MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY

College of Engineering
CE 132: HIGHWAY AND RAILROAD ENGINEERING
Chapter II
Highway Geometric Design

Compound Curves

A curve formed by joining two simple (circular) curves following one another and lying upon
the same side of a common tangent.

PI (V)
I

T2

T1
V1 I1 PCC I2 V2
t2
LC2
t1 LC1
C2
C1 I2/2
PT
I1/2 C
PC

I2

O2

I1

O1

#16S Quiling Sur, City of Batac, Ilocos Norte

 coe@mmsu.edu.ph  +63(77)600-34-58 www.mmsu.edu.ph
 MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Engineering
Elements of the Compound Curve

1. PC – Point of Curvature – the point of tangency where the compound curve leaves the
tangent
2. PT – Point of Tangency – the point of tangency where the compound curve leaves the
tangent.
3. V – Vertex or Point of Intersection (PI) – the point where the two tangents intersect
4. V1V2 – Common Tangent – the tangent where the two simple curves join
5. PCC – Point of Compound Curvature – the point located at the common tangent where
the two simple curves join
6. I – Angle of Intersection – the deflection angle of the forward tangent of the compound
curve

7. T – Tangent Distance of the Compound Curve

a) T1 – the distance from the vertex, V or PI to the PC (back tangent)
b) T2 – the distance from the vertex, V or PI to the PT (forward tangent)
8. LC – Length of the Compound Curve – the length of the first simple curve, LC1 plus the
the length of the second simple curve, LC2, LC = LC1 + LC2
9. C – Long Chord of the Compound Curve – long chord drawn from PC to PT
10. C1 – Long Chord of the First Simple Curve – the chord drawn from PC to PCC
11. C2 – Long Chord of the Second Simple Curve – the chord drawn from PCC to PT
12. R1 – Radius of the First Simple Curve
13. R2 – Radius of the Second Simple Curve
14. I1 – Angle of Intersection (Central Angle) of the First Simple Curve
15. I2 – Angle of Intersection (Central Angle) of the Second Simple Curve
16. t1 – Tangent Distance of the First Simple Curve
17. t2 – Tangent Distance of the Second Simple Curve
18. D1 and D2 – Degree of the First and Second Simple Curves, respectively

#16S Quiling Sur, City of Batac, Ilocos Norte

 coe@mmsu.edu.ph  +63(77)600-34-58 www.mmsu.edu.ph
 MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Engineering

Useful General Formulas for Compound Curves

1. Sta PC = Sta V – T1
T1 = t1 + V1V
t1 = PC – V1 = V1 – PCC
t2 = PCC – V2 = V2 – PT
V1 – V2 = t1 + t2

From ∆ V1 – V – V2

Using Sine Law

V1 V VV2 t1 + t 2
= =
sin I2 sin I1 sin θ
θ = 180 – I

2. Sta PCC = Sta PC + LC1

3. Sta PT = Sta PCC + LC2

Note: for the solution of compound curves, refer to the specific and general formulas for
simple curves.

20 I1 20 I2
LC1 = LC2 =
D1 D2

4. Length of the Long Chord

From ∆ PC – PCC – PT

I1 I2
β = 180 – (2 + 2 )

Using Cosine Law

C2 = C12 + C22 – 2 C1C2 cos (β)

I1
C1 = 2R1 sin
2
I2
C2 = 2R2 sin 2

#16S Quiling Sur, City of Batac, Ilocos Norte

 coe@mmsu.edu.ph  +63(77)600-34-58 www.mmsu.edu.ph
 MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Engineering

Sample Problems

1. Two tangents intersect at station 0 + 777.44. A compound curve laid on their tangents has the
following data.

I1 = 31° ; I2 = 36° ; D1 = 3° ; D2 = 5°

a) Compute the stationing of the PC, PCC and PT of the curve.

b) If the PT is moved 15.24 m out, compute the station of the new PT with PCC on the same
point.

