Wikibooks

Fundamentals of
Transportation/Hori
zontal
Curves/Additional
Problems
< Fundamentals of Transportation | Horizontal Curves

Additional Questions
1. Name 4 types of horizontal curves.
2. When are the non-simple types most
used? Why are reverse curves so
bad? → Special applications,
including mountains, restricted right-
of-way, or anywhere that a simple
curve cannot be feasibly used.
3. How is weather accounted for (e.g.
ice) → superelevation (e)
4. Explain m? When would m and M be
equal? Are the equations for “m” used
in determining the placement of
buildings or billboards on existing
roadways? → Used as a justification
to keep stuff off the side of the road.
May be used in roadway construction
 to avoid unmovable objects, or when
placing objects to avoid unmovable
road.
5. When should you design speed for
curves rather than the curve for
speed? → If it is new construction,
design the radius to serve the desired
speed. If you are setting speed limits,
set the speed based on the existing
curve.
6. When the angle increases, does the
tangent length increase or decrease
7. Write the constraints on the
calculation of horizontal curves
 8. What are the characteristics of
horizontal curves
9. Draw a simple horizontal curve and
its components.
10. Can one add T to the PI station to get
the station of the PC? (No)
11. How common is a horizontal curve
on a vertical curve? → Depends on
where you are, very common in
mountainous areas. Not especially
uncommon.
12. Are most horizontal curves designed
using circles? → (In US, almost
uniformly yes. It is also easier for
driver, who just needs to set the
 steering wheel, constant
readjustment is not required )
13. In English Units what does station
10+25 mean? It indicates the station
is 1025 feet from 0+00.
14. On concrete roads there are grooves
perpendicular to the direction of
traffic to increase stopping road
friction. Do these grooves
(rumblestrips) reduce side friction?
15. What is maximum superelevation
when a road is really icy? →
superelevation cannot change
seasonally (it would be too expensive
 to jack up the road). So Max is
annual.
16. Why are side friction factors for
urban and rural roads different? What
are different factors in rural vs. urban
areas?
17. Why is Radius of curvature important
when building roads?
18. What are some of the highest values
of e and around the country?
19. Why do the standards
(maximums/minimums) for e and
change with location?
20. Label all of the forces acting on a
vehicle traveling up a hill (and around
 a corner)
21. What is curve resistance? What
affects is? Why does it matter?
22. What are the main variables used in
curvature problems, superelevation?
23. Why do engineers bank curves?
24. What is centrifugal force?
25. Why would an engineer want to
increase or decrease the radius of
curvature?
26. What does superelevation represent
27. What shapes do horizontal and
vertical curves have. Why is this
helpful for the driver
 28. If you want to decrease , what
strategies do you have?
29. Is side friction the same as static
friction? What does it mean?
30. When the max value of is given, can
a smaller number be used in the final
answer → yes
31. What is superelevation? How is it
affected by centrifugal force?
32. How does affect design speeds

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