ROAD GEOMETRIC DESIGN

TECHNICAL SECTION
NRAP/MoPW KABUL-AFGHANISTAN

PART : 01
BY: MALYAR TALASH
ROAD DESIGN ENGINEER
malyar@nrap.gov.af
+93786575033
INTRODUCTION
Geometric design is defined as the
design or proportioning of the
visible elements of the street or
highway. The geometry of the
roadway is of central importance
since it provides the framework for
the design of other highway
elements.(AASHTOO 2011)
INTRODUCTION
Geometric design is the process
whereby the layout of the road in
the terrain is designed to meet the
needs of the road users. (Road
Note 06)
INTRODUCTION
Geometric design of highway includes
the design of geometric cross section,
horizontal alignment, vertical alignment,
intersections, and various design details.
The goals of geometric design are to
maximize the comfort, safety, and
economy of facilities, while minimize
their environmental impacts.
INCLUDES
Speed Sidewalks
Design Vehicles Medians
Sight Distance Curbs
Horizontal Alignment Parking
Vertical Alignment Right of Way
Alignment Intersection Design
Coordination Roundabouts
Cross Section
Elements
SPEED
Speed is one of the most important
factors considered by travelers in
selecting alternative routes or
transportation modes.
SPEED
The following are explainable:
1.Design Speed
2.Operating Speed
3.Running Speed
DESIGN SPEED
Design Speed: The design speed is
defined as a selected rate of travel
used to determine the various
geometric features of the roadway.
Since many critical design features
(e.g., sight distance and curvature)
are predicated upon design speed.
DESIGN SPEED
The selected design speed should be
a logical one with respect to the
anticipated operating speed,
topography, the adjacent land use,
and the functional classification of
the highway.
DESIGN SPEED
In selection of design speed, every
effort should be made to attain a
desired combination of safety, mobility,
and efficiency within the constraints of
environmental quality, economics,
aesthetics, and social or political
impacts. Once the design speed is
selected, all of the pertinent highway
features should be related to it to obtain
a balanced design
DESIGN SPEED
OPERATING SPEED
Operating speed is the speed at which
drivers are observed operating their
vehicles during free-ow conditions.
The 85th percentile of the distribution
of observed speeds is the most
frequently used measure of the
operating speed associated with a
particular location or geometric feature.
RUNING SPEED
The speed at which an individual
vehicle travels over a highway section
is known as its running speed.
Lhighway
RS S1
RTvehicles
RS= Running Speed
L= Length
RT=Running Time
S= Segment
DESIGN VEHICLES
A "design vehicle" is a selected
motor vehicle whose weight,
dimensions, and operating
characteristics are used to establish
highway design controls to
accommodate vehicles of a
designated type.
DESIGN
VEHICLE
S
DESIGN VEHICLES
Design criteria significantly affected by the type
of vehicle include:
Horizontal and vertical clearances
Alignment
Lane widening on curves
Shoulder width requirements
Turning roadway and intersection radii
Intersection sight distance
Acceleration criteria
DESIGN VEHICLES
DESIGN VEHICLES
SIGHT DISTANCE
The provision for adequate
horizontal and vertical sight
distance is an essential factor in
the development of a safe street or
highway.
SIGHT DISTANCE
An unobstructed view of the
upcoming roadway is necessary to
allow time and space for the safe
execution of passing, stopping,
intersection movements, and other
normal and emergency maneuvers
SIGHT DISTANCE
These are as follow:
1.Stopping Sight Distance
2.Head Light Sight Distance
3.Passing Sight Distance
4.Decision Sight Distance
5.Intersection Sight Distance
STOPPING SIGHT
DISTANC(SSD)
Stopping sight distance is the
distance required to see an object
0.15m high on the roadway and
stop the vehicle before crushing
the object.
STOPPING SIGHT
DISTANC(SSD)
STOPPING SIGHT
DISTANC(SSD)
The greater sight distances required to

provide safe overtaking opportunities
are not easily provided on crest curves.
If full overtaking sight distance cannot
be obtained, the design should aim to
reduce the length of crest curves to
provide the minimum stopping sight
distance, thus increasing overtaking
opportunities on the gradients on either
side of the curve.
STOPPING SIGHT
DISTANC(SSD)
Two conditions exist when considering
minimum sight distance criteria on
vertical curves. The first is where sight
distance is less than the length of the
vertical curve, and the second is where
sight distance extends beyond the
vertical curve. Consideration of the
properties of the parabola results in the
following relationships for minimum
curve length to achieve the required
sight distances:
STOPPING SIGHT
DISTANC(SSD)
STOPPING SIGHT
DISTANC(SSD)
STOPPING SIGHT
DISTANC(SSD)
For S<L, the most common
situation in practice, L = K.C where
K is a constant for a given design
speed (minimum safe stopping
speed), eye and object heights.
