10.

Design speed

10.1. Definition
It is the selected speed for the design, understood to be the maximum that
it can be maintained securely and comfortably, over a determined section
from the road, when the circumstances are favorable for them to prevail
the design conditions.

In the process of assigning the Design Speed, it must be granted the

maximum priority to the road safety of users. Therefore, the speed of
design along the line must be such that the conductors are not
surprised by sudden and/or very frequent changes in the speed at which
they can safely make the journey.

The designer, to ensure speed consistency, must identify

along the route, homogeneous sections to which, due to the conditions
topographical, they can be assigned the same speed. This speed,
referred to as Design Speed of the homogeneous segment, is the basis for the
definition of the characteristics of the geometric elements included in it
segment. To identify the homogeneous segments and establish their Speed of
Design must meet the following criteria:

The minimum length of a road section, with a design speed

Dad, it must be three (3.0) kilometers, for speeds between twenty and
fifty kilometers per hour (20 and 50 km/h) and four (4.0) kilometers
for speeds between sixty and one hundred and twenty kilometers per hour (60 and
120 km/h).

The difference in Design Speed between adjacent sections must not

to be greater than twenty kilometers per hour (20 km/h).

However, despite the above, if due to a marked change in the type of

land in a short section of the route, it is necessary to establish a stretch
with a length shorter than specified, the difference in its Speed of
The design with that of the adjacent sections shall not exceed ten.
kilometers per hour (10 km/h).
 10.2. Design speed of the homogeneous section
The Design Speed is defined based on demand classification.
the topography of the road to be designed. Each homogeneous section can be
assign the Design Speed in the indicated range

10.3. Specific speed of the elements that make up the stroke in

plant and profile
The maximum speed of a vehicle at a given moment is a function of
mainly, to the restrictions or opportunities offered by the design of the
road, the state of the roadway surface, the weather conditions, the
traffic intensity and vehicle characteristics.

The maximum speed of a vehicle at a given moment is a function of

mainly, to the restrictions or opportunities offered by the outline of the
road, the condition of the road surface, the weather conditions, the
traffic intensity and vehicle characteristics.
In this regard, it is necessary to size the geometric elements of the
road, in plan, profile and cross-section, in such a way that it can be
traveled safely, at the maximum speed assigned to each of them
geometric elements.
The maximum speed at which each geometric element would be approached is
Specific speed with which it should be designed. The value of the speed
The specificity of a geometric element essentially depends on the following
parameters:

Of the value of the Design Speed of the Homogeneous Section in which it

find the element included. The desirable condition is that for most of them
 of the geometric elements that make up the homogeneous section are
can assign as Specific Speed, the value of the Speed of
Section design.
From the geometry of the stroke immediately before the element
considered, taking into account the direction in which the vehicle performs the
route.

To ensure the greatest possible homogeneity in the Specific Speed of

curves and tangents, which necessarily translates into greater safety for
the users, requires that the Specific Speeds of the elements that
a homogeneous section is equal to the design speed of the section
do not exceed this speed by more than twenty kilometers per hour.

The general sequence for the assignment of the Specific Speed of the
elements
Geometric shapes in plan and profile are as follows:

1) In the plant design process:

Starting from the Design Speed of the homogeneous section adopted,

assign the Specific Speed to each of the horizontal curves.

Starting from the Specific Speed assigned to the horizontal curves,

assign the specific speed to the horizontal tangents.

2) In the profile design process:

Starting from the Specific Speed assigned to the horizontal curves and
to the horizontal tangents, assign the Specific Velocity to the curves
verticals.

Starting from the Specific Speed assigned to the tangents

Horizontals, assign the Specific Speed to the vertical tangents.

10.4. Specific speed in horizontal curves

To assign the Specific Speed to the horizontal curves included in

In a homogeneous section, the following parameters are considered:

The Design Speed of the homogeneous section in which it is found

horizontal curve.
The direction in which the vehicle travels on the road.
The Specific Speed assigned to the previous horizontal curve.
The length of the segment in the previous tangent. For the purposes of this
Manual, it is considered a segment tangent to the horizontal distance.
measure between the midpoints of the spirals of the curves at the beginning and
at the end of the segment if these are spiraled or between the PT and the PC of
the curves are indeed circular.
The deflection in the analyzed curve.
10.4.1 Criteria for the assignment of Specific Speed in the
horizontal curves

The Specific Speed of each of the horizontal curves is due to

establishing based on the following criteria:

The Specific Speed of a horizontal curve cannot be less than

the Design Speed of the segment, not exceeding this by twenty kilometers
for now.

The Specific Speed of a horizontal curve must be assigned.

taking into account the Specific Speed of the previous horizontal curve
and the length of the segment in the previous tangent.

3) The difference between the Specific Speeds of the last curve

horizontal of a stretch and the first of the next, are in function of the
Design Speed of contiguous sections and length of the
tangent segment between those curves.
It is necessary to emphasize that, in order not to distort the value assigned to the
Design Speed of the Section, whenever the conditions
if the topographical features of the land allow it, a proposal must be made for the
axis that leads, at the moment of assigning the Specific Speed to the
horizontal curves, so that these specific speeds result in the most
as close as possible to the Design Speed of the homogeneous section.

