DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINERING

FOURAH BAY COLLEGE

UNIVERSITY OF SIERRA LEONE

CENG 416: Geometric

Design of Highways

Topic: DESIGN CONTROLS

 Table of Contents
1. PRIMARY DESIGN CONTROLS............................................................................................................... 1
1.1. Highway Classification ................................................................................................................. 1
1.1.1. United States Classification.................................................................................................. 1
1.1.2. Sierra Leone Road Network Classification-Low Volume Roads .......................................... 1
1.2. Topography and Physical Features .............................................................................................. 3
1.3. Traffic ............................................................................................................................................ 3
1.3.1. Traffic counts ........................................................................................................................ 4
1.3.2. Estimating Design Traffic...................................................................................................... 4
2. SECONDARY DESIGN CONTROLS .......................................................................................................... 6
2.1. Design Speed ................................................................................................................................ 6
2.2. Design Vehicle .............................................................................................................................. 7
2.3. Capacity ........................................................................................................................................ 8
 1. PRIMARY DESIGN CONTROLS

1.1. Highway Classification

Highway classification refers to a process by which roadways are classified into a set of sub-systems
based on the way each roadway is used. Central to this process is an understanding that travel
rarely involves movement along a single roadway. Rather each trip initiates at a land use, proceeds
through a sequence of streets, roads and highways, and terminates at a second land us.

1.1.1. United States Classification

• Principal Arterial Highway: Principal arterial highways form an inter-connected network of
continuous routes serving corridor movement having the highest traffic volumes and the
longest trip lengths.
• Minor Arterial Highways: Minor arterial highways interconnect with and augment principal
arterial highway system. In urban areas, minor arterial highways serve trips of moderate
length at a somewhat lower level of travel mobility.
• Collector Roads: Collector roads primarily serve trips of intercounty rather than statewide
importance. Travel speeds and volumes are less than on arterial roadways but are high
relative to local roads. These roads provide for both land access and traffic circulation.
o Major Collectors - Serve important intracounty traffic corridors and provide service
to major county traffic generators. These roads will usually be included in the Federal-aid
secondary (FAS) system.
o Minor Collectors – Serve smaller places and towns and connect locally important
traffic generators. These roads usually will not be on a Federal-aid system.
o Local Roads: The local street and road system constitutes al roads not included in the higher
classifications. These streets and roads provide direct access to abutting land and permit
access to the roads of higher classification.
1.1.2. Sierra Leone Road Network Classification-Low Volume Roads

• Sierra Leone’s public road network consists of some 11,700 kilometres.

• Approximately 8,700 km are functionally classified as the National Road System (NRS).
• The remaining 3,000 km are referred to as local networks and unclassified roads and tracks.
• The Sierra Leone Roads Authority (SLRA) manages the national road network.

1
 Table 1. Sierra Leone Road Network Classification-Low Volume Roads

Rural Road Functional Geometric Level of

AADT
Classification Standard Service

HIGH VOLUME
A >3,000

PRIMARY
(Class A)
Refer to SLRA
1,001 -3,000
Standards B
301 -1,000
SECONDARY
(Class B)

Type S2 101 –300

LOWVOLUME
Type F1 C 51 –100
FEEDER (Class F)
TERRTIARY /

Type F2 21 –50

Type F3 ≤20
D
Track

[Link]. Primary Roads (Class A)

• Network of approximately 2,300 km of main trunk roads serving corridors characterised by
relatively high volumes of traffic and with a high proportion of long-distance trips, including
those of an international or inter-regional nature.
• They connect the national capital with regional and district centres and with trunk roads
on neighbouring countries. These are all paved and in fair or good condition.
[Link]. Secondary Roads (Class B)
• Network of approximately 2,100 km of principal collector / distributor roads for the primary
road network.
• serving major district centres as well as other important population centres and tourist or
agricultural areas, which generate a considerable number of medium and long-distance
trips.
• Service to abutting properties is a major function of most secondary roads. These are
mostly unpaved and in poor condition particularly during the rainy season.
[Link]. Tertiary or Feeder Roads (Class F)
• Network of approximately 4,300 km of primarily local land-service roads, serving as
collector / distributor routes for the secondary and some primary routes.
• They provide access for delivery of social services and access to chiefdom centres, which
are the lowest level of administrative authority of government.

2
 • The majority of these roads are unpaved and about 20% are in good condition.
• More than 50% are in poor condition and become totally inaccessible during the rains.
[Link].1. Category 1: Class F1 Feeder Roads
• These are made up of a some secondary (Class B) roads that serve as collector / distributor
roads to and from the feeder roads
• The F1 roads link chiefdom headquarter towns to primary / trunk / Class A roads.
• They are classified as either unpaved gravel / earth roads carrying a maximum of 100
passenger car units (pcu) per day.

