NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
CE3121 TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING
Tutorial #6 (Solutions)
Geometric Design of Highway and Streets
Question 1 (Perception/reaction time)
A test on the driver’s perception/reaction time is being conducted on a special track with wet
pavement and a driving speed of 90 km/h. When the driver is sober, a stop can be made just
in time to avoid hitting an object that is first visible 160 m ahead. After a few drinks and
starting the test at the same conditions (i.e. initial driving speed of 90 km/h), the driver fails
to stop in time and strikes the object at a speed of 60 km/h. Determine the driver’s
reaction/perception time before and after drinking. Assume level grade.
(Hint: You may need to use Newton’s equations of motion to solve this problem.)
Solution:
Sober condition:
Use stopping distance formula and AASHTO deceleration of 3.4 m/s2
v2
SSD = d1 + d 2 = v ´ t R +
2 [ a ± Gg ]
( 90 3.6 )
2
æ 90 ö
160 = ç ÷ ´ ( tR ) +
è 3.6 ø 2 ( 3.4 + 0 )
Solve: tR = 2.72 s
Drunken condition:
Use Newton’s equation of motion to determine the point where the brake is applied:
v 2 = u 2 - 2as
2 2
æ 60 ö æ 90 ö
ç ÷ =ç ÷ - 2 ( 3.4 ) d 2 Þ d2 = 51.1 m
è 3.6 ø è 3.6 ø
SSD = d1 + d2 = 160 m Þ d1 = 108.9 m
Since d1 = v ´ tR Þ tR = 4.35 s
Additional thoughts: Research studies have found that drunk driving affect driver judgment.
This is normally manifested in a longer perception/reaction time. Reaction time for drink
driving can be significantly larger than the AASHTO recommended reaction time of 2.5 s.
What are the implications?
Question 2 (Design of straight/tangent section)
You are supposed to design the length of the straight/tangent section of a two-way two-lane
highway. The design speed of the highway is 80 km/h. Determine:
(a) The minimum stopping distance, if the road has a maximum grade of 4%
(b) The minimum decision sight distance if the road is urban and a driver may change his
speed or path for avoidance maneuver
(c) The minimum passing sight distance
(d) The minimum length of tangent section that has to be provided
Solution:
(a) Since the road is two way, then there are actually two directions we must consider when
design for stopping sight distance (i.e. + 4% and – 4%)
Stopping sight distance for 4% upgrade:
(80 3.6 )
2
v2 æ 80 ö
SSD = d1 + d 2 = v ´ t R + =ç ÷ ´ ( 2.5) + = 120.7 m
2 [ a ± Gg ] è 3.6 ø 2 éë3.4 + ( 4 100 )( 9.81) ùû
Stopping sight distance for 4% downgrade:
(80 3.6 )
2
v2 æ 80 ö
SSD = d1 + d 2 = v ´ t R + =ç ÷ ´ ( 2.5) + = 137.6 m
2 [ a ± Gg ] è 3.6 ø 2 éë3.4 - ( 4 100 )( 9.81) ùû
Obviously, the downgrade direction will govern the design Þ Minimum SSD = 137.6 m
(b) If the road is urban and a driver may change his speed or path for avoidance Þ
Avoidance movement E, use AASHTO table from p. 20 of notes Þ Minimum DSD = 315 m
(c) Use AASHTO table on p. 21 of notes Þ Minimum PSD = 245 m
(d) Minimum length of tangent section = max (min SSD, min DSD, min PSD) = 315 m
Question 3 (Design of horizontal curves)
A developer is intending to construct a single lane racetrack with a design speed of 160 km/h.
A curve on the racetrack has a radius of 650 m, a central angle of 30o and a PI stationing at 43
+ 00. If the design coefficient of side friction is 0.20, determine the superelevation required at
the design speed (ignore the normal component of the centripetal force). Also, compute the
degree of curvature, length of curve and the stationing of PC and PT.
Solution:
Since the race has only one lane, Rv = R = 650 m.
To determine superelevation:
v2
0.01e + f =
gR
(160 3.6)
2
0.01e + 0.20 = Þ e = 11.0%
( 9.81)( 650)
æ 180 ö
100 ç ÷
Degree of curvature: D = è p ø = 5729.6 = 8.8°
R 650
æDö æ 30 ö
Length of curve: L = 100 ç ÷ = 100 ç ÷ = 340 m
èDø è 8.8 ø
æDö æ 30° ö
Tangent length: T = R tan ç ÷ = 650 tan ç ÷ = 174.2 m
è2ø è 2 ø
Stationing of PC = Stationing of PI – T = (43 + 00) – (1 + 74.2) = 41 + 25.8
Stationing of PT = Stationing of PC + L = (41 + 25.8) + (3 + 40) = 44 + 65.8
Question 4 (Design of vertical curves)
An equal-tangent (two-way) vertical curve was designed in 2005 (based on the 2004
AASHTO guidelines) for a design speed of 110 km/h to connect grades G1 = +1.0% and G2 =
– 2.0%. The curve is to be redesigned for a 110 km/h design speed in the year 2025. By then,
vehicle braking technology would be advanced such that the recommended design
deceleration rates is 25% greater than the 3.4 m/s2 used in the 2004 guidelines, but due to the
higher percentage of older persons in the driving population, design reaction times have
increased by 20%. Also vehicles have become smaller so that the driver’s eye height can be
assumed to be 0.9 m from the pavement, and roadway objects can be assumed to be 0.3 m
above the pavement surface. Compute the difference in design curve lengths for the 2005 and
2025 designs.
Solution:
2005 design:
tR = 2.5 s, a = 3.4 m/s2, h1 = 1.08 m and h2 = 0.6 m
Stopping sight distance for +1% grade (governing grade):
(110 3.6 )
2
v2 æ 110 ö
S = d1 + d 2 = v ´ tR + =ç ÷ ´ ( 2.5) + = 209.8 m
2 [ a ± Gg ] è 3.6 ø 2 éë3.4 + (1 100 )( 9.81) ùû
Assume S < Lm
+1 - ( -2 ) ´ ( 209.8 )
2
A´ S 2
Lm = = = 200.8 m
( ) ( )
2 2
200 h1 + h2 200 1.08 + 0.6
Alternatively, use:
A ´ SSD 2 1 - ( -2 ) ´ ( 209.8)
2
Lm = = = 200.8 m
658 658
Note that S < Lm condition is not satisfied.
Assume S > Lm
( ) ( )
2 2
200 h1 + h2 200 1.08 + 0.6
Lm = 2 ( S ) - = 2*209.8 - = 200.3 m
A +1 - ( -2 )
Alternatively, use:
658 658
Lm = 2 ( SSD ) - = 2*209.8 - = 200.3 m
A +1 - ( -2 )
Note that S > Lm condition is satisfied.
2025 design:
tR = 1.2 × 2.5 s = 3 s, a = 1.25 × 3.4 m/s2 = 4.25 m/s2, h1 = 0.9 m and h2 = 0.3 m
Stopping sight distance for +1% grade (governing grade):
(110 3.6 )
2
v2 æ 110 ö
S = d1 + d 2 = v ´ t R + =ç ÷ ´ ( 3) + = 199.0 m
2 [ a ± Gg ] è 3.6 ø 2 éë 4.25 + (1 100 )( 9.81) ùû
+1 - ( -2 ) ´ (199.0 )
2
A´ S 2
Lm = = = 265.4 m
( ) ( )
2 2
200 h1 + h2 200 0.9 + 0.3
Note that S < Lm condition is satisfied.
Difference in design curve length = 265.4 – 200.3 = 65.1 m
Additional thoughts: It is very real that as technology improves and as driver characteristic
changes, the highways and roads that we had originally designed and constructed may (or
may not) be adequate in future. Think about the potential consequences and what
transportation engineers can do to avoid or alleviate the problem.
Question 5 (Combined Horizontal and Vertical Alignment)
A section of one-way highway has vertical and horizontal curves with the same design speed.
A vertical curve on this highway connects a + 1% grade and a + 3% grade and is 1024 m
long. If a horizontal curve on this highway is on a two-lane section with 3.6 m lanes, has a
central angle of 37o, and has a superelevation of 6%, what is the length of the horizontal
curve?
Solution:
Determine the design speed of vertical (and horizontal) curve:
Use AASHTO recommended values of tR = 2.5 s, a = 3.4 m/s2, H = 0.6 m
Assume: SSD > Lm
120 + 3.5SSD 120 + 3.5SSD
Lm = 2SSD - = 2SSD - = 124 m Þ SSD = 736 m
A 1 - ( 3)
For grade of +1% (governing SSD):
v2 v2
SSD = d1 + d2 = v ´ tR + = v ´ ( 2.5) + = 736 m
2 [ a ± Gg ] 2 éë3.4 + (1 100 )( 9.81)ùû
0.1429 v2 + 2.5 v – 736 = 0
Solve, v = 63.5 m/s = 228.8 km/h
Determine radius of horizontal curve:
For multilane highway, the curve has to be designed for the most critical lane. In this case,
there are two lanes (the inner and outer lanes). It is obvious that the inner lane will govern the
horizontal curve design.
Let R = radius of curve, Rv2 = centerline of the outer lane and Rv1 = center line of inner lane
Then R – 0.5 (3.6) = Rv1 i.e. R – 1.8 = Rv1
Side friction coefficient can be determined from “Figure 18: Side friction factors assumed for
design” of lecture notes.
For v = 228.8 km/h, f = 0.075 (approximate solution)
Solve for radius of horizontal curve:
v2
0.01e + f =
gRv1
( 228.8 3.6)
2
0.01( 6 ) + 0.075 = Þ R = 3051.8 m
( 9.81)( R - 1.8)
Determine horizontal curve length:
æ 180 ö
100 ç ÷
Degree of curvature: D = è p ø = 5729.6 = 1.9°
R 3051.8
æDö æ 37 ö
Length of curve: L = 100 ç ÷ = 100 ç ÷ = 1971 m
èDø è 1.9 ø
Note: Design speed is not the same as speed limit. In this case, we may have used an extreme
design speed in this example problem but actual implementation would have a much
reasonable speed limit of say 100 km/h.