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Horizontal Curve - Design Brief

The document discusses horizontal curves in road design. It defines four types of horizontal curves - simple, compound, reverse, and spiral. It provides equations to calculate tangent length, chord length, external distance, middle ordinate, and length of a simple curve based on radius and central angle. It also discusses how to determine sight distance and clearance required from the centerline based on design speed and radius of the curve.

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Waseem Ahmad
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
357 views

Horizontal Curve - Design Brief

The document discusses horizontal curves in road design. It defines four types of horizontal curves - simple, compound, reverse, and spiral. It provides equations to calculate tangent length, chord length, external distance, middle ordinate, and length of a simple curve based on radius and central angle. It also discusses how to determine sight distance and clearance required from the centerline based on design speed and radius of the curve.

Uploaded by

Waseem Ahmad
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Horizontal Curves

David Levinson
Types of Horizontal
Curves
There are four types of horizontal curves: simple, compound,
reverse, and spiral. We will only consider simple curves in this
course.

Compound Curves consist of 2 or more curves in succession turning


in the same direction with a common tangent point

Reverse Curves consist of two simple curves with equal radii


turning opposite directions with a common tangent

Transition or Spiral curves are placed between tangents and circular


curves or between two adjacent circular curves with substantially
different radii.
Horizontal Alignment
Recall that the radius of a
curve (R) is given by:
The horizontal alignment
comprises the road on the
plane of the earth, 1000
2

including straight sections v ( v ) 2


3600
and curves. R= =
g ( e + fs ) 127 ( e + fs )
The curves are based on
circles.
where

An object located on the e = superelevation,


fs = the coefficient of side friction,
inside of a curve may
g =acceleration due to gravity (=9.81 m/s2) and
obstruct sight distance. v = the vehicle speed.
Illustration
L - Length of Curve

m
eye object
Obstruction

m = distance form centerline to sight obstruction


L = Length of Curve
R = Radius of Centerline
S = Sight Distance
Equations
When S L

28.65S
m = R 1 cos
R

When S> L

28.65L S L 28.65L
m = R 1 cos + sin
R 2 R
Example: Location of an
object near a horizontal
Curve
A horizontal curve with a radius of 200 m forms
part of a 2 lane highway with a posted speed of
50 km/hr.

If the highway is flat, determine the distance a


house can be placed from the centerline of the
inside of the curve without reduced the required
Stopping Sight Distance.

Assume a perception reaction time of 2.5 seconds


Solution
Determine the required
stopping sight distance (S)
v2
S = ds = 0.278t r v +
254 ( f G )
50 2
S = ds = 0.278 * 2.5 * 50 + = 74.12m
254 ( 0.25 )

Determine the Minimum m

28.65S 28.65 * 74.12


m = R 1 cos = 200 1 cos = 3.424m
R 200
Layout of Simple
Horizontal Curve
PI
M = Middle Ordinate
T E T T = Tangent Length
R= Radius of Centerline
PC M = Deflection Angle
/2 PT PC = Point of Curvature
R PI = Point of Intersection
PT = Point of Tangency
E = External Distance

Note M m
Formulae for Simple
Curves

T = R tan
2
Tangent Length (T)
C = 2Rsin
2
Length of Chord (C)

(Long Chord from PC to PT) 1
E = R 1
External Distance (E) cos
2
Middle Ordinate (M)
M = R 1 cos
Length of Curve (L) 2
R
L=
180
Horizontal Alignment Stationing
Highways are measured along the centerline,
rather than Cartesian coordinates.

Stations are measured in km (there are also


Imperial units for stationing) along a
horizontal plane

So 2+302.250 should be read as

2 kilometers and 302.250 meters from the


point of origin on the roadway, which is at
0+000.000

Vertical Alignment
Elevations are measured from the horizontal
plane.
Example: Stationing of
Point of Tangency (PT)

A horizontal curve is designed with a 600 m


radius.

The curve has a tangent of 125 m and the PI is


at metric station 10+000 (10 kilometers and 0
meters).

Determine the stationing of the PT


Solution
First Determine the Central $ Then determine the length
Angle

R 600 * 23.53 * 3.14


L= = = 246m
T = R tan 180 180
2
$ Given that the tangent is 125 m

125 = 600 tan Stationing PC=10+000 - 125 = 9+875
2
$ Since horizontal curve stationing is
= 23.53 measured along the alignment of the road
Stationing PT = Stationing PC + L
$ $ $ $ $ =9+875+ 246 = 10+121
Problem

A horizontal curve is designed with a 450 m


radius. The curve has a tangent of 175 m and
the PI is at metric station 9+550. Determine
the stationing of the PT
Solution

T = R tan
2

175 = 450 tan
2
First Determine the Central
Angle
= 42.5
R 450 * 42.5 * 3.14
Then determine the length L= = = 333.79m
180 180

Given that the tangent is 175 m

Stationing PC=9+550 - 175 = 9+375

Stationing of PT = 9+375 + 333.79m = 9+708


Problem

A flat horizontal curve on a 2-lane highway is designed with a 120


m radius, 3.6 m lanes, 25 central angle, and a 50 km/h design
speed. The stopping friction coefficient is 0.30. Assume driver
perception/reaction time is 2.5 seconds.

a. Determine the distance that must be cleared from the centerline


to provide sufficient Stopping Sight Distance.

b. What radius is required to obtain a 100 km/h design speed (All


others variables the same as in part (a) above)? What will be the
new curve length?

Draw a diagram with the values of your solution.


Solution (Part 1)
Givens:R =120 l=3.6 =25 v=50 f=0.30 t=2.5
g=9.81

v2 50 2
S = 0.278vt + = 0.278 * 50 * 2.5 + = 67.558m
254 f 254 * 0.30

L= R = 120 * 25 = 52.36m
180 180
Rv = R 0.5L = 120 0.5 * 3.6 = 118.2m
L S L L
Since m = Rv 1 cos 28.65 + sin
Rv 2
28.65
Rv

S>L m = 4.557
Solution (Part 2)

v= 100 km/hr, Calculate S

v2 100 2
S = 0.278vt + = 0.278 *100 * 2.5 + = 200.73m
254 f 254 * 0.30

Assume S<L and that the clearance is going to


remain the same, find Rv
S
m = Rv 1 cos 28.65 = 4.557
Rv Use Rv in equation for m
gives
Rv = 1104.58,
R = Rv + 0.5L = 1106.384
Solve for R
Solution (Part 3)

Compare to minimum R, assume e same as part


a if needed or another reasonable value
2 2
1000 1000
v 100
3600 3600
Rnew = = = 479.6m
g ( e + fs ) 9.81( 0.164 )
SSD Controls

Lnew = R = 482.75 > L
180
Correct equation from Tables at 100 km/hr
fs =0.128, min radius = 450 m
Questions

Questions?
Abbreviations

PC = Point of Curvature

PT = Point of Tangency

PI = Point of Intersection
Key Terms

Simple curve

Spiral curve

Compound Curve

Reverse Curve
Variables
tr= perception/reaction time (seconds)
f = AASHTO stopping friction
coefficient (dimensionless)
G = roadway grade (dimensionless)
e = superelevation, T = Tangent Length
fs = the coefficient of side friction, C= Length of Chord (Long Chord
g = the acceleration due to gravity from PC to PT)
(=9.81 m/s2) and E= External Distance
v = the vehicle speed. M = Middle Ordinate
m = distance from centerline to sight Delta = Deflection Angle
obstruction
L = length of curve
S = sight distance (ds)
R = Radius of centerline
Rv =Radius to drivers eye (middle of
lane)

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