Highway Engineering I

Horizontal Curve
Alignment

Topic 5 - a

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 Design of Horizontal Alignment

Plan (Top View)

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 What is Road Horizontal Alignment?

 The horizontal alignment of a road usually consists of a series of

straight sections (tangents) connected curves.

 The curves can be simple circular curves or composite curves.

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 Left Hand and Right Hand HC

4
 Deflection Direction of Tangents

Deflects right

Deflects right
Deflects right i.e. need to
introduce right hand curve

Deflects left i.e. need to

introduce a left hand curve

5 Direction of travel - left to right

 Deflection Angles (∆) NOT Requiring
Horizontal Curves (HCs)

When to Use HCs ?

 For two lane pavement, when
two tangents intersect and
deflection angle(∆) is ≥ 0.5o
at 120 km/h, varying to ≥1.5o
at 40 km/h.

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 Determining Deflection Angle from
Bearings

Example: A tangent with a Bearing 125 deg, 14 minutes, N

20 seconds meets another tangent with a Bearing of 75 deg.
1 deg = 60 minutes
W E
1min = 60 seconds
Convert to deg,
20’’/60 = 0.33’ S
14’+ 0.33’ =14.33’/60 = 0.24o
Total is 125o + 0.24o = 125.24o

Deflection angle (∆)= 125.24-75= 50.24o

∆
Another way for phrasing: A tangent with a bearing of 125.240 deflects left at an
7 angle of 50.240 to meet another tangent.
 Types of Horizontal Curves

 Simple circular curves

 Compound curves
 Reversed curves
 Transition curves

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 Highway Engineering I

Simple Circular
Horizontal Curves

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 Simple Circular Horizontal Curves
(HCs)
Notation:
R= radius of circular curve, (m)
PC= point of circular, the point where a circular curve
and a tangent join
PI= point of intersection, the point where the two
straights (tangents) join
PT= point of tangent, the point where a tangent and a
circular curve join
∆= intersection angle, the angle between the two
tangents (degrees)
T= Tangent distance (m)
E= External distance (m)
M= Middle ordinate
Stations i.e. distance
Arc= length of circular arc (m), length between the
travelled are measured along
the Arc i.e. NOT horizontally
two PTs along the curve
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 Simple Circular Horizontal Curves
(HCs)
Formulae:
St. PC = St. PI – T T
L
St. PT = St. PC + L
T = R tan (∆/2)
M = R (1- Cos (∆/2))
E = [R/(Cos (∆/2)] - R
Degree of Curvature (D):
 L
a) Arc definition: 
360 2  R
D 10 L=10
 D
573
360 2  R R Lc
b) Chord definition: Lc/2 Lc/2
Sin (D/2) 
R
Lc = 2R Sin (D/2) 
D

10 L  10
11 OR:  L D
 Setting out of Circular Curve

 Deflection angle method:

Measure the deflection angle from the tangent at point PC and chord joining
consecutive whole stations.

 L

360 2  R

T = R tan (∆/2)

Lc = 2R Sin (D/2)

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 Example (1)

If ∆ = 50o , R = 1000 m and Station PI =20+00, find PC & PT stations?

Solution:
T = R tan (∆/2) = 1000* tan (50/2) = 466.31 m
St. PC = St. PI – T = 2000 – 466.31 =15+33.69
 L

360 2  R

L = 50* 2* (22/7)*1000/360
L = 873 m
St. PT = St. PC + L
= 1533.69 + 873 = 24+06.69
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 Example (2)

A horizontal curve having R =500m, ∆= 40o, station PI= 12+00,

prepare a setting out table to set out the curve using deflection
angle (δ) from the tangent and chord length method, dividing
the arc into 50m stations.
Solution:
 L

360 2  R

L= 40 *500*2*3.14/ 360= 349 m

T = R tan (∆/2) = 500* tan (40/2) = 181.99m

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 Example (2) …. Cont.

St. PC = St. PI – T = 1200 – 181.99 = 10 +18.01

St. PT = St. PC + L = 1018.01 + 348.89 = 13+ 67.08

 L

360 2  R

31.99 * 360
δ1 = 2 * 3.14 * 500 =3 39 57

50 * 360
δ2 = 2 * 3.14 * 500 =5 43 46

Lc = 2R Sin (D/2)
= 2*500* Sin (δ1 /2) = 31.99 m

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 Example (2) …. Cont.

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 Highway Engineering I

Compound Horizontal
Curves

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 Compound Horizontal Curves (HCs)

Compound Curves: consist

of two or more circular or
composite curves in same
direction.

These curves are used mainly

in obtaining desirable shape
of the horizontal alignment.

