SPIRAL CURVES:

• Spirals are used to overcome the abrupt change in

curvature and superelevation between tangent and
circular curves. The spiral curve is used to gradually change
the curvature and superelevation of the road, thus
called the transition curve.
• TS = Tangent to spiral
• SC = Spiral to curve
• CS = Curve to spiral
• ST = Spiral to tangent
• LT = Long tangent
• ST = Short tangent
• Rc = Radius of simple curve
• Ts = Spiral tangent distance
• Tc = Circular curve tangent
• L = Length of spiral from TS to any point along the spiral
• Lc = Length of spiral
• PI = Point of intersection
• I = Angle of intersection
• Ic = Angle of intersection of the simple curve
P
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
e+

e-
• 
• 

Xc
X
SC
L = 75
Lc = 100
TS

Rc
• 

Xc
θc
SC

ic
Lc = 80
TS

Rc

θc
• 
• 
• 

Xc
θc
SC
θ
i
0
L=8 Lc = 80
TS

Rc