Course

Highway Engineering - Cv442

Project

Complex Engineering Problem – CEP

Instructor

Dr. Shiraz Ahmed – Assistant Professor

Group Members

Name Registration Number

Moazam Ahmed 2020236
Ahmed Hassan Shah 2020467
Ibrahim Khan 2020312
Saqib Shah 2020433

Page 1 of 11
Table of Contents
List Of Figures................................................................................................................................................ 2
List Of Tables ................................................................................................................................................. 2
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 3
Key Words................................................................................................................................................. 4
Design Speed ......................................................................................................................................... 4
Stopping Sight Distance ........................................................................................................................ 4
Problem Statement ....................................................................................................................................... 5
Study Area ................................................................................................................................................. 5
Data Collection .............................................................................................................................................. 5
Elevation Profile ........................................................................................................................................ 5
Vertical Curve Points ................................................................................................................................. 6
Horizontal Curve ....................................................................................................................................... 6
PVC and PVT .............................................................................................................................................. 7
Length of the whole Highway ................................................................................................................... 7
Calculations ................................................................................................................................................... 8
Horizontal Curve ....................................................................................................................................... 8
Vertical Curve ........................................................................................................................................... 8
References .................................................................................................................................................... 9
Appendix ..................................................................................................................................................... 10

List Of Figures
Figure 1. Flow Chart ...................................................................................................................................... 4
Figure 2. Study Area ...................................................................................................................................... 5
Figure 3. Elevation Profile ............................................................................................................................. 5
Figure 4. Vertical Curve Points ...................................................................................................................... 6
Figure 5. Horizontal Curve............................................................................................................................. 6
Figure 6. PVC and PVT ................................................................................................................................... 7
Figure 7. Length of Track ............................................................................................................................... 7

List Of Tables
Table 1 ........................................................................................................................................................... 8
Table 2 ........................................................................................................................................................... 9

Page 2 of 11
Introduction
The conventional method of aligning highways is a time-intensive and laborious process,
laden with various political, social, environmental, and economic considerations. Aligning routes
for roads, pipelines, or railways involves complexities influenced by multiple variables like
services' locations, environmental features, and existing infrastructure. Consequently, there's a
pressing demand for innovative approaches that streamline design, reduce costs, and optimize
highway routes for evaluation. Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
have emerged as crucial tools in civil engineering, particularly in transportation and highway
engineering. They enable modeling spatial variables, incorporating environmental, topographical,
economic, and geological aspects, while also addressing environmental protection concerns and
cost efficiency.[1] Leveraging RS and GIS requires fewer resources, reduces time consumption,
and minimizes expenses. This study focuses on employing remotely sensed data for the geometric
design of roads, emphasizing driver needs, vehicle safety, comfort, and overall efficiency.

1.1. Features to be considered during the geometric design of the highway are:
➢ Cross section elements
➢ The gradient
➢ The intersection
➢ The consideration of sight distance

1.2. Factors affecting the geometric design of a highway are:

➢ The Design Speed
➢ Stopping Sight Distance
➢ The topography factors.

1.3. The geometric design of the highway is influenced by:

➢ The characteristics of the vehicle
➢ The behavior of the driver
➢ The psychology of the driver Traffic characteristics
➢ Traffic Volume
➢ Traffic Speed

1.4. Other Factors Affecting Geometric Design

Other miscellaneous factors that will affect the geometric design of highways are:
➢ Vehicle
➢ Human
➢ Environment and Economy
➢ Traffic

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Key Words
Design Speed
Design speed refers to the maximum safe speed that can be maintained over a specific
section of roadway or a transportation project under ideal conditions. It's a crucial factor in
engineering and designing roads, highways, railways, and other transportation infrastructure.
Stopping Sight Distance
Stopping sight distance refers to the distance required for a driver to bring their vehicle
to a stop after they've seen an obstacle or hazard on the road ahead.[1]
A wide range of vehicles, varying in size from small to large, present significant considerations
for design factors. Aspects such as axle weight, vehicle dimensions, and specific characteristics
strongly impact design considerations. These considerations encompass the width of the
pavement, required clearances, curved radii, and parking geometry.[2]
To address these diverse needs, a standardized design vehicle is established. This vehicle
possesses defined weight, operational traits, and dimensions. Its purpose is to set parameters
for design, ensuring that designated vehicle types are accommodated appropriately.
Figure 1 illustrates the comprehensive framework of the current study.

Collection of Data

Points Selection for

Design
( PVC, PVT and PVI)

Design of Horizontal
and Vertical Curves

Calculations And
Results

Figure 1. Flow Chart

Page 4 of 11
Problem Statement
Road geometrics play a key role in vehicles' efficient and safe movement. The design of
road geometrics represents the highest economic cost, in addition to the time, effort, and high
cost of providing field surveys and data needed for design and implementation purposes.
Integrating the freely available remotely sensed data and knowledge of geometric design
approaches can solve this problem. Use tools such as Google Earth to retrieve the required data
for setting the horizontal and vertical curves at various sections for the route (kml file attached)
shown in the figure below. The geometric design of the highway should be proposed according
to AASHTO's international standards by assuming a set design speed of 35 miles/h.

Study Area

Figure 2. Study Area

Data Collection
Elevation Profile

Figure 3. Elevation Profile

Page 5 of 11
Vertical Curve Points

Figure 4. Vertical Curve Points

Horizontal Curve

Figure 5. Horizontal Curve

Page 6 of 11
PVC and PVT

Figure 6. PVC and PVT

Length of the whole Highway

Figure 7. Length of Track

Page 7 of 11
Calculations
Horizontal Curve
The following formulas were used for calculation.[3]

Length of curve = PVT - PVC

T = R* tan(θ/2)

L = R(θ)* π/180

Table 1
Horizontal Curve
Curve 1 Curve 2 Curve 3 Curve 4 Curve 5
PVC Station (ft) 100 256.5 516.4 664.2 859.3
PVT Station (ft) 256.5 516.4 664.2 859.3 2122.6
Angle (Deg) 42 74.5 61.3 77.1 84.2
Length 156.5 259.9 147.8 195.1 1263.3
Radius 213.4 199.8 138.1 144.9 859.6
Tangent 81.96 151.9 81.83 115.4 1141.2
Design Speed 35 30 30 35 35

Vertical Curve
The following formulas were used for calculation.[3]

Lm = K*A

A = |G2 – G1|

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 Table 2

Vertical Curve
Curve 1 Curve 2 Curve 3 Curve 4 Curve 5
Curve Type Sag Crest Crest Sag Crest
PVC Station (ft) 100 256.5 516.4 664.2 859.3
PVT Station (ft) 256.5 516.4 664.2 859.3 2122.6
Grade 1 -2.7 2.1 2.6 -0.5 6.6
Grade 2 2.1 -2.6 -0.5 6.6 -3.8
PVC Elevation (ft) 1180 1190 1205 1208 1191
PVT Elevation (ft) 1190 1205 1208 1191 1168
Design Speed 35 35 35 35 35
K 29 49 49 29 49

References
[1] S. Salsabila, A. I. Rifai, and M. Taufik, “THE GEOMETRIC DESIGN OF HORIZONTAL CURVES USING
THE AUTOCAD CIVIL 3D ® METHOD: A CASE STUDY OF TRANS FLORES ROADS ARTICLE INFO
ABSTRACT,” 2023.

[2] T. Oguchi, “Evaluation of Highway Geometric Design and Analysis of Actual Operating Speed,”
2005. [Online]. Available: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228616274

[3] “Principles of Highway Engineering and Traffic Analysis.”

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Appendix

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