Chapt 2

Geometric Design of Highway

Facilities
 geometric design deals with the dimensioning of
the elements of highways, such as vertical and
horizontal curves, cross sections, truck climbing
lanes, bicycle paths, and parking facilities.

 The fundamental objective of geometric design is

to produce a smooth-flowing and safe highway
facility, an objective that only can be achieved by
providing a reliable design standard that satisfies
the characteristics of the driver and the vehicles
that use the road.
 FACTORS INFLUENCING HIGHWAY
DESIGN
 Highway design is based on specified design standards
and controls which depend on the following roadway
system factors:

 Functional classification
 Design hourly traffic volume and vehicle mix
 Design speed
 Design vehicle
 Cross section of the highway, such as lanes, shoulders,
and medians
Presence of heavy vehicles on sudden grades
Topography of the area that the highway pass
through
Level of service
Available funds
Safety
Social and environmental factors
These factors are often interrelated.
For example, design speed depends
on functional classification which is
usually related to expected traffic
volume. The design speed may also
depend on the topography,
particularly in cases where limited
funds are available.
particular highway will be designed are
the level of service to be provided,
expected traffic volume, design speed,
and the design vehicle. These factors,
attached with the basic characteristics of
the driver, vehicle, and road, are used to
determine standards for the geometric
characteristics of the highway, such as
cross sections and horizontal and vertical
alignments
 Highway Functional
Classification

Highways are classified according to their

functions in terms of the service they provide.
The classification system facilitates a systematic
development of highways and the logical
assignment of highway responsibilities among
different authority. Highways and streets are
categorized as rural or urban roads, depending
on the area in which they are located.
This initial classification is necessary
because urban and rural areas have
significantly different characteristics with
respect to the type of land use and
population density, which in turn
influences travel patterns. Within the
classification of urban and rural,
highways are categorized into the
following groups.
 Principal arterials
 Minor arterials
 Major collectors
 Minor collectors
 Local roads and streets
 Freeways are not listed as a separate functional class
since they are generally classified as part of the principal
arterial system. However, they have unique geometric
criteria that require special design consideration
 Urban roads
 Urban roads consist of highway facilities within
urban areas as designated by responsible state and
local officials to include communities with a
population of at least 5000 people. Urban areas are
further subdivided into urbanized areas with
populations of 50,000 or more and small urban
areas with populations between 5000 and 50,000.
Urban roads are functionally classified into
principal arterials, minor arterials, collectors, and
local roads. A schematic of urban functional
classification is illustrated in Figure 15.1 for a
suburban environment.
Urban Principal Arterial System.

This system of highways serves the major

activity centers of the urban area and consists
mainly of the highest-traffic-volume corridors. It
carries a high proportion of the total vehicle-
miles of travel within the urban area including
most trips with an origin or destination within
the urban area. The system also serves trips that
go around the central business districts (CBDs)
of urbanized areas.
 Urban Minor Arterial System
This system serves trips of moderate
length and places more emphasis on land
access than the primary arterial system.
All arterials not classified as primary are
included in this class. Although highways
within this system may serve as local bus
routes and may connect communities
within the urban areas, they do not
normally go through identifiable
neighborhoods.
Urban Collector Street System.
The main purpose of streets within this
system is to collect traffic from local
streets in residential areas or in CBDs and
communicate it to the arterial system.
Thus, collector streets usually go through
residential areas and facilitate traffic
circulation within residential, commercial,
and industrial areas.
Functional System of Rural
Roads
Highway facilities outside urban areas
comprise the rural road system. These
highways are categorized as
principal arterials,
minor arterials,
major collectors,
minor collectors,
and locals.
Rural Principal Arterial System.
This system consists of a network of
highways that serves most of the
expressway trips and a substantial amount
of intrastate trips. Virtually all highway
trips between urbanized areas and a high
percentage of trips between small urban
areas with populations of 25,000 or more
are made on this system..
 Rural Collector System.

Highways within this system carry traffic

primarily within individual counties, and
trip distances are usually shorter than
those on the arterial roads. This system of
roads is subdivided into major collector
roads and minor collector roads.
Rural Major Collector System.

Routes under this system carry traffic

primarily to and from county seats and
large cities that are not directly served by
the arterial system. The system also
carries the main intracounty traffic
Rural Minor Collector System.
This system consists of routes that collect
traffic from local roads and convey it to
other facilities. One important function of
minor collector roads is that they provide
linkage between rural hinterland and
locally important traffic generators such
as small communities.
 Rural Local Road System.
This system consists of all roads within
the rural area not classified within the
other systems. These roads serve trips of
relatively short distances and connect
adjacent lands with the collector roads.
 Highway Design Standards
 Selection of the appropriate set of geometric
design standards is the first step in the design of
any highway. This is essential because no single
set of geometric standards can be used for all
highways. For example, geometric standards
that may be suitable for a scenic mountain road
with low average daily traffic (ADT) are
inadequate for a freeway carrying heavy traffic.
The characteristics of the highway should
therefore be considered in selecting the
geometric design standards.
 Design Hourly Volume
The design hourly volume (DHV) is the
projected hourly volume that is used for
design. This volume is usually taken as a
percentage of the expected ADT on the
highway .
 Design Speed
Design speed is defined as a selected
speed to determine the various geometric
features of the roadway. Design speed
depends on the functional classification of
the highway, the topography of the area in
which the highway is located, and the
land use of the adjacent area. For highway
design, topography is generally classified
into three groups: level, rolling, and
mountainous terrain
 Level terrain is relatively flat. Horizontal and vertical
sight distances are generally long or can be achieved
without much construction difficulty or major expense.

 Rolling terrain has natural slopes that often rise above

and fall below the highway grade with occasional steep
slopes that restrict the normal vertical and horizontal
alignments.

 Mountainous terrain has sudden changes in ground

elevation in both the longitudinal and transverse
directions, thereby requiring frequent hillside
excavations to achieve acceptable horizontal and
vertical alignments.
 Design Vehicle
A design vehicle is selected to represent all
vehicles on the highway. Its weight,
dimensions, and operating characteristics are
used to establish the design standards of the
highway. The vehicle type selected as the
design vehicle is the largest that is likely to use
the highway with considerable frequency. The
selected design vehicle is used to determine
critical design features such as radii at
intersections and turning roadways as well as
highway grades.
 Cross-Section Elements
 The principal elements of a highway cross section
consist of the
 travel lanes,
 shoulders,
 and medians (for some multilane highways).
 median and roadside barriers,
 curb,
 gutter,
 guard rails,
 sidewalks, and side slopes.
 Drainage.
 Width of Travel Lanes.
Travel lane widths usually vary from 9 to
12 ft. Most arterials have 12-ft travel
lanes since the extra cost for constructing
12-ft lanes over 10-ft lanes is usually
offset by the lower maintenance cost for
shoulders and pavement surface, resulting
in a reduction of wheel concentrations at
the pavement edges. On two-lane, two-
way rural roads, lane widths of 10 ft or 11
ft may be used,
 Shoulders.
The shoulder of a pavement cross section
is always nearby with the traveled lane so
as to provide an area along the highway
for vehicles to stop when necessary. In
some cases, bicycles are permitted to use
a highway shoulder particularly on rural
and collector roads. Shoulder surfaces
range in width from 2 ft on minor roads to
12 ft on major arterials.
 Medians.
A median is the section of a divided
highway that separates the lanes in
opposing directions. The width of a
median is the distance between the edges
of the inside lanes, including the median
shoulders. The functions of a median
include.
Providing a recovery area for out-of-control
vehicles
Separating opposing traffic
Providing stopping areas during emergencies
Providing storage areas for left-turning and U-
turning vehicles
Providing refuge for pedestrians
Reducing the effect of headlight glare
Providing temporary lanes and cross-overs
during maintenance operations
 Roadside and Median
Barriers
A median barrier is defined as a longitudinal
system used to prevent an misbehaving vehicle
from crossing the portion of a divided highway
separating the traveled ways for traffic in
opposite directions. Roadside barriers, on the
other hand, protect vehicles from obstacles or
slopes on the roadside. They also may be used to
shield pedestrians and property from the traffic
stream.
 Curbs and Gutters.
Curbs are raised structures made of either
Portland cement concrete or bituminous
concrete (rolled asphalt curbs) that are
used mainly on urban highways to
describe pavement edges and pedestrian
walkways. Curbs are also used to control
drainage, improve aesthetics, and reduce
right of way. Curbs can be generally
classified as either vertical or sloping.
 Gutters
Gutters or drainage ditches are usually
located on the pavement side of a curb to
provide the principal drainage facility for
the highway. They are sloped to prevent
any hazard to traffic, and they usually
have cross slopes of 5 to 8 percent and are
1 to 6 ft wide. Gutters can be designed as
V-type sections or as broad, flat, rounded
sections
 Guard Rails.
 Guard rails are longitudinal barriers placed on
the outside of sharp curves and at sections with
high fills. Their main function is to prevent
vehicles from leaving the roadway. They are
installed at embankments higher than 8 ft and
when shoulder slopes are greater than 4:1.
Shapes commonly used include the W beam
and the box beam. The weak post system
provides for the post to collapse on impact,
with the rail deflecting and absorbing the
energy due to impact.
 Sidewalks.
 Sidewalks are usually provided on roads in
urban areas, but are uncommon in rural areas.
Nevertheless, the provision of sidewalks in
rural areas should be evaluated during the
planning process to determine sections of the
road where they are required. For example,
rural principal arterials may require sidewalks
in areas with high pedestrian concentrations,
such as adjacent to schools, industrial plants,
and local businesses
 The end