STOPPING SIGHT
DISTANC(SSD)
Eye height (h1) has been taken as 1.05
metres, and object heights have been
adopted of 0.2 metres above the road
surface and to the road surface itself. The
need to see the road surface is only
applicable in particular circumstances such
as a vertical curve on the approach to a ford
or drift where a driver may have to stop
because of the presence of surface water.
STOPPING SIGHT
DISTANC(SSD)
Sight distances have been based on the
characteristics of car drivers as, although
braking distances are greater with trucks,
they will usually be travelling more slowly
and the eye height of truck drivers is
about 1.0 metre higher. Requirements are
related to rates of deceleration available
with an emergency stop. Skid resistance
values are dependent
HEAD LIGHT SIGHT
DISTANC(HSD)
At night, the portion of highway
that is visible to the driver is
dependent on the position of the
headlights and the direction of the
light beam
PASSING SIGHT DISTANCE
Passing sight distance is the distance
required to see an oncoming vehicle
of a certain minimum size and pass
through it safely.
There is no need to consider passing
sight distance on highways or streets
that have two or more traffic lanes in
each direction of travel.
PASSING SIGHT DISTANCE
Most roads and many streets are two-
lane, two-way highways on which
vehicles frequently overtake slower
moving vehicles. Passing maneuvers in
which faster vehicles move ahead of
slower vehicles are accomplished on
lanes regularly used by opposing
traffic.
(AASHTO 2011)
PASSING SIGHT DISTANCE
The overtaking manoeuvre has a large
number of variables, such as:
the judgment of the overtaking driver and the
risks the driver is prepared to take
the speed and size of vehicles to be overtaken
the speed of the overtaking vehicle
the speed of a potential on coming vehicle
the evasive action or braking undertaken by
the vehicle or the overtaken vehicle.
PASSING SIGHT DISTANCE
PASSING SIGHT DISTANCE
DECISION SIGHT DISTANCE
Decision sight distance is the distance
needed for a driver to detect an
unexpected or otherwise difficult to
perceive information source or condition in
a roadway environment that may be
visually cluttered, recognize the condition
or its potential threat, select an
appropriate speed and path, and initiate
and complete complex maneuvers. its
values are substantially greater than
stopping sight distance.
DECISION SIGHT DISTANCE
1. Avoidance Maneuver A:Stop on rural road.
2. Avoidance Maneuver B:Stop on urban road.
3. Avoidance Maneuver C:Speed/path/direction change on rural
road.
4. Avoidance Maneuver D:Speed/path/direction change on suburban
road.
5. Avoidance Maneuver E:Speed/path/direction change on urban
road.
DECISION SIGHT DISTANCE
The decision sight distances for
avoidance maneuvers A and B are
determined as:
DECISION SIGHT DISTANCE
The decision sight distances for
avoidance maneuvers C, D, and E are
determined as:
INTERSECTION SIGHT
DISTANCE
A motorist attempting to enter or cross
a highway from a stopped condition
should be able to observe traffic at a
distance that will allow safe
movement. The methods described in
the following paragraphs produce
distances that provide sufficient sight
distance for the stopped driver to
make a safe crossing or turning
maneuver.
INTERSECTION SIGHT
DISTANCE
If these distances cannot be obtained,
the minimum sight distance provided
should not be less than the stopping
sight distance for the through roadway.
INTERSECTION SIGHT
DISTANCE
HORIZONTAL ALIGNMENT
The horizontal alignment of a road is
usually a series of straights (tangents)
and circular curves that may or may not
be connected by transition curves. The
following sections outline various design
criteria that are to be considered when
developing a horizontal road alignment.
Alignment is a 3D problem broken down
into two 2D problems
Horizontal Alignment (plan view)
HORIZONTAL ALIGNMENT
HORIZONTAL ALIGNMENT
The horizontal alignment of a roadway
should be designed to provide
motorists with a facility for driving in a
safe and comfortable manner.
Adequate stopping sight distance
should be furnished. Also, changes in
direction should be accompanied by
the use of curves and superelevation
when appropriate in accordance with
established guidelines.
HORIZONTAL ALIGNMENT
General Controls
Much of the criteria for horizontal alignment seeks to establish minimum
design values which are based on specific limiting factors. These include
side-friction factors, superelevation, longitudinal gradients for
superelevation transition, and middle ordinate values for sight distance. In
addition, the designer should adhere to several general controls for
horizontal alignment. These are based on aesthetic and safety
considerations. They include:
1. Horizontal alignment should be as directional as possible. Where feasible,
minimum radii should be avoided. Flatter curvature with shorter tangents is
generally preferable to sharp curves connected by long tangents.
