Highway Engineering I

Topics to be Covered

⚫ Introduction/general
⚫ Cross section elements
⚫ Route surveying and planning
⚫ Earthwork’s estimation
⚫ Geometric design
⚫ Sight distance on horizontal curve
⚫ Sight distance on vertical curve: Sag and crest vertical curves
⚫ Vertical curve alignment: Symmetrical and unsymmetrical curves
⚫ Horizontal curve alignment: Simple circular, compound, reverse and
transition curves
⚫ Superelevation and widening
⚫ Intersections and interchanges
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 Recommended References

⚫ A policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets, by

American Association of State Highway and Transportation
Officials (AASHTO), 1990.
⚫ Highway Engineering, by Paul H. Wright and others, sixth
edition, 1996.
⚫ Transportation Engineering and Planning, by C. S. Papacostas
and P. D. Prevedouros, third edition, 2001.
⚫ Highway Capacity Manual (HCM), Transportation Research
Board (TRB), BY ITE, 2000.
⚫ Transportation Engineering, by C. Jotin Khisty and B. Kent
4 Lall, second edition, 1990.
 Introduction

⚫ Transportation Engineering: is the application of technology and

scientific principles to the planning, functional design, operation, and
management of facilities for any mode of transportation in order to provide
for the safe, rapid, comfortable, convenient, economical, and
environmentally well-suited movement of people and goods.
Transportation modes are:
⚫ Highway transport
⚫ Railway transport
⚫ Airway transport
⚫ Waterway transport
5 ⚫ Pipe transport
 What does Highway Design Involve?
⚫ Geometric design:
– Cross-section elements: number and width of lanes, divided (with
median) or not, drainage structures, overtaking lanes etc.
– Horizontal and vertical alignments
– Design of intersections and interchanges
⚫ Pavement and surfacing design

⚫ Road furniture: lighting, landscaping, guide posts, guard rails,

traffic islands, traffic signals, signs

⚫ Road delineation: line marking, raised pavement markers etc.

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Objectives of Highway Design

⚫ Safety for all users; geometric parameters

⚫ Efficiency; operational and economic
⚫ Sustainability; social, environmental, natural
and economic
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Highway Design Elements

⚫ Overall location of a route

⚫ Road Classification / standards
⚫ Design vehicles and traffic volumes
⚫ Operating speed & terrain
⚫ Adequate cross section
⚫ Drainage requirements
⚫ Horizontal and Vertical alignments and their coordination
⚫ Earthworks
⚫ Provision of overtaking opportunities

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Functional Classification of Highways

• Freeway or expressway: full

control of access, long distances and
high design speeds.
• Arterial (distribution): moderate
design speeds.
• Sub-arterial (transition roadways
or ramps)
• Collector : intermediate design
speeds, serving border areas and
shorter trips.
• Local (access roads or streets):
property access (main aim) and
lower design speeds
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Geometric Design Input Parameters

⚫ Traffic volumes and types

⚫ Design vehicle
⚫ Operating speed and Design speed
⚫ Sight distance
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Design Vehicles

⚫ Horizontal and Vertical Alignment

– Cars
– Check for truck needs

⚫ Intersections
– Cars, number of lanes
– Trucks turning templates

⚫ Pavement design
– Trucks
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Operating Speed

⚫ Operating Speed is the measured 85th percentile

speed of cars, on a particular geometric element or
length of road, at a time when traffic volumes are low
i.e. when drivers are free to choose the speed at
which they travel. 85% of car drivers will travel at
or below this speed and 15% travel faster.
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Design Speed

⚫ Design Speed is the speed that is used to determine

and coordinate the safe dimensions of road geometric
elements (horizontal curves radii, vertical curves lengths, cross-
section elements).

⚫ Design Speed must be ≥ Operating speed which

must be > posted speed limit
Highway Design Elements

Cross-section Elements
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Types of Road Cross-Sections

⚫ Rural and urban

⚫ Carriageway:
– Dual carriageway (Divided by a median)
– Single carriageway (undivided)
⚫ Number of lanes
– Two-lane Two-way
⚫ One lane in each direction
– Four-lane Two-way
⚫ Two lanes in each direction
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Types of Road Cross-Sections

4-lane 2-way divided 2-lane 2-way

urban road undivided urban road

2-lane 2-way
undivided rural road
4-lane 2-way divided
rural road
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Six lane two way divided urban road with 2 single lane service roads.
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Median: Functions and Dimensions

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Right of Way

Right of Way (R.O.W) or Road Reserve

=
Land available for building the road

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 Elements of an Urban Road
Single carriageway (Two-lane Two-way)

Traffic lane Traffic lane

Pavement

Cross Section

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Divided Urban Road
Dual Carriageway (Four-lane Two-way or Six-lane Two-way)

Cross Section

Plan
 Divided Urban Road
Dual Carriageway & service roads
Six-lane Two-way with 2 service roads (single lane)

Cross Section

Plan

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 Elements of a Rural Road Cross-
Section
Single carriageway (Two-lane Two-way Rural Road)

Cut

Fill

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 Rural Road Cross-Section

Divided Rural Roads (Dual Carriageway)

Rural road cross-section

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 Cut (road below natural surface)

Fill (road above natural surface)

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 Cut & Fill Batters

• Batter slopes depend on slope stability, safety, appearance,

maintenance considerations, landscaping requirements and
need to reduce erosion.
• Defined as the ratio of horizontal distance to unit height in
the vertical direction e.g. 4 to 1 (4:1).

35 Fill slope/Batter Cut slope/Batter

 Drains Details

1) Table Drain: is a v, trapezoidal or parabolic shaped

surface drain located immediately adjacent to the edge of a road. The
side slope of a table drain should be 6 to 1 where possible, but can be as
steep as 4 to 1.

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Drains Details

2) Catch Drain (Ditch): is a small to moderate depression created

along side roadways to channel water or fields. A ditch can be used
for drainage, to drain water from low-lying areas, or to channel water
from a more distant source for plant irrigation.