[Link].2. Category 2: Class F2 Feeder Roads

 These are tertiary gravel / earth roads in rural areas connecting district and chiefdom
headquarter towns and villages to the secondary and primary road system.
 These are classified as either gravel / earth roads carrying a maximum of 50 pcu’s per day.

[Link].3. Category 3: Class F3 Feeder Roads

• These consist of community, local and farm roads.
• They provide direct access to small farms and other rural economic activities and connect
isolated villages.
• They may be developed from mere tracks of footpaths. F3 roads are generally earth roads
and do not carry more than 20 pcu’s per day.

1.2. Topography and Physical Features

• The location and the geometric features of a highway are influenced to a large degree by
the topography, physical features, and land use of the area traversed.
• The character of the terrain has a pronounced effect upon the longitudinal features of the
highway, and frequently upon the cross-sectional features as well. Climatic, soil and
drainage conditions may affect the profile of a road relative to existing ground.
1.3. Traffic
• The traffic characteristics, volume, composition and speed, indicate the service for which
the highway improvement is being made and directly affects the geometric features of
design.
• Traffic volume affects the capacity, and thus the number of lanes require.
• For planning and design purposes, the demand traffic is generally expressed in terms of
design-hourly volume (DHV).
• For United State Design Standard: The design year for a new construction and
reconstruction is to be 20 years beyond the anticipated date of Plans, Specifications and
Estimate (PS&E), and 10 years beyond the anticipated date of PS&E for resurfacing,
restoration and rehabilitation projects.
The following definitions apply to traffic data elements pertinent to design:
• ADT: Average Daily Traffic : The total volume during a given time period greater than one
day but less than one year divided by the number of days actually counted.
• AADT(Average Annual Daily Traffic): The total yearly volume in both directions of travel
divided by 365 days.

3
 th
• DHV(Design-Hourly Volume): Normally estimated as the 30 highest hour two-way traffic
volume for the design year selected.
• K: Ratio of DHV to ADT, expressed as a percent.
• D: The directional distribution of traffic during the design hour. It is the one-way volume in
the predominant direction of travel expressed as a percentage of DHV.
• T: the proportion of trucks, exclusive of light delivery trucks, expressed as a percentage of
DHV.
• V : Design Speed: Expressed in mph
1.3.1. Traffic counts
• The estimate of the initial traffic volume should be the average annual daily traffic volume
(AADT) currently using the route, or the AADT expected to use it during the first year the
road is put to service. This can be carried out through:
• 7 consecutive days counts;
• 12 hour counts during the daytime including peak periods (usually 7.00am to 7.00pm);
• counts taken for all seasons of the year, but avoiding unusual events such as public holidays,
ceremonies or severe weather;
• the categorisation of vehicles into groups; and
• counts undertaken for both directions.
• Where there is no information available on a factor to convert 12-hour traffic counts to 24-
hour average daily traffic volume (ADT), an hourly factor of 1.33 can be applied i.e. ADT =
12-hour count x 1.33.
1.3.2. Estimating Design Traffic

In order to determine the cumulative number of vehicles over the structural design period of the
road, the following steps are required:
• Step 1: Determine the initial traffic volume in both directions (AADT ) using the results
0
of a traffic survey and any other recent traffic count information that is available. For
paved roads, details are required of the AADT in terms of car, bus, types of truck, and
truck-trailers.
• Step 2: Estimate the annual growth rate “i” expressed as a decimal fraction, and the
anticipated number of years “x” between the traffic survey and the opening of the road.
• Step 3: Determine the traffic volume in both directions in the year of the road opening
(AADT ):
1
𝒙
𝑨𝑨𝑫𝑻𝟏 = 𝑨𝑨𝑫𝑻𝟎 𝟏 + 𝒊

4
Example 1.
AIIAC Ltd has been awarded a contract to redesign and widen the existing two-lane highway
between Kenema and Kailahun, to a four-lane highway. Vehicle classification counts were
conducted at five stations along the highway in October 2020. The vehicle classification data are
to be used to redesign the geometric and structural component of the highway. Based on the
survey, the estimated annual average daily traffic at Station 4 is 20,000 vpd, of which two-thirds
are passenger cars and the rest are other classes of vehicles. The project is scheduled to be
constructed between November 1st, 2021 and December 31st, 2023, after which the highway will
immediately reopen to traffic. A 25-year design life has been selected for the project. Based on
economic factors, historic data and trend of vehicle registration at the Sierra Leone Road Safety
Authority (SLRSA), it has been projected that the annual average daily traffic at the end of the
design life will be 45,000 vpd. Calculate the following:

I. The AADT for passenger cars at the time the highway will reopen to vehicular traffic.

II. The AADT for all other classes of vehicles combined by August 31st 2035.

Data

 Present AADT(October 2020) at Station 4 = 20,000 vpd

 Present AADT(October 2020) for passenger cars at Station 4 = 13,333 vpd
 AADT for all other vehicles combined = 6667 vpd
 AADT at end of design life = 45,000 vpd
 Construction period = 25 months / 2.1. yrs
 Design life = 25 yrs
 Period between traffic survey and reopening of highway = 38 months (3.2 yrs)
 Period between traffic survey and August 31st ,2035 = 14.8 yrs
Solution
I. The AADT for passenger cars at the time the highway will reopen to vehicular traffic is
calculated as follows

3.2
𝐴𝐴𝐷𝑇 𝑟𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑛 = 𝐴𝐴𝐷𝑇𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡 1 + 𝑖
Where,

𝑖 = Annual growth rate (%)

Since the data does not include the annual growth rate, it is calculated based on the present
AADT and future AADT (i.e., the end of design life).
𝑛
𝐴𝐴𝐷𝑇 𝐸𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒 = 𝐴𝐴𝐷𝑇𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡 1 + 𝑖

5
 Making 𝑖 the subject of the formula gives,

1⁄
𝐴𝐴𝐷𝑇𝐸𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑛
𝑖=( ) − 1
𝐴𝐴𝐷𝑇𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑛𝑡

Where,
n = Design life plus the period between traffic survey and reopening of road
= 25 yrs. + 3.2 yrs. = 28.2 yrs.

This gives the annual growth rate as follows,

1⁄
45,000 28.2
𝑖 = (20,000) − 1 = 1.03 %

Therefore, the AADT for passenger cars at the time the highway will reopen to vehicular traffic is
calculated as follows
3.2
𝐴𝐴𝐷𝑇 𝑟𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑛 =13,333 × 1 + 0.0103 = 13,777 vpd

II. The AADT for all other classes of vehicles combined by August 31st 2035

𝑛
𝐴𝐴𝐷𝑇 𝐴𝑢𝑔𝑢𝑠𝑡 2035 = 𝐴𝐴𝐷𝑇𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡 1 + 𝑖

14.8
𝐴𝐴𝐷𝑇 𝐴𝑢𝑔𝑢𝑠𝑡 2035 = 6,667 × 1 + 0.0103 = 7,759 vpd

2. SECONDARY DESIGN CONTROLS

2.1. Design Speed

Design Speed is a selected speed used to determine the various design features of the roadway. The
assumed design speed should be a logical one with respect to topography, anticipated operating speed,
the adjacent land use, the presence of bicycle and pedestrian accommodations, and the functional
classification of the highway. Except for local streets where speed controls are frequently included
intentionally, every effort should be made to use as high a design speed as practicable to attain a desired
degree of safety, mobility and efficiency within the constraints of environmental quality, economics,
aesthetics and social or political impacts. Once the design speed is selected, all of the pertinent features of
the highway should be related to it to obtain a balanced design. Above minimum design values should be
used, where practical. On lower speed facilities, use of above-minimum design criteria may encourage
travel at speeds higher than the design speed.

Some design features, such as curvature, superelevation, and sight distance are directly related to
and vary appreciably with design speed. Other features, such as widths of lanes and shoulders, and
clearances to walls and rails, are not directly related to design speed, but they affect vehicle speeds.

6
Therefore, wider lanes, shoulders, and clearances should be considered for higher design speeds. Thus,
when a change is made in design speed, many elements of the highway design will change accordingly.
Since design speed is predicated on the favorable conditions of climate and little or no traffic on the
highway, it is influenced principally by:

 Character of the terrain;

 Extent of man-made features;

 Economic considerations (as related to construction and right-of-way costs). These three factors apply
only to the selection of a specific design speed within a logical range pertinent to a particular system or
classification of which the facility is a part. The design speed (mph) as it relates to the posted speed (mph)
is shown in Table 2 below:
Table 2. Design Speed vs. Posted Speed.

2.2. Design Vehicle

The physical characteristics of vehicles and the proportions of the various size vehicles using the
highways are positive controls in geometric design. A design vehicle is a selected motor vehicle,
the weight, dimensions and operating characteristics of which are used to establish highway
design controls to accommodate vehicles of a designated type. The symbols and dimensions of
design vehicles are shown in Table 3.

7
 Table 3. Design Vehicles (Dimension in feet)

2.3. Capacity
The term "capacity" is used to express the maximum number of vehicles which have a reasonable
expectation of passing over a section of a lane or a roadway during a given time period under prevailing
roadway and traffic conditions. However, in a broad sense, capacity encompasses the relationship between
highway characteristics and conditions, traffic composition and flow patterns, and the relative degree of
congestion at various traffic volumes throughout the range from light volumes to those equaling the
capacity of the facility as defined above.

Highway capacity information serves three general purposes:

a. For transportation planning studies to assess the adequacy or sufficiency of existing

highway networks to current traffic demand, and to estimate when, in time, projected
traffic demand, may exceed the capacity of the existing highway network or may cause
undesirable congestion on the highway system.
b. For identifying and analyzing bottleneck locations (both existing and potential), and for the
evaluation of traffic operational improvement projects on the highway network.
c. For highway design purposes.