10.4.2 Speed on the horizontal tangent

For the verification of the overtaking visibility distance, in a

horizontal tangent and for the assignment of the Specific Velocity of a curve
vertical, included in said tangent, it is necessary to establish the probable
speed at which vehicles would travel on it. On roads of a
roadway, a vehicle can enter the tangent coming out of the horizontal curve
located at one end, which has a certain Specific Speed, or
exiting the curve located at the other end, which also has its own
Specific Speed. The vehicles will travel along the tangent at speed.
to which they emerged from the curve, being critical of those who entered the tangent from
the horizontal curve that presents the higher Specific Speed. In
As a consequence, the Specific Speed of the horizontal tangent must be equal
to the greater of the two Specific Speeds of the horizontal curves
extremes.

10.4.3 Specific speed of the vertical curve

The Specific Speed of the vertical curve, concave or convex, is the maximum
the speed at which it can be traveled under safe conditions. With it,
you must choose your length and check the stopping visibility distance. If the curve
vertical coincides with a horizontal curve, which has a Specific Speed
Dad, the Specific Speed of the vertical curve must be equal to the Speed
Specific to the horizontal curve. If the vertical curve is located within
a horizontal tangent with a given Specific Speed, the Speed
The specific vertical curve must be equal to the specific speed.
from the horizontal tangent.

10.4.4 Specific speed of the vertical tangent

The specific speed at which the geometric elements are designed in
the profile must match the specific speed assigned to the elements
geometric shapes in plan. The maximum slope that can be assigned to a
vertical tangent, it is associated with the specific velocity of the tangent
horizontal coincident. Consequently, the Specific Tangential Speed
Vertical is equal to the Specific Speed of the horizontal tangent.

10.5. Walking speed

Also known as cruising speed, it is the result of dividing the distance
travel time during which the vehicle was in motion, under
the prevailing traffic conditions, the road, and the control devices. It is
a measure of the quality of service that a road provides to drivers
and varies throughout the day, mainly due to changes in volumes of
transit.
It is desirable for the walking speed of a large number of drivers,
is lower than the design speed. Experience shows that the deviation of
this objective is more evident and problematic in the horizontal curves more
favorable. In particular, in curves with low design speeds (in
related to the driver's expectations) one usually drives at speeds
greater means lower security conditions. Therefore, it is
important that the design speed used for setting the curve
horizontal is a conservative reflection of the speed that is expected from the
built installation.
The average walking speed on a given road varies
during the day, mostly depending on the volume of traffic. Therefore,
when referring to a marching speed, it must be indicated
clearly if this speed represents the peak demand hours, outside of
the peak demand hours, or an average for the day. The peak hours
demand and the rest are used in the project and operation, while the
average operating speed throughout a day is used in the
economic analysis.
The effect of traffic volume on average walking speed can be
determined as follows:
On first and second class highways, the speed limit is
relatively insensitive to traffic volume. However, when this
as it approaches the speed limit of the road, the speed decreases
substantially.
On first, second, and third class roads, the speed
decreases linearly with the increase in traffic, in the existing range
between zero and the capacity of the road.

When a field study is not available under the conditions

To analyze, the values included will be taken as theoretical.
between 85% and 95% of the design speed, as shown
 10.6. Operating speed
It is the maximum speed at which vehicles can travel in a given area.
section of a highway, based on the design speed, under the conditions
traffic conditions, pavement condition, weather, and degree of
relationship of this with other roads and with the adjacent property.
If traffic and interferences are low, the vehicle's operating speed
it is on the order of the design speed for a homogeneous section, it should not
surpassing this. As traffic grows, the interference between vehicles
increases, tending to lower the operating speed of the set. This
The concept is basic for assessing the quality of service provided by a road.
as a comparison parameter, between an existing road with characteristics
similar to a project road, in order to select a design speed for
homogeneous sections, the most suitable for the service to be provided.
A concept used for better estimation of the operational speed is
the so-called 85th percentile of speed, which consists of determining the
speed under which 85% of the vehicles circulate. Considering the speed
of operation at each point along the way, it is possible to build a diagram of
operating speed: operating speed–distance, where it will be able to
appreciate those places that may compromise safety in the layout. The
Analysis of the indicated diagram constitutes the most common method for evaluation.
consistency of the geometric design. In Table 204.03 (equations of
Fitzpatrick), estimates can be seen for the determination of
operating speeds.
Conclusions
Speed is of vital importance for carrying out any type of study.
of traffic, considering that all the fundamental concepts of the
they are closely linked and related to it.

The design speed determines the geometric characteristics of a

new road during the project.

Speed is an important measure of service quality that

provides the user of the road. It is used as one of the measures of
most important effectiveness to define the "service levels", in many
types of roads. A driver hopes to reach a higher speed on a
highway that in an urban artery. Low speeds are tolerated in
those roadways that present critical alignments both in
plant as in elevation. The service level criteria are established
based on these factors

Bibliography
FERROCARRILES, D. G. (2018).MANUAL DE CARRETERAS: DISEÑO GEOMÉTRICO DG–2018.
LIMA: GENERAL DIRECTORATE OF ROADS AND RAILWAYS.

Questions:
What is design speed?
It is the speed chosen for the design, which will be the maximum that can be achieved.
maintain safely and comfortably, over a certain section of
the road, when the circumstances are favorable for it to
Let the design conditions prevail.
At what speeds is a road designed?
Design speed
Specific speed