INTRODUCTION

Geometric design of highways is concerned with the laying out of physical elements
(horizontal and vertical curves) and visible features of the road whilst adhering to the
standards and guidelines of road design.

Objectives of geometric design

The main objectives of geometric design are;

 To provide optimal efficiency in traffic operations and maximum safety that is cost-
effective and environmental friendly
 To foster boarder community goals by providing a means of connecting two or more
places by accommodating various modes such as cycling and walking

Geometric design encompasses the following;

1. Alignment- route of the road, series of horizontal tangents and curves

2. Profile- vertical aspect of the road. This includes summit and valley curves and
straight grade lines joining them.
3. Cross section- this shows the position and number of traffic lanes, sidewalks and
bicycle lanes. It also shows the drainage features and pavement structures.

I. VEHICLE PERFORMANCE AND CURVES

Vehicle performance refers to how a vehicle operates or executes it function. It is concerned

with its efficiency, safety and its ability to manoeuvre a curve, an intersection and confined
sections of the road. Vehicle performance is crucial in road design because tells the designer
what to anticipate for, in relation to certain vehicle features, that might affect the driver`s
ability to safely operate. This includes the braking and lighting systems of the vehicle (which
determines whether or not the driver is accident prone) and the size of the vehicle (which
affects the sight distance). Mannering and Kilareski (1998) suggested that the performance of
road vehicles forms the basis for highway design guidelines and traffic analysis. For example,
in highway design, determination of the length of freeway acceleration and deceleration
lanes, maximum highway grades, stopping sight distances, passing-sight distances, and
numerous accident prevention devices all rely on the basic understanding of vehicle
performance.
 II. HORIZONTAL ALIGNMENT OF HIGHWAYS AND SUPERELEVATION

Horizontal alignment is defined as the directional transition of the roadway in a horizontal

plane. This consists of intersecting tangents and curves, with or without transition curves.
The types of horizontal curves are:

a) Simple curves
b) Reverse curves
c) Compound curves
d) Spiral curves

Super elevation

This is defined as the slope or bank provided on a horizontal curve. This is designed to
counteract the centrifugal force.

Where;

Rv is the radius of the vehicle`s travelled path in m (or ft)

α is the angle of inclination
e is the degree of vertical rise per 100ft
III. VERTICAL CURVES, TRANSITION CURVES AND WIDENING OF LANES
The vertical alignment of a road consists of gradients (straight lines in a vertical
plane) and vertical curves. The vertical alignment is usually drawn as a profile, which
is a graph with elevation as vertical axis and the horizontal distance along the centre
line of the road as the horizontal axis. Just as a circular curve is used to connect
horizontal straight stretches of road, vertical curves connect two gradients. When
these two curves meet, they form either convex or concave.

The two types of vertical curves as shown below are, namely:

i. Crest(also known as summit) curves- these have a positive gradient
ii. Sag (also known as valley) curves- these have a negative gradient
 Transition Curve- this is a curve with a constantly changing radius. The reason fo the
two types of curves is due to the radial force acting on the vehicle as it travels round a
curve.

IV. VISIBILITY- SIGHT DISTANCES AND GRADIENT

V. DRIVER AND VEHICLE PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS

The success of transport engineering and road design is dependent on the relationship
between vehicles, roadways and road users. Their characteristics affect the performance of
the transportation system.

Driver characteristics

1. Variability- human beings are complex and unpredictable. This causes a problem in
dealing with them in road design. Their ability to react to situations, their vision,
hearing and other psychological factors vary from individual to individual. Other
varying factors that affect one`s judgement are sex, age, fatigue and the abuse of
drugs. When a road is designed, it is therefore inadequate to consider the average
person as this does not take into account all the above mentioned factors. A
standardised value is therefore used as a design value. This value is known as the 85 th
percentile value and represents a characteristic that 85% of the population can meet or
exceed.

Vehicle characteristics

It is important that the vehicle characteristics are known because the road is designed for the
various anticipated vehicles. It is therefore important that the following factors be known and
considered by the engineer.

1. Vehicle dimensions
 Height- affects the clearance height for structures such as bridges, tunnels, overhead
road signs and electrical service lines (such as telephone lines, power cables).
 Length- affects the radius of horizontal curves, so that drivers can safely overtake or
go around a bend or roundabout. This also affects the design parking space.
 Width- this affects the design width of the traffic lanes and parking spaces.
 Ground clearance- this is important in the design of ramps.

Vehicle dimensions also influence the visibility of the driver. As far as forward visibility is
concerned, the dimension of the vehicle and the slope and curvature of wind screens,
windscreen wipers and door pillars should be such that visibility is clear even in bad weather
conditions like fog, ice, and rain, it should not mask the pedestrians, cyclists or other
vehicles; during intersection manoeuvres.
 2. Design vehicles
Roads accommodate a wide variety of sizes and types of vehicles. Some are small and some
are large with trailers. It is therefore important to consider this so as to make informed
decisions in design as to whether to widen curves, widen lanes, or to impose limits so that the
road becomes safe for users. The limits imposed are so as to:
 provide practical limits for road designers to work to.
 to see that the road space and geometry is available to normal vehicles.
 to implement traffic control effectively and efficiently.
 take care of other road users also.

3. Weight and axle configuration

The weight of the vehicle is a major consideration during the design of pavements both
flexible and rigid. The weight of the vehicle is transferred to the pavement through the axles
and so the design parameters are fixed on the basis of the number of axles. The power to
weight ratio is a measure of the ease with which a vehicle can move. It determines the
operating efficiency of vehicles on the road. The ratio is more important for heavy vehicles.
The power to weight ratio is the major criteria which determines the length to which a
positive gradient can be permitted taking into consideration the case of heavy vehicles.

REFERENCES

1. Introduction to Transportation Engineering, Tom V. Mathew and K V Krishna Rao.

2. Connecticut Department of Transportation Highway Design Manual, January 1999.
3. Transport planning and Traffic Engineering, C. A O` Flaherty et al,
4. Truck Performance Curves Reflective Of Truck And Pavement Characteristics,
Hesham Rakha, Bin Yu.
5. Planning and design of roads, airfields, and heliports in the theatre of operations- road
design, Headquarters, Department of the Army, Department of the Air force
6.