DEFLECTION ANGLES

AND CHORDS
GENG 133c
LAYING OUT OF CURVES

Can be done by simply a matter of

locating the center of a circle and
swing a tape to form an arc
What if working with a radius of 1000
m or more? It would be impractical to
swing such radii with a tape.
PRACTICAL METHODS IN LAYING
OUT CURVES
 Deflection angles
 Coordinates
 Tangent offsets
 Chord offsets
 Middle ordinates
 Ordinates from long chord
CIRCULAR CURVE DEFLECTIONS

 A common method (using a steel tape and a

theodolite) of locating a curve in the field is
by deflection angles
DEFLECTION ANGLE

 Stakeout of a long-radius curve involves a

combination of turning deflection angles
and measuring the length of the chords
DEFLECTION ANGLE

 Layout by deflection angles has been the

standard approach
LAYOUT OF A CURVE BY
DEFLECTION ANGLE

Incremental chord method

Total chord method
LAYOUT OF A CURVE BY DEFLECTION
ANGLE (INCREMENTAL CHORD METHOD)

1. Each full station is to be marked

along the curve
LAYOUT OF A CURVE BY DEFLECTION
ANGLE (INCREMENTAL CHORD METHOD)

2. Instrument is set up at PC, a backsight is

taken on the PI with zero set on the
instrument’s horizontal circle
3. Deflection angle δa to station 63 + 00 is
then turned and two tape person
measure chord ca from the PC and set 63
+ 00 at the end of the chord on the
instrument’s line of sight.
LAYOUT OF A CURVE BY DEFLECTION
ANGLE (INCREMENTAL CHORD METHOD)

4. With station 63 + 00 set, the tapeperson

next measure the chord length c from it
and stake station 64 + 00, where the line
of sight of the instrument, now set to
δ64, intersects the end of that curve
5. Process is repeated until the entire curve
is laid out
LAYOUT OF A CURVE BY DEFLECTION
ANGLE (TOTAL CHORD METHOD)
1. Instrument is set up at the PC, backsight
on PI, and zero indexed on the hor. circle
LAYOUT OF A CURVE BY DEFLECTION
ANGLE (TOTAL CHORD METHOD)
2. To set station 63 + 00, deflection angle δa is
turned with the instrument, the tape is taut
and aligned until its distance from the
instrument is ca and the stake set
3. To set station 64 + 00, deflection angle δ64
is turned, the tape is taut and aligned until
its distance (total chord) from the
instrument to 64 + 00 is obtained and the
stake set
4. Procedure is repeated until the entire
curved is staked.
COMPUTING DEFLECTION
ANGLES AND CHORDS
 Deflection angles:
1. Compute the deflection angles for the three
required arc distances
a) PC to first even station – subdeflection angle
b) Even station interval
c) Last even station
2. Prepare a list of appropriate stations and
cumulative deflection angles
A fundamental theorem of geometry helpful
in circular curve computation and stakeout is
that the angle at a point between a tangent
and any chord is equal to half the central angle
subtended by the chord.
COMPUTING DEFLECTION
ANGLES AND CHORDS
 Chord distance:
 Subchords – odd distances, and full station
 Long Chord
EXAMPLE: DEFLECTION

 PI station = 62 + 17.08
 PT station = 66 + 37.08
 R = 2864.79 ft.
 Degree of curve = 2°
 Prepare a data for layout: full station is 100 ft. of an
arc. (station, incremental chord, deflection increment,
deflection angles, total chord)
EXAMPLE: COORDINATES

 PI station = 62 + 17.08
 PT station = 66 + 37.08
 R = 2864.79 ft.
 Degree of curve = 2°
 Prepare a data for layout: full station is 100 ft. of an
arc. (station, northing, easting)
 Bearing PC-PI is N 45° E
COMPOUND AND
REVERSE CURVES
COMPOUND CURVES

 Compound and reverse curves are

combinations of two or more circular
curves.
 They should be used only for low-speed
traffic routes, and in terrain where simple
curves cannot be fitted to the ground
without excessive construction costs since
the rapid change in curvature causes unsafe
driving conditions
COMPOUND CURVES

 A compound curve can

be staked with
instrument setups at the
beginning PC and ending
PT, or perhaps with one
setup at the point of
compound curvature
(PCC) where the two
curves join. Reverse
curves are handled in
similar fashion.
REVERSE CURVES

 Reverse curves are seldom used in highway or

railway alignment.
 The instantaneous change in direction occurring at
the point of reverse curve (PRC) would cause
discomfort and safety problems for all but the
slowest of speeds.
REVERSE CURVES

 because the change in curvature is instantaneous, there

is no room to provide superelevation transition from
cross slope right to cross slope left. Reverse curves can
be used to advantage, however, when the instantaneous
change in direction poses no threat to safety or comfort.
REVERSE CURVES

 The reverse curve is particularly pleasing to

the eye and is used with great success for
park roads, formal paths, waterway channels,
and the like.
REVERSE CURVES

 Nonparallel tangents
REVERSE CURVES

 Parallel tangents
EXAMPLE

A turn around pattern which fits with the topography

is provided in a highway by connecting four tangents
with a compound curve consisting of three simple
curves. The azimuths of AB = 220-15, BC = 264-30, CD
= 320-24 and DE = 32-58. the radius of the last curve is
four times sharper than the first curve. The distance
BC = 303 m. sharper than the first curve. The distance
CD = 200 m.
 Compute the radius of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd curve
EXAMPLE

Two parallel tangents 10 m. apart are connected by a

reversed curve. The chord length from the PC to the
PT equals to 120 m. compute the length of the
common tangent. Determine the equal radius of the
reversed curve. Compute the stationing of the PRC if
the stationing of A at the beginning of the common
tangent is 3 +420.