PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

College of Engineering and Technology

Fundamentals of Surveying

HORIZONTAL CURVES
LESSON 11

SPIRAL CURVES

Engr. ROSELLA C. ALGADO, CE

  Is used to provide a gradual
transition from a straight line or
SPIRAL CURVE tangent to the full curvature of a
circular curve.

Engr. ROSELLA C. ALGADO, CE

S
c

L Lc
 ELEMENTS OF SPIRAL
CURVE

SPIRAL
SPIRALCURVE
CURVE  S.C. – spiral to curve
 C.S. – curve to spiral
 T.S. – tangent to spiral
 S.T. – spiral to tangent
 Ts – tangent distance
 Tc – tangent distance for the
curve
S  I – angle of intersection of
c

spiral easement curve

 Ic – angle of intersection of
L L
c the simple curve
 RC – radius of the simple
curve
 Dc – degree of curvature of
Engr. ROSELLA C. ALGADO, CE
 ELEMENTS OF SPIRAL
CURVE

SPIRAL CURVE
SPIRAL CURVE
 LT – long tangent
 ST – short tangent
 Es – external distance of the
spiral curve
 Tc – tangent distance for the
curve
 LC – long chord of the spiral
transition
 Xc – offset distance from
Sc

tangent at S.C.

L L  Yc – distance along the

c
tangent from the T.S. to S.C.
 X – offset distance from
tangent to any point on the
Engr. ROSELLA C. ALGADO, CE
spiral
 ELEMENTS OF SPIRAL

“
CURVE
SPIRAL CURVE  Y – distance along
tangent at any point on
the spiral
 Sc – spiral angle at S.C.
(θs)
 i – deflection angle at
S any point on the spiral, it
c

is proportional to the
square of its distance
L L  Lc – length of the spiral
c

(Ls )
 L – length of spiral from
T.S, to any point along
the spiral
Engr. ROSELLA C. ALGADO, CE
SPIRAL CURVE
SPIRAL CURVE
SUMMARY OF FORMULAS OF
SPIRAL CURVE
1. (spiral angle at any point on the
L
spiral) c

2. (spiral angle at S.C. – arc basis,

metric system)
3. (spiral angle at S.C.)
4. (offset distance from tangent at
S.C.)

Engr. ROSELLA C. ALGADO, CE

SPIRAL CURVE
SPIRAL CURVE
SUMMARY OF FORMULAS OF
SPIRAL CURVE
5. (offset distance from tangent at
L
any point in spiral curve) c

6. (deflection angle at any point on

the spiral)
7. (distance along tangent at any
point in the spiral)

Engr. ROSELLA C. ALGADO, CE

SPIRAL CURVE
SPIRAL CURVE
SUMMARY OF FORMULAS OF
SPIRAL CURVE
8. (distance along tangent at S.C. from
T.S.)
9. (tangent distance fro the spiral)
10. (external distance of the spiral
curve)
11. (angle of intersection of simple
curve)
P (length of throw)

Engr. ROSELLA C. ALGADO, CE

SPIRAL CURVE
SPIRAL CURVE
SUMMARY OF FORMULAS OF
SPIRAL CURVE

12. (super elevation – where K is in

kph)
13. (considering 75% of K to
counteract the super-elevation)

Engr. ROSELLA C. ALGADO, CE

SPIRAL CURVE
SPIRAL CURVE
SUMMARY OF FORMULAS OF
SPIRAL CURVE
15. (desirable length of spiral curve)
16. (deflection angle vary as the
squares of the length from the T.S.)
17. (degree of curves varies directly
with the length from the T.S.)

Engr. ROSELLA C. ALGADO, CE

SPIRAL
SPIRALCURVE
CURVE
sample Problem #1
1. The tangents of the spiral curve has azimuths of 226°
and 221° respectively. The minimum length of spiral
is 40 m. with a minimum super-elevation of 0.10 m/m
width of the roadway. The maximum velocity to pass
over the curve is 70 kph. Assume width of the
roadway to be 9m.
a. Determine the degree of the simple curve.
b. Determine the length of spiral at each end of simple
curve
c. Determine the super-elevation of the first 10 m from
S.C. on the spiral.

