Lec.

25
1

CE 371 Surveying
Circular Curves

Dr. Ragab Khalil

Department of Landscape Architecture
Faculty of Environmental Design
King AbdulAziz University
Room LIE15
Overview
2/25

• Introduction
• Definition of Terms
• Parameters of Circular Curves (Arc Definition)
• Curve Stationing
• Design Criteria

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Introduction
3/25
• Horizontal curves are used in route surveying for construction
of highways, railroads, and pipelines.
• Horizontal curves can be circular or spiral, however, we will be
explaining circular curves only.
• A circular curve is either defined by its radius (ex: a 500-m
curve), or by its degree (ex: 2-degree curve).
• Degree of curve (Dc) is the angle at the center of a circular arc
subtended by a 100-m chord C (Chord definition)
• Degree of curve (Da)is the angle at the center subtended by a
100-m circular arc S (Arc definition)

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Definition of Terms
4/25
• PI Point of Intersection of the tangents
• PC Point of Curvature, or beginning of the curve
• PT Point of Tangent, or end of curve
• POT Point On the Tangent
• POC Point On the Curve
• I Deflection angle
• R Radius of curve
• T Tangent length
• LC Long Chord, or the distance from PC to PT
• E External distance, or the radial distance from PI to the
curve
• M Middle ordinate, or the radial distance from midpoint of
the long chord to midpoint of the curve

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Parameters of Circular Curves
(Arc Definition)
5/25
For 100-m stationing, S = 100 m. Circular curve parameters are:
1
2
3
4
5

From: cos(I/2) = R/(R+E) and cos(I/2) = (R-M)/R we have:

6
7

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Curve Stationing
6/25
• In route surveys, lines and deflection angles along the traverse
are measured first and PIs are established.
• Each traverse station (PI) has a station value indicating its
distance from starting point. Curves are then designed and
staked out.
• To compute the PC station, tangent distance T is subtracted
from the PI station, and to calculate the PT station, curve
length L is added to the PC station, as in the following
example

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Example 1
7/25
• Let deflection angle I=8o 24’, station of PI = 64+27.46 ( 100-m
stationing),D=2o 0’ (arc definition). Calculate stationing of PC and
PT along the curve, external distance (E), and middle ordinate
distance (M) of this curve.
• Solution:
From Equation (1): Length of curve L = 100(8o 24’/2o) = 420.00 m

From Equation (2): Radius of Curve R = 100x 360/(2π x2o )= 2864.79 m

From Equation (4): Tangent distance T= 2864.79 tan((8o 24')/2) =210.38 m
Stationing: PI station= 64 + 27.46
-T= 02 + 10.38
PC station= 62 + 17.08
+ L= 04 + 20.00
PT station= 66 + 37.08 m
From Equation (6): External distance E = 210.38 tan((8o 24')/4) = 7.71 m
From Equation (7): Middle ordinate M = 7.71 cos((8o 24')/2) = 7.69 m
Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying
Note
8/25
• Note that the stationing of the PT cannot be obtained by
adding the tangent distance to the station of the PI, although
the location of the PT on the ground is determined by
measuring the tangent distance from the PI.
• Points representing the PC and PT must be carefully marked
and placed exactly on the tangent lines at the correct distance
from the PI so other computed values will fit their fixed
positions on the ground.

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Design Criteria
9/25
• A curve is selected to fit ground conditions. Specification
limitations, such as maximum D or minimum R, are also used
as design criteria. The purpose of the route, such as highways
or railroads, is also a criteria.
• Ground conditions such as presence of lakes, mountains, and
high slopes determine the curve parameters to be fixed.
Example is when fixing external distance E or middle ordinate
M to miss a stream or a slope.
• Tangent distance T is sometimes used as a criteria for curve
design. Example is when a proposed location of a railroad
station is to be built on the tangent instead of a super-
elevated curve.
• Length of curve L is rarely used to design the curve.

