation?
Winter 2006
CEE 320
 Stopping Sight Distance
SSD
 100 s
SSD  Rv  s 
180 D
180 SSD  Ms
s 
Rv
  90 SSD  Obstruction
M s  Rv 1  cos 
  Rv  Rv

Rv  1  Rv  M s 
SSD  cos   Δs
90  Rv 
Winter 2006


CEE 320
 FYI – NOT TESTABLE

Supplemental Stuff

• Cross section
• Superelevation Transition
– Runoff
– Tangent runout
• Spiral curves
• Extra width for curves
Winter 2006
CEE 320
 FYI – NOT TESTABLE

Cross Section
Winter 2006
CEE 320
 FYI – NOT TESTABLE

Superelevation Transition
Winter 2006
CEE 320

from the 2001 Caltrans Highway Design Manual

 FYI – NOT TESTABLE

Superelevation Transition
Winter 2006
CEE 320

from AASHTO’s A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets 2001

CEE 320
Winter 2006

Superelevation Runoff/Runout
FYI – NOT TESTABLE

from AASHTO’s A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets 2001

 FYI – NOT TESTABLE
New Graph

Superelevation Runoff - WSDOT

Winter 2006
CEE 320

from the 2005 WSDOT Design Manual, M 22-01

 FYI – NOT TESTABLE

Spiral Curves

No Spiral

Spiral
Winter 2006
CEE 320

from AASHTO’s A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets 2001

 FYI – NOT TESTABLE

No Spiral
Winter 2006
CEE 320
 FYI – NOT TESTABLE

Spiral Curves

• WSDOT no longer uses spiral curves

• Involve complex geometry
• Require more surveying
• Are somewhat empirical
• If used, superelevation transition should
occur entirely within spiral
Winter 2006
CEE 320
 FYI – NOT TESTABLE

Desirable Spiral Lengths

Winter 2006
CEE 320

from AASHTO’s A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets 2001

 FYI – NOT TESTABLE

Operating vs. Design Speed

85th Percentile Speed

vs. Inferred Design Speed for
138 Rural Two-Lane Highway
Horizontal Curves

85th Percentile Speed

vs. Inferred Design Speed for
Rural Two-Lane Highway
Limited Sight Distance Crest
Vertical Curves
Winter 2006
CEE 320
 Primary References

• Mannering, F.L.; Kilareski, W.P. and Washburn, S.S. (2005).

Principles of Highway Engineering and Traffic Analysis, Third
Edition. Chapter 3

• American Association of State Highway and Transportation

Officials (AASHTO). (2001). A Policy on Geometric Design of
Highways and Streets, Fourth Edition. Washington, D.C.
Winter 2006
CEE 320