2.Curves with small deection angles should be long enough to avoid the
appearance of a kink. For a central angle of 5o or less, the curve should be
at least 150-m long. On freeways, the designer should try to provide a curve
length, in meters, of at least 6 times the design speed in km/h. On other
major highways, try to provide a curve length 3 times the design speed.
HORIZONTAL ALIGNMENT
3. Very small deection angles may not require a horizontal
curve; i.e., the roadway may be designed with an angular break.
As a general guide, the designer may consider using an angle
point when the deection angle is less than 1o. The evaluation
on the use of an angle point will be based on urban/rural
location, aesthetics, construction costs and the visibility of the
kink.
4.Broken back curvature should be avoided.
5. Sharp horizontal curves should not be introduced near crest
or sag vertical curves. The combination of horizontal and vertical
curves can greatly reduce sight distance, and the likelihood of
accidents is increased.
HORIZONTAL ALIGNMENT
6. Horizontal curves and superelevation transitions should be
avoided on bridges. These cause design, construction and
operational problems when snow and ice are present. The
designer should not, however, avoid placing a curve on a bridge
if this results in sharp horizontal curves on the approaching
roadway. Where a curve is necessary on a bridge, a simple curve
8. The crossover line will often be a control for setting the rates
of superelevation and radius and profile where two roadways
converge. Freeway gores are an example.
9. The radius of a ramp curve ending parallel to a freeway
should be within 300 meters of the radius of the freeway
HORIZONTAL ALIGNMENT
HORIZONTAL ALIGNMENT
The Horizontal Alignment is consist of
different curves and tangent lines as
follow:
1- Simple Curve( Circular )
2- Compound Curve
3- Revers Curve
4- Broken Back Curve
5- Spiral Curve
6- Transition Curves
SIMPLE CURVE
A simple curve is a constant, circular
radius which achieves the desired
deection without using an entering or
exiting transition. Considering their
simplicity and ease of design, survey
and construction, this type of curve is
used most often by the Department.
COMPOUND CURVES
These are a series of two or more
simple curves with deections in the
same direction immediately adjacent
to each other.
COMPOUND CURVES
These are a series of two or more
simple curves with deections in the
same direction immediately adjacent
to each other.
COMPOUND CURVES
Compound curves are often used to avoid
some control or obstacle which cannot be
relocated. Compound curves can be
developed with any number of individual
simple curves (2-centered, 3-centered,
etc.), and they can be symmetrical or
asymmetrical. When compound curves
are used on mainline, the radius of the
atter circular arc (R1) should not be
more than 50 percent greater than that of
the sharper arc (R2); i.e., R1 <=1.5R2.
COMPOUND CURVES
In general, the use of compound
curves is not favored as they may
cause operational problems due to
drivers not perceiving the change in
curvature and not anticipating a
change in side friction demand.
COMPOUND CURVES
Radii less than 1,000 m are
undesirable.
Where radii less than 1,000 m are
unavoidable, the design speed for
each curve should desirably be within
5 km/h and remain above the
minimum operating speed for the
section of road.
There should be no more than two
curves of diminishing radii.
COMPOUND CURVES
Diminishing radii should be avoided on
steep downgrades.
On a one-way roadway, a smaller
curve preceding a larger curve is
preferable.
REVERSE CURVES
These are two simple curves with
deections in opposite directions
which are joined by a relatively short
tangent distance.
BROKEN-BACK CURVES
These are closely spaced horizontal
curves with deection angles in the
same direction with an intervening,
short tangent section.
BROKEN-BACK CURVES
Broken back curves are horizontal curves
turning in the same direction joined by a
short length of straight or two relatively
small unidirectional curves connected by
a large radius curve. Broken back curves
should be avoided if possible, as it is
virtually impossible to provide the correct
amount of superelevation throughout,
and it is equally difficult to produce a
pleasing grading of pavement edges
SPIRAL CURVES
A curve of continuously varying radius.
Transition curves (or spirals) are
normally used to join straights and
circular curves to smooth the travel of
vehicles within the traffic lane.
Transition curves are usually based on
the clothoid spiral, which provides a
uniform change in centripetal
acceleration as vehicles enter and exit
the circular section of the curve
SPIRAL CURVES
SPIRAL CURVES
SPIRAL CURVES
TRANSITION CURVES

Transition curves are used to