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

 Lec. 27
1
0

CE 371 Surveying
Circular Curves

Dr. Ragab Khalil

Department of Landscape Architecture
Faculty of Environmental Design
King AbdulAziz University
Room LIE15
Overview
11/25

• Curve Layout
• Curve Layout by Deflection Angles
• Computing Deflection Angles and Chords
• General Curve Layout Procedures

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Curve Layout
12/25
• Except for unusual cases, the radii of curves on route surveys
are too large to permit swinging an arc from the curve center.
• Circular curves are therefore laid out by more practical
methods, including
(1) deflection angles, (2) coordinates, (3) tangent offsets
(4) chord offsets, (5) middle ordinates, (6) ordinates from
the long chord
• Layout by deflection angles has been the standard approach,
although with the advent of total station instruments, the
coordinate method is becoming increasingly popular.
• In all methods, the positions of full stations (such as every 100
m) along the curve are first computed then staked out. These
full stations are the ones at which cross-sections are normally
taken.

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Curve Layout by Deflection Angles
13/25
• Layout of a curve by deflection angles can be done by either
• incremental chord method or
• total chord method.
• In the past, the incremental chord method was almost always
used as it could be readily accomplished with a theodolite and
tape.
• The method can still be used with total station, although then
the distances are observed by taping rather than electronically.
• The total chord method was not practical until the advent of
total stations, but with these instruments it is now
conveniently employed even though longer distance
measurements are involved.

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Incremental chord method
14/25
• The incremental chord method is illustrated in Figure. Assume that
the instrument is set up over the PC (station 62 + 17.08 in Example).
For this illustration, assume that each full station is to be marked
along the curve,
• The first station to be set in this example is 63 + 00.
• To mark that point from the PC, a backsight is taken on the PI with
zero set on the instrument’s horizontal circle.

• Deflection angle da to station

63 + 00 is then turned and
two tapepersons measure
chord Ca from the PC and set
63 + 00 at the end of the
chord on the instrument’s line
of sight.

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Incremental chord method
15/25
• With station 63 + 00 set, the tapepersons next measure the chord
length c from it and stake station where the line of sight of the
instrument, now set to d64 , intersects the end of that chord.
• This process is repeated until the entire curve is laid out.
• In this procedure it is seen that the accuracy in the placement of
each succeeding station depends on the accuracies of all those
stations previously set.

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Total chord method
16/25
• The total chord method can also be described with reference to the
Figure
• In this procedure, a total station instrument is set up at the PC, a
backsight taken on the PI, and zero indexed on the horizontal circle.
• To set station 63 + 00, deflection angle da is turned with the
instrument, the reflector placed on line and adjusted until its
distance from the instrument is Ca and the stake set.
• To set station 64 + 00
deflection angle d64 is
turned, the reflector placed
on this line of sight and
adjusted in position until
the total chord from the PC
to station 64 + 00 is
obtained and the stake set.

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Total chord method
17/25
• This procedure is repeated, with each station being set
independently of the others, until the entire curve is staked.
• This method of staking a curve has some drawbacks.
• One is that in some areas vegetation or other obstructions can block
sight lines along the chords.
• Another is that each station is set independently and thus there is no
check at the end of the curve.
• For these reasons, the incremental
chord approach is often preferred over the total chord method.

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Computing Deflection Angles and Chords
18/25
• Using 100-m stationing, the arc length S between any two full
stations along the curve is equal to 100 m, this arc subtends a
central angle equal to the degree of curve D.
• The chord length C between any two full stations along the
curve can be computed from Equation (5) by substituting C for
LC and D for I to get:
8
• Usually the first arc Sa from the PC to the first full station
(63+00 in our example) is not equal to S. The same is true for
the arc length Sb between the last full station (66+00 in our
example) and the PT.
9
10

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Computing Deflection Angles and Chords
19/25
• Arcs Sa and Sb subtend central angles denoted by da and db
respectively. The two angles (da and db) are calculated by
proportion from:
11
12
• The chord lengths Ca and Cb corresponding to arcs Sa and Sb
are calculated from Equation (5) in a way similar to that of
chord C.
13
14

• Deflection angle increment

for any full station = half
the central angle.

