PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY – URDANETA CAMPUS
Module in CE 211-ENGINEERING SURVEYS
TOPIC OUTLINE
A. Spiral Curves
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. To used primarily
to reduce skidding and
steering difficulties by
gradual transition between
straight-line and turning
motion, and/or to provide
a method for adequately
super elevating curves.
OVERVIEW
Spirals are used to overcome
the abrupt change in curvature
and superelevation that occurs
between tangent and circular
curve. The spiral curve is used
to gradually change the
curvature and superelevation of
the road, thus called
transition curve.
ELEMENTS OF VERTICAL
CURVES
SC = spiral curve
CS = curve to spiral
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Module No. 19
ST = spiral to tangent
TS = tangent to spiral
Ts = tangent distance
Tc = tangent distance for the
curve
I = angle of intersection of
spiral easement curve
IC = angle of intersection of
simple curve
RC = radius of simple curve
DC = degree of simple curve
LT = long tangent
ST = short tangent
Es = external distance of the
spiral curve
LC = long chord of spiral
transition
xC = offset from tangent at SC
yC = distance along the tangent
from the TS to SC
x = offset from tangent at any
point on the spiral
y = distance along tangent at
any point on the spiral
Sc = spiral angle at SC
i = deflection angle at any
point on the spiral, it is
proportional to the square of
its distance
Lc = length of spiral
L = length of spiral from TS to
any point along the spiral
SUMMARY FORMULAS FOR
SPIRAL CURVE
1. Spiral angle at any point
on the spiral
𝟐
s = 𝑳 𝒙 𝟏𝟖𝟎
𝟐𝑹𝑪𝑳𝑪 𝝅
2. Spiral angle at SC
𝑫𝑪𝑳𝑪
sc =
𝟒𝟎
3. Spiral angle at SC
𝑳 𝟏𝟖𝟎
sc = 𝑪 𝒙
𝟐𝑹𝑪 𝝅
4. Offset distance from
tangent at SC *
𝑳𝒄𝟐
xc =
𝟔𝑹𝑪
PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY – URDANETA CAMPUS
Module in CE 211-ENGINEERING SURVEYS Module No. 19

17. Degree of curve

𝑳𝟑 varies directly with the
5. x = 𝒙 𝒄 𝑳𝒄𝟑 length from the TS
6. Deflection angle at any 𝑫 𝑳
point on the spiral =
𝑫𝒄 𝑳𝒄
i = 𝒔
𝟑
7. Distance along tangent at
any point in the 𝟓spiral
𝑳 LEARNING ACTIVITY
y = 𝑳−
𝟒𝟎𝑹𝒄𝟐 𝑳𝒄𝟐

8. Distance along tangent at

SC from TS Problem. A simple curve having
𝑳𝒄𝟑 a radius of 280m connects two
yc = 𝑳𝒄 − 𝟐 tangents intersecting at an
𝟒𝟎𝑹𝒄
angle of 50°. It is to be
9. Tangent distance for replaced by another curve
spiral having 80m spirals at its ends
𝑳 𝑿 I
Ts = 𝑪 + (𝑹𝑪 + 𝑪) 𝒕𝒂𝒏 such that the point of tangency
𝟐 𝟒 𝟐 shall be the same.
10. External distance * a. Determine the radius of
the new circular curve
𝑋𝑐 𝐼
𝐸𝑠 = 𝑅𝑐 + sec − 𝑅𝑐
𝑪 4 2 𝑪
𝟒
b. Determine the distance
11. Angle of intersection that the curve will nearer
of simple curve the vertex
𝑰𝑪 = 𝟏 − 𝟐𝒔𝒄 c. Determine the central
angle of the circular
12. Length of throw *
𝑳𝟐 curve
P = xc = d. Determine the deflection
𝟒 𝟐𝟒𝑹𝑪
angle at the end point of
13. Superelevation. Where the spiral
K=kph e. Determine the offset from
𝟎.𝟎𝟎𝟕𝟗𝑲𝟐 tangent at the end point
e = of the spiral
𝑹
f. Determine the distance
14. Considering 75% of K along the tangent at the
to counteract the super- mid-point of the spiral
elevation
𝟎.𝟎𝟎𝟒𝑲𝟐 Problem. The central curve of
e =
𝑹 an easement curve is on a 5°
curve. Spiral easement curve
15. Desirable length of has a length of throw equal to
spiral
𝟎.𝟎𝟑𝟔𝑲𝟑
𝑳𝑪 = 1.02 m at the TS
𝑹
a. Compute the required
length of the spiral curve
16. Deflection angles b. What is the length of the
vary as the squares of the long tangent of a spiral
length from the TS
easement curve if the
𝒊 𝑳𝟐 distance along the tangent
= 𝟐
𝒊𝒄 𝑳𝒄 up to SC is 73.60m long?
PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY – URDANETA CAMPUS
Module in CE 211-ENGINEERING SURVEYS Module No. 19

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PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY – URDANETA CAMPUS
Module in CE 211-ENGINEERING SURVEYS Module No. 19

REFERENCES

https://mathalino.com/reviewer/
surveying-and-transportation-
engineering/parabolic-curve

Surveying for Civil and

Geodetic L.E. by Besavilla

Prepared by:

ENGR. ELMAR T. ANTOLIN

Faculty, Civil Engineering
Department
College of Engineering and
Architecture