CE 323: ENGINEERING SURVEYS LECTURE

COMPOUND CURVES
Compound Curves consists of two or more
consecutive simple curves having different
radius, but whose centers lie on the same side of
the curve, likewise any two consecutive curves
must have a common tangent at their meeting
point.

Illustrative Examples
1. The common tangent of AB of a compound
curve is 76.42 m with an azimuth of 268.50,
the vertex V being inaccessible. The azimuth
of the tangents AV and VB was measured to
be 247.83 and 282.83, respectively. If the
stationing of A is 43 + 010.46 and the degree
of the first curve was fixed at 4 based on the
20 m chord. Using chord basis,
a. Determine the stationing of the PC.
b. Determine the stationing of the PCC.
c. Determine the stationing of the PT.
2. Two tangents that intersect at an angle of
44.60 are to be connected by a compound
curve. The tangent at the beginning of the
curve at the PC is 125.70 m long and that at
the PT is 155.60 m long. The degree of curve of
the first curve on the PC is 4. Using arc basis,
a. Compute the radius of the second curve.
b. Compute the central angle of the second
curve.
c. Compute the central angle of the first
curve.

Elements of Compound Curve

PC
PT
PI
PCC
T1
T2
V1
V2
I1
I2
I
LC1
LC2
L1
L2
L
T1 + T2

point of curvature
point of tangency
point of intersection
point of compound curve
length of the tangent of the first curve
length of the tangent of the second
curve
vertex of the first curve
vertex of the second curve
central angle of the first curve
central angle of the second curve
angle of intersection = I1 + I2
length of first curve
length of second curve
length of first chord
length of second chord
length of long chord from PC to PT
length of common tangent measured
from V1 to V2

ENGR. S.R. DOMINGUEZ