PI(V) – Sta 0 + 777.44

I

V1 I1 = 31˚ I2 = 36˚
t1
t2 V2
t1 PCC
t2
PC
PT

R1 R2

O2

O1

1145.916 1145.916
R1 = = = 381.972 m
D1 3
I1 31°
t1 = R1 tan = (381.972) tan = 105.93 m
2 2
1145.916 1145.916
R2 = = = 229.183 m
D2 5
I2 36°
t2 = R2 tan = (229.183) tan = 74.47 m
2 2

#16S Quiling Sur, City of Batac, Ilocos Norte

 coe@mmsu.edu.ph  +63(77)600-34-58 www.mmsu.edu.ph
 MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Engineering

Consider ∆ V1 – V – V2
V
I = 67°
θ=

V1 I1 = 31˚ I2 = 36˚
V2

θ = 180° – (31° + 36°) = 113°

V1V2 = t1 + t2 = 105.93 + 74.47 = 180.4 m

Using Sine Law

V1 V 180.4 2 VV
= =
sin 36° sin 113° sin 31°
V1V = 115.19 m
VV2 = 100.94 m

PC – V = t1 + V1V
T1 = PC – V = 105.93 + 115.19 = 221.12 m

20 I1 20 (31)
LC1 = = = 206.67 m
D1 3
20 I2 20 (36)
LC2 = = = 144 m
D2 5

Sta PC = Sta V – T1
Sta PC = 0+777.44 – 221.12
Sta PC = 0 + 556.32

Sta PCC = Sta PC + LC1

Sta PCC = 0 + 556.32 + 206.67
Sta PCC = 0 + 762.99

Sta PT = Sta PCC + LC2

Sta PT = 0 + 762.99 + 144.00
Sta PT = 0 + 906.99

#16S Quiling Sur, City of Batac, Ilocos Norte

 coe@mmsu.edu.ph  +63(77)600-34-58 www.mmsu.edu.ph
 MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Engineering
V’
I
V
I

V1 31˚ t2 36˚ V2 V3
PCC 36˚ I3=36˚
A t3
PC
PT

PTnew

R1 R2

O2 R3

O1
Consider ∆ V2 – A – V3
V2 V3
36˚
A
15.24
sin 36° =
V2 V3
V2V3 = 25.93 m

t3 = t2 + V2V3
t3 = 74.47 + 25.93
t3 = 100.4 m

I
t3 = R3 tan 3
2
I3 = I2 = 36°
t 100.4
R3 = 3 I3 = 36° = 309 m
tan tan
2 2
1145.916 1145.916
D3 = = = 3.71°
R3 309
20 I3 20 (36)
LC3 = = = 194.07 m
D3 3.71

Sta PT = Sta PCC + LC3

Sta PT = 0 + 762.99 + 194.07
Sta PT = 0 + 957.06

#16S Quiling Sur, City of Batac, Ilocos Norte

 coe@mmsu.edu.ph  +63(77)600-34-58 www.mmsu.edu.ph
 MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Engineering

2. A long chord from PC to PT of a compound curve is 300m long and the angle it makes with the back
tangent and the forward tangent are 12° and 15° respectively. If the common tangent is parallel to
the long chord, find the radius of the first and the second curves.

PI(V)

V1 I1 PCC I2
V2
C1 C2
12°
PC 𝜃1
𝜃 15°
2
PT

R2
R1

O2

O1

Since the common tangent and the long chord are parallel, then the angle intersections of the two
curves are as follows:
I1 = 12°, and
I2 = 15°

Therefore, 𝜃1 and 𝜃2 from the figure are as follows:

I 12°
𝜃1 = 1 = = 6°
2 2
I2 15°
𝜃2 = = = 7.5°
2 2

Consider the triangle ∆ PC -PCC-PT

PCC
C1 C2
𝛽
PC 6°
7.5°
PT

Computing for the angle 𝛽,

𝛽 = 180° – 6° – 7.5° = 166.5°

#16S Quiling Sur, City of Batac, Ilocos Norte

 coe@mmsu.edu.ph  +63(77)600-34-58 www.mmsu.edu.ph
 MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Engineering

Finding the long chords C1 and C2 of the compound curve respectively using Sine Law, you will get,

300 𝐶 𝐶
= 1 = 2
sin 166.5° sin 7.5° sin 6°
C1 = 167.74m
C2 = 134.33m

Compute the radius of the first curve and the second curve,
Recall your previous discussion of Engr. Felix
𝐼
C1 = 2 R1 Sin 1
2
12°
167.74 = 2 R1 Sin
2
R1 = 802.36m

𝐼
C2 = 2 R2 Sin 2
2
15°
134.33 = 2 R2 Sin
2
R2 = 514.57m

#16S Quiling Sur, City of Batac, Ilocos Norte

 coe@mmsu.edu.ph  +63(77)600-34-58 www.mmsu.edu.ph