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Example 2
20/25
• If PC=62+17.08, PT= 66+37.08, D=2o, R=2864.79 m.
Compute:
(a) arcs S, Sa, and Sb.
(b) central angles da and db subtended by Sa and Sb respectively.
(c) chords C, Ca, and Cb. Prepare a table of deflection angles and
chords.
• Solution:
• By definition, arc S = 100.00 m
• Sa = (63+00) - PC = 6300 - 6217.08 = 82.92m
• Sb = PT - (66+00) = 6637.08 - 6600 = 37.08 m
• da = Sa(D/S) = 82.92(2o/100) = 1o 39’ 30.2”
• db = Sb(D/S) = 37.08(2o/100) = 0o 44’ 29.8”
• C = 2R sin(D/2) = 99.99 m
• Ca = 2R sin(da/2) = 82.92 m
• Cb = 2R sin(db/2) = 37.08 m
Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying
Example
21/25
• To complete the table:
• Deflection angle increment between any two full stations=D/2= 1o 00’ 00”
• Deflection angle increment for the first full station =da/2=0o 49’ 45.1”
• Deflection angle increment from the last full station =db/2=0o 22’ 14.9”
• The following is a complete table of deflection angles and increment chords
method.

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

General Curve Layout Procedures
22/25
• Use the data of examples 1 and 2, and use a tape and theodolite.
1. With the theodolite at PI, back sight the previous traverse station.
Mark point PC along this direction using a tape.
2. With the theodolite still at PI, back sight the next traverse station.
Mark point PT along this direction using a tape.
3. From this direction, turn theodolite an angle equal to (180-I)/2.
Mark a point at a distance E from PI. This point is the top of the
curve.
4. Set up the theodolite over point PC. Initialize the horizontal circle to
zero, then back sight point PI.
5. Turn the theodolite until horizontal circle reading is da/2= 0o 49'
45.1''.
6. With the tape zero end at PC extend the tape a distance Ca= 82.92
m. Swing the tape until the 82.92 mark falls on the theodolite line
of sight. Mark the point which is the first full station (63) along the
curve.

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

General Curve Layout Procedures
23/25
7. Turn the theodolite until the horizontal circle reads an angle =
(da+D)/2.
8. With the tape zero end on station (63), extend the tape a distance
C = 99.99 m. Swing the tape until the 99.99-m mark falls on the
theodolite line of sight. Mark this point which is full station (64).
9. Turn the theodolite until horizontal circle reading is (da+2D)/2.
10. With the tape zero end on station (64), extend the tape a distance
C = 99.99 m. Swing the tape until the 99.99-m mark falls on the
theodolite line of sight. Mark this point which is full station (65).
11. Turn the theodolite until horizontal circle reading is (da+3D)/2.
12. With the tape zero end on station (65), extend the tape a distance
C = 99.99 m. Swing the tape until the 99.99-m mark falls on the
theodolite line of sight. Mark this point which is full station (66).
13. Turn the theodolite until horizontal circle reading is (da+db+3D)/2

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

General Curve Layout Procedures
24/25
14. With the tape zero end on station (66), extend the tape a distance
Cb =37.08 m. Swing the tape until the 37.08-m mark falls on the
theodolite line of sight. Mark this point which should be point PT.
15. If the two marked points PT of steps 2 and 14 do not coincide,
Measure the distance between them. This distance e is called arc
misclosure.
16. Compute Curve precision using curve length L and tangent
distance T:

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Summary
25/25

• Introduction
• Definition of Terms
• Parameters of Circular Curves (Arc Definition)
• Curve Stationing
• Design Criteria
• Curve Layout
• Curve Layout by Deflection Angles
• Computing Deflection Angles and Chords
• General Curve Layout Procedures

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying