TUTORIAL 3
SHOCKWAVE ANALYSIS
2/10/2026
2/10/2026
Joshua Zelek
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Photo credit: @[Link]
Tutorial Problem 1
SHOCKWAVE ANALYSIS PAGE 2
Solution
Assume Greenshield model holds for this problem
Find Flow States: v = q/k
A: Upstream of the platoon: q = 800 vph; k= 25 vpkm => va = 32 km/h
B: Flow in the platoon: q= 900 vph; k = 90 vpkm => vb= 10 km/h
C: Flow after truck leaves the highway: q = 2500 vph, k = k0 = kj / 2 = 50 vpkm
D: Null State in front of the truck q = 0 vph, k = 0 vpkm
Since q is at capacity,
If vb < va then vehicles
density is ½ the jam
from state B cannot enter
density (speed will be ½
state A. Therefore, there is
the free speed)
a null (empty state)
between them
SHOCKWAVE ANALYSIS PAGE 3
Solution - part a, b
State A State B State C State D
Flow (q, vph) 800 900 2500 0
Density (k, vpkm) 25 90 50 0
Speed (v, km/h) 32 10 50 0
SHOCKWAVE ANALYSIS PAGE 4
Solution – part a, b
(50,2500)
(25,800) (90,900)
D
(0,0) (100,0)
SHOCKWAVE ANALYSIS PAGE 5
Shockwaves Meaning
Wad, Wbd, Wcd: Speed of each flow state (simply q/k)
Wab: The movement of the queue in the platoon
Wbc: Dissipation off the front of the queue
SHOCKWAVE ANALYSIS PAGE 6
Solution – part c
To determine the number of vehicles in the platoon, we need the density of the platoon (kb),
and the length of the platoon queue
▪ Vehicle density in the platoon is given – kb = 90 vpkm
▪ Queue length when the truck leaves the platoon (km)
Time truck spends driving Growth rate of the platoon
on the highway (ttruck) (speed of the shockwave related to
the speed of the truck)
SHOCKWAVE ANALYSIS PAGE 7
Solution – part c
Growth rate:
The end of the queue
𝑞𝑏 − 𝑞𝑎 900 − 800
𝑊𝑎𝑏 = = = 1.5 𝑘𝑚/ℎ moving forward
𝑘𝑏 − 𝑘𝑎 90 − 25
𝑞𝑏 − 𝑞𝑑 900 − 0 𝑘𝑚
𝑊𝑏𝑑 = = = 10 (= 𝑣 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑐𝑘)
𝑘𝑏 − 𝑘𝑑 90 − 0 ℎ
Growth rate = 10 – 1.5 = 8.5 km/h
Time truck spends driving on the road
t truck = 2.5 km / 10 km/h =0.25 h
SHOCKWAVE ANALYSIS PAGE 8
Solution – part c
Maximum queue length:
Qmax = growth rate * truck time
Qmax = 8.5km/h * 0.25 hours = 2.13 km
Number of vehicles in the platoon:
Number of vehicles = kb * Qmax
Number of vehicles = 90 vpkm * 2.13 km = 191 vehicles
SHOCKWAVE ANALYSIS PAGE 9
Solution – part d
To determine how long the queue takes to dissipate, we need to compare the max queue
length versus the shrinking rate
▪ Qmax = 2.12 km
▪ Shrinking rate: Difference of Wbc and Wab
Since the end of the queue is
moving forward, the queue will
dissipate more quickly
SHOCKWAVE ANALYSIS PAGE 10
Solution – part d
Shrinking Rate:
𝑞𝑏 − 𝑞𝑐 900 − 2500
𝑊𝑐𝑏 = = = −40 𝑘𝑚/ℎ
𝑘𝑏 − 𝑘𝑐 90 − 50
Wab = 1.5 km/h
Shrinking Rate =1.5 - -(40) = 41.5 km/h
Time to dissipate:
Time to dissipate = Qmax/Shirnking rate = 0.05 hour = 3 minutes
SHOCKWAVE ANALYSIS PAGE 11
Tutorial Problem 2
SHOCKWAVE ANALYSIS PAGE 12
Solution
Jam Density: q = ¼*Vf*Kj --> Kj = (2100*4)/110 = 76.36 vpkmpl
Flow State C: At capacity (2100 vph * 2 lanes), v = 55 kph, and k = ½ Kj
Flow State B: At capacity (4200 vph over 3 lanes)
Flow State A: Below capacity (4900 vph over 3 lanes)
SHOCKWAVE ANALYSIS PAGE 13
Solution
For A and B, to find speed, can use
* Use values of vehicles per lane
* Get 2 values, use the appropriate one
For flow state B: q = 1400 vphpl
SHOCKWAVE ANALYSIS PAGE 14
Solution
Assume Greenshield model holds for this problem
A: Upstream of maintenance: q = 4900 vph; k= 60.5 vpkm => v = 80.9 km/h
B: Flow at maintenance: q= 4200 vph; k = 180.7 vpkm => v = 23.3 km/h
C: Flow downstream of maintenance: q = 4200 vph, k= 76.4 vpkm
D: Null State in front of the truck q = 0 vph, k = 0 vpkm
SHOCKWAVE ANALYSIS PAGE 15
Upstream Diagram
SHOCKWAVE ANALYSIS PAGE 16
Solution
Calculate the Shockwaves of Interest
Wab = (4900 – 4200) / (60 – 181) = -5.8 km/h
Wac = (4900 – 4200) / (60 – 76) = -44.3 km/h
Wbc = 0 (front of the shockwave does not move)
Wcd = 55 km/h
SHOCKWAVE ANALYSIS PAGE 17
Solution
Max queue length
Intersection of Wab and Wac (Wab started 2.5 hrs before)
Can model as 2 linear formulas
Wab: y = -5.8x
Wac: y = -44.3x + (44.3 * 2.5) = -44.3x + 110.8
-5.8x = -44.3x + 110.8 --> x = 2.88 hrs
Max queue length occurs after 2.88 hrs * (-5.8 km/h) = 16.7 km
SHOCKWAVE ANALYSIS PAGE 18
Solution
Time to Dissipate
Queue length is 16.7 km, Wcd = 55 km/h
Time to Dissipate = Queue length / Wcd = 0.30 hrs
Total Time to Dissipate = 0.30 + 2.88 = 3.18 hrs
SHOCKWAVE ANALYSIS PAGE 19
SHOCKWAVE ANALYSIS PAGE 20