Engr. ROSELLA C. ALGADO, CE

 SAMPLE #1 SOL’N:
GIVEN: a. Degree of Curvature of the
Simple Curve

REQ’D:
b. Length of Spiral

REQ’D:

Engr. ROSELLA C. ALGADO, CE

 SAMPLE #1
SOL’N:

c. Super elevation of the first 10 m from S.C. on the spiral

(at 10 m from T.S. on the spiral)

(at 10 m from S.C. on the spiral)

(super elevation @ 10 m from S.C. on the spiral)

REQ’D:

Engr. ROSELLA C. ALGADO, CE

SPIRAL
SPIRALCURVE
CURVE
sample Problem #2
2. A simple curve having a radius of 280 m. connects two tangents
intersecting at an angle of 50°. It is to be replaced by another
curve having 80 m spirals at its end such that the point of
tangency shall be the same.
a. Determine the radius of the new circular curve.
b. Determine the distance that the curve will nearer the vertex.
c. Determine the central angle of the circular curve
d. Determine the deflection angle at the end of the spiral curve.
e. Determine the offset from the tangent at the end of the spiral.
f. Determine the distance along the tangent at the midpoint of
the spiral.’

Engr. ROSELLA C. ALGADO, CE

 SAMPLE #2
FIGURE:
FIGURE: 𝑃 II=50°
GIVEN:
¿𝑇
𝑠
𝐸𝑠
𝐸

𝑇
𝐼 𝑐𝐶
𝑆.𝐶 . . 𝑆 . 𝐸 𝑐h

REQ’D: 𝑅𝑐 𝑅𝑐 𝑆.
𝑃𝑇𝑇 .

.
𝑃𝐶𝑇 . 𝑆
𝐼𝑐
𝑆 𝑐𝑆
a. h 𝑐

0m
R=

28
28
0m

R=
REQ’D:
𝑂
Engr. ROSELLA C. ALGADO, CE
 SAMPLE #2
SOL’N:
a. Radius of the new Circular Curve
𝑠
𝑇
=
𝑇

2
8
0
25 °

REQ’D:

Engr. ROSELLA C. ALGADO, CE

 SAMPLE #2
SOL’N:
b. Distance that the curve will be
nearer the vertex: h

Old External Distance

For the spiral curve External Distance

21.461 m

REQ’D:

Engr. ROSELLA C. ALGADO, CE

 SAMPLE #2
SOL’N:
c. Central Angle of the Circular Curve

d. Deflection Angle at the end of the spiral

REQ’D:

Engr. ROSELLA C. ALGADO, CE

 SAMPLE #2
SOL’N:
d. Offset from tangent at the end of the
point of the spiral

f. Distance along the tangent at the

midpoint of the spiral

REQ’D:

Engr. ROSELLA C. ALGADO, CE

SPIRAL
SPIRALCURVE
CURVE
sample Problem #3
3. A spiral curve having a length of 100m is to be laid
out in a certain portion of road. The degree of central
curve is 60.
a. Find the offset distance at the first quarter point
of spiral.
b. Determine the spiral angle at the third quarter
point of spiral.
c. Compute the maximum speed of the car that
could pass through the spiral without skidding.

Answers:
X= 0.136m
ϴ= 8.4370
k= 80.953kph Engr. ROSELLA C. ALGADO, CE
SPIRAL
SPIRALCURVE
CURVE
sample Problem #4
4. What is the length of the long tangent
of a spiral easement curve if the spiral
angle of SC is 120 and the offset
distance at SC is 8.4m? Distance
along tangent up to SC is 79.62m.

Answers:
LT= 40.101m

Engr. ROSELLA C. ALGADO, CE

SPIRAL
SPIRALCURVE
CURVE
sample Problem #5
5. Spiral curves are connected at both
ends of a 50 simple curve. If the length
of the spiral is 80m, determine the
following:
a. Length of throw.
b. Length of short tangent.
c. Superelevation.
Answers:
p= 1.164m
LST= 26.813m
e= 0.220m/m

Engr. ROSELLA C. ALGADO, CE

 SPIRAL CURVE
SPIRAL CURVE
sample Problem #6
6. If a vehicle traveling along a tangent meets the circular arc, the
full impact of centrifugal side thrust is suddenly experienced,
because of this the steering angle must be changed
instantaneously, otherwise the vehicle will not be able to follow
the circular path. Obviously no driver can be expected to keep up
to such a situation at every curve and the vehicle will be
subjected to shock and the passengers subjected to sway. The
situation can be greatly improved by providing transition curves.
If a car approaches the transition curve at a rate of centrifugal
acceleration of 0.50m/s3 with a degree of curve of 50 on the
central curve.
a. Compute the velocity of the car as it approaches the
transition curve.
b. Compute the spiral angle of the transition curve at the SC.
c. Compute the length of the short tangent on the transition
curve.

Engr. ROSELLA C. ALGADO, CE

REMINDER:
Engr. ROSELLA C. ALGADO, CE