Fieldwork No.

1
LAYING OUT A SIMPLE HORIZONTAL CURVE

INTRODUCTION

A surveyor learns to locate points using angles and distances. In construction surveying, the surveyor must often
establish the line of a curve for road layout or some other construction. The surveyor can establish curves of short radius,
usually less than one tape length, by holding one end of the tape at the center of the circle and swinging the tape in an arc,
marking as many points as desired.
As the radius and length of curve increases, the tape becomes impractical, and the surveyor must use other methods.
Measured angles and straight-line distances are usually picked to locate selected points, known as stations, on the circumference
of the arc.
A circular curve is a segment of a circle- an arc. The sharpness of the curve is determined by the radius of the circle
(R) and can be described in terms of “degree of curvature” (D). A curve may be simple, compound, reverse, or spiral. The
simple curve is the one that consists of a single arc of a circle.

OBJECTIVES

1. To lay out a simple horizontal circular curve by the chord- deflection method.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE

Curves are generally used on highways and railways where it is necessary to change the direction of motion. In this
lab exercise, students will be able to learn how to mark areas of the ground and in what proportions for setting out circular
curve using data from 2 straight portions of different roads.

MATERIALS NEEDED

✓ Theodolite or Total Station

✓ Range Poles
✓ Fiber Tape
✓ Markers (hubs, paint, chalk or crayons)

PROCEDURE

1. Before proceeding to the designated survey site, the lab instructor should be consulted with respect to the
following curve elements which will be needed to define the circular curve to be laid out:
a) Radius of the curve (R)
b) Intersection or deflection angle (1)
c) Stationing of the point of intersection (PI)
2. Similarly, the different elements of the circular curve such as: T, L, LC, E, M, and the stationings of the PC and PT
should be pre-determined by calculations. The computations should also include the deflection angles and chord
length which will be needed when staking out the curve by half-station intervals. The accompanying sketch in the
succeeding page is given to serve as reference for the different abbreviation and terminologies used in this
exercise.
3. All values needed to layout the curve should be tabulated accordingly. Refer to the accompanying sample format
shown in the Report section for the tabulation of the required field data.

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LAYING OUT A SIMPLE HORIZONTAL CURVE

Fig. 5-26. Elements of a circular curve

CIRCULAR CURVE ELEMENTS
R = radius of the curve
T = tangent distance
I = Intersection or deflection angle
E = external distance
M = middle ordinate
LC = long chord or line connecting PC and PT
PC = point of curvature or beginning point of the curve
PT = point of tangency or end of the curve
D = degree of curve
L = length of curve

4. Set up and level the instrument at the designated vertex or point of intersection (PI).
5. Establish on the ground the PC by laying out with steel tape the computed tangent distance (T) from the PI. The
intersection angle (I) at the PI and the distance carried through the forward tangent will also be needed to set a stake at
the PT.
6. Transfer and set up the instrument at the PC. At the PC lay off the total deflection angle from PI to PT and check
if the stake previously set up at the PT is along the line of sight. If it doesn’t check, an error exists in either, measurement
or computation. As an added check, stake out the midpoint of the curve before beginning to set intermediate stations
By bisecting the angle (180-I) at the PI and laying off the external distance (E), the midpoint can be established. A
check of the deflection angle from the PC to the midpoint should be I/4.
7. To establish the first curve station, first set the horizontal circle reading of the instrument to zero and sight along
the back tangent. Then turn the instrument about its vertical axis and lay off the required sub-deflection angle and the
corresponding cord distance for the first station. Set hub to mark the located station.
8. With the first station already established, now lay out the next chord length from it, and locate the second station
on the intersection of the line of sight (defined by the next deflection angle) and the end of the chord. Also set a hub to
mark this located station.
9. Repeat the process of locating succeeding stations on the curve by laying out the computed deflection angles and
the chord distances from the previously established station. Do this until all the required station of the curve are laid
out and properly marked on the ground.
10. When the final station is established, the closing PT should be staked out using the final deflection angle and sub
chord, to determine the misclosure in laying out the curve.

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LAYING OUT A SIMPLE HORIZONTAL CURVE

ANALYSIS

1. The tangent distance (T) is the distance from the PC to PI (back tangent) or from PI to PT (forward tangent). It is
determined by the following formula:
T = R Tan (I/2)
Where R is the given radius of the curve and I is the intersection or deflection angle between the tangents.
2. The length of curve (L) is the distance from the PC to PT measured along the curve for arc definition, or by 100-
m (or 100-ft) chords for the chord definition. This curve element is determined as follows:
L = 100 (I/D)
Where D is the degree of curve.
3. The line connecting the PC and PT is called the long chord and is determined as follows:
LC = 2R Sin (I/2)
4. The external distance (E) is the distance from the PI to the middle point of the curve, measured along the bisector
of the central angle. It is determined by the following formula:
E = R (1/Cos (I/2 – 1))
5. M, the middle ordinate, is the radial distance from the midpoint of the long chord to the midpoint of the curve. It
is determined as follows:
M = R (1 – Cos (I/2))
6. The stationing for the PC is obtained by subtracting from the stationing of the PI the length of the back tangent.
To determine the stationing for the PT, add the length of the curve to the stationing
for the PC.
7. The deflection angle measure at the PC between the tangent and the line to the point is one-half the central angle
subtended between the PC and the point. An angle between a tangent and a chord is measure by one-half the intercepted
arc, while the central angle is measure by the whole arc.

8. The deflection angle to each succeeding full station is calculated by adding the value of D/2 to the preceding
deflection angle. Half stations are located by adding D/4 and quarter stations by adding D/8. The last deflection angle
to the PT must equal 1/2 which is the sum of all deflection angles to the curve.

REMARKS, HINTS AND PRECAUTIONS

1. The most common method of laying out circular curves especially those with long radii is by deflection angles and
chords. The deflection angle to the point on the curve is the angle formed between the back tangent and a line from the
PC to a point on the curve. When radius is short the center can be set, and the curve easily laid out by swinging an arc.
Horizontal curves may also be laid out by offsets from tangent, middle ordinates and by chord offsets. These methods
allow the laying out of circular curves by means of tape alone and are better employed when the terrain is relatively
level and without obstructions.

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LAYING OUT A SIMPLE HORIZONTAL CURVE

2. To define a curve only two of the curve elements are necessary, and the most commonly provided are the radius of
the curve, the deflection angle, and the curve length. These elements are usually defined by existing field conditions.
When more than enough elements are defined, it must be seen to it they are compatible with each other.

3. The degree of curve is often used to designate the sharpness of a curve and the length of chords specified usually
depend on this element. In practice, when curves are sharper than 5 degrees, 10-m chords are used. Chord lengths of 25
m are suitable for 3 deg to 5 deg curves, and 50 m chords from 1 deg to 3 deg curves. When the degree of curve is
significantly flat, 100 m chords are normally used.

4. If a curve is quite long it is often suitable to lay out the first half of the curve from the PC and the second half back
from the PT. This allows small errors to be adjusted at the middle of the curve instead of accumulating the total
misclosure at the PT.

REPORT

Use the following tables to report the data and results. Include all necessary computations.

STATION POINT DEFLECTION CHORD CURVE DATA

ANGLE LENGTH
(m)

Computations:

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LAYING OUT A SIMPLE HORIZONTAL CURVE

DISCUSSION

What do you think is the kind of data is needed to be established or obtained first before laying out a horizontal
curve?
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What is a method of laying out a horizontal curve other than the chord- deflection method?
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CONCLUSION

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