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 Compound HCs

Compound Curves: consist of two or more circular curves in same

direction.
∆ Flatter curve Sharper curve

t1
t2
• t1= R1 tan(∆1/2) Two circular
• t2= R2 tan(∆2/2) compound curves
• T1= t1 + d1
• T2= t2 + d2
• ∆ = ∆1+∆2
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 Compound HCs

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 Compound HCs

Three circular compound curves

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 Compound HCs

22 Five circular compound curves

 Example (3)

∆1 = 34o , ∆2 = 26o , St. PI = 611+30, R1 = 500 m, R2 = 350 m.

Set out the curve by dividing the arc into 50 m stations.
Solution:
t1= R1 tan(∆1/2) = 500 tan 17o = 152.87 m
t2= R2 tan(∆2/2) = 350 tan 13o = 80.80 m
 L

360 2  R
L= ∆ *R*2*3.14/ 360
L1 = 296.56 m
L2 = 158.74 m
t1 + t2 = 233.67 m

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 Example (3) …. Cont.

 (Sin 26/ d1) = (Sin 120 / (t1+t2))

d1 = 118.28 m
 T1= t1 + d1 =152.87 + 118.28 = 271.15 m

 St. PC = 61130 – 271.15 = 608 +58.85

 St. PCC = St. PC + L1 = 60858.85 + 296.56
= 611 +55.41
 St. PT= St. PCC+ L2 = 61155.41 + 158.74
= 613 +14.15

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 Example (3) …. Cont.
Arc length, Deflection angle, Tangential Chord length,
Station
m δ
δ/2 angle m
PC = 608 + 58.85
609 + 00 41.15
609 + 50 50
610 + 00 50
610 + 50 50
611 + 00 50
611 + 50 50
PCC= 611 +55.41 5.41
PCC= 611 +55.41
612 + 00 44.59
612 + 50 50
613 + 00 50
25 PT = 613 +14.15 14.15
 Highway Engineering I

Reversed Horizontal
Curves

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 Reversed HCs

Reversed Curves :consist of two simple

circular turning in opposite direction with
a common tangent.

• These curves are used to change the

alignment of the highway.
• They are rarely recommended because
of the sudden change in alignment, as
it can lead to overturning of vehicles.
• They are provided for low speed
roads.
• If it’s necessary to reverse alignment,
it is better to use two simple curves
separated by sufficient tangent
27 between them.
 Reversed HCs

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 Reversed HCs

Calculating radius of reverse curve (R) depending on the

distance between the beginning and the end of the reverse
curve: (d) (between the tangents) and (D) (along the tangents).

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 Reversed HCs

30 D = R1 Sin ∆1+ R2 Sin ∆2 D~L

 Example (4)

For the following parallel tangent reverse curve, determine all the
curve information and project it from PC up to PT. ∆1 = ∆2 = 24o , R1=
250m, R2= 200m and St. PC= 100+00.

Solution:
T1= R1 tan(∆1/2)
= 250 tan 12o = 53.139 m PC
T2= R2 tan(∆2/2)
= 200 tan 12o = 42.51 m
PT

D = R1 Sin ∆1+ R2 Sin ∆2

D
= 250 Sin 24o + 200 Sin 24o
= 183.03 m
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 Example (4) …. Cont.

d = (R1- R1 Cos ∆1)+ (R2- R2 Cos ∆2)

= 250 (1-Cos 24o )+ 200(1- Cos 24o )
= 38.905 m
OR: d=D tan∆/2 =183.03*tan12=38.904m

L= ∆ *R*2*3.14/ 360 d
L1 = 104.67 m
PC
L2 = 83.73 m

St. PC= 100+00. PT

St. PRC = St. PC + L1 = 10000 + 104.67
= 101 + 04.67 D
St. PT= St. PRC+ L2 =10104.67 + 83.73
32 = 101 + 88.40
 Example (4) …. Cont.

Station Arc length Deflection angle Chord length, m

PC = 100 + 00
100 + 30 30
100 + 60 30
100 + 90 30
PRC= 101 + 04.67 14.67
PRC= 101 + 04.67
101 + 30 25.33
101 + 60 30
PT= 101 + 88.40 28.4
Total 188.4

 L
 Lc = 2R Sin (D/2)
360 2  R
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 Examples

Example (5): Given two compound curve with the following data:
∆1 = 24o , ∆2 = 46o , St. PC = 150+20, R1 = 490 m, R2 = 573 m. Find all
other variables to project the curve from PC to PT.

Example (6): Given two reversed curve with the following data:
∆1 = 24o , ∆2 = 46o , St. PC = 150+20, R1 = 490 m, R2 = 573 m. Find all
other variables to project the curve from PC to PT.

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