Horizontal Alignment

Martha Leni Siregar

DTSL - FTUI
Roadway geometric design consists of the following fundamental three-dimensional features:

• Vertical alignment - grades and vertical curves

• Horizontal alignment - tangents and curves
• Cross section - lanes and shoulders, curbs, medians, roadside slopes and ditches, sidewalks

The fundamental objective of good geometric design will remain as it has always been;
to produce a roadway that is safe, efficient, reasonably economic and sensitive to
conflicting concerns.
Why need a horizontal curve?
The roadway horizontal alignment
• is a series of horizontal tangents (straight roadway sections),
circular curves, and spiral transitions.

• shows the proposed roadway location in relation to the existing

terrain and adjacent land conditions.

• Horisontal curve is necessary for change in direction when a

direct point of intersection is not feasible
Types of Curves

• Simple Curve
• Compound Curve
• Reverse Curve
• Spiral Curve
 R = Radius
Full Circle Curve PC = Point of Curvature (point at which the curve begins)
PT = Point of Tangent (point at which the curve ends)
PI = Point of Intersection (point at which the two tangents
intersect)
T = Tangent Length (distance from PC to PI or PI to PT)
LC = Long Chord Length (straight line between PC and PT)
L = Curve Length (distance from PC to PT measured
along the curve)
M = Middle Ordinate (distance from midpoint of LC to
mid point of the curve)
E = External Distance (distance from vertex to curve)
∆ = Deflection Angle (change in direction of two tangents)
Curve with Transition
Transition curves are used to connect tangents to circular
curves. Several forms of curve have been used for this
purpose. The most logical choice from a theoretical
standpoint, and the only one discussed here, is the clothoid
spiral, for which the radius of curvature varies as the inverse
of the distance along the curve from its beginning.

Critical points in moving through the curve are the tangent

to spiral point (TS), the spiral to curve point (SC), the curve
to spiral point (CS), and the spiral to tangent point (ST).

The effect of using the spirals is to shift the circular portion

of the curve inwards, so that it no longer fits to the original
tangents.
It now fits to what are called offset tangents, which are
shifted in by a distance p, measured perpendicular from
the original tangents.
• the spiral is defined as the curve such that the reciprocal of the radius varies linearly from zero at the TS to
1/Rc at the SC,

The spiral angle is given by:

Transitional curve equation for x and y:

Other measurements:
Sight distance on horizontal curves
Horizontal alignment consideration

Radius
Design Speed
Side Friction Factor
Superelevation
Runoff
Runout
Design Consideration

Safe
Economically Practical
For the most part, Design Speed is used as the overall design control
Radius
Superelevation
Super elevation is tilting the roadway to help offset centripetal forces developed as the vehicle goes around
a curve.

Along with friction, they are what keeps a vehicle from going off the road.

Must be done gradually over a distance without noticeable reduction in speed or safety
Methods of Attaining Superelevation

• Revolve traveled way with normal cross slopes about the centerline profile
• Revolve traveled way with normal cross slope about the inside-edge profile
• Revolve traveled way with normal cross slope about the outside-edge profile
• Revolve traveled way with straight cross
• slope about the outside edge profile
 SuperelevationTransitions

• Consists of Runoff and Tangent Runout sections

• Runoff: length of roadway needed to accomplish a change in outside
lane cross slope from zero to full
• Runout: length of roadway needed to accomplish a change in outside
lane cross slope from normal rate to zero
Runoff
• For appearance and comfort, the length of superelevation runoff should be based on a maximum
acceptable difference between the longitudinal grades of the axis of rotation and the edge of pavement
• Proper runoff design can be attained through the exclusive use of the maximum relative gradient.
• Locating a portion of the runoff on the tangent, in advance of the PC, is preferable, since this tends to
minimize the peak lateral acceleration and resulting side friction demand.
• For non-spiral curves places 2/3of the runoff on the tangent, and 1/3 of the runoff on the curve.

Runout
• Determined by the amount of adverse cross slope to be removed and the rate at which is removed.
• To effect a smooth edge of pavement profile, the rate of removal should equal the relative gradient used to
define the superelevation runoff length
Minimum Radius

• Minimum Radius and Design Speeds are the common limiting values of curvature determined from max rate
of superelevation and max side friction factor
Rmin-Superelevation-Friction

W p + F f = Fcp
F f = f s (Wn + Fcn )
WV 2 WV 2
W sin  + f s (W cos  + sin  ) = cos 
gRv gRv
V2
tg + f s = (1 − f s tg )
gRv
V2
Rv =
g ( f s + e)

e = tg
Minimum Radius and Design Speeds are the common limiting values of curvature determined from
max rate of superelevation and max side friction factor

fmax = maximum side friction

emax = maximum rate of roadway superelevation (percent)
NORMAL CROSS SLOPE

• Roadway drainage determines the minimum rate of cross slope for the traveled way.
• Acceptable minimum cross slope values range from 1.5 to 2.0 percent (with 2.0 typically used for paved,
uncurbed pavements) depending on the roadway type and weather conditions.
MAXIMUM SUPERELEVATION RATES

• No single maximum superelevation rate is universally applicable. In order to promote design consistency, a
maximum rate is desirable for locations with similar characteristics (land usage, climate, etc.).
• This uniformity encompasses the roadway’s alignment as well as its associated design elements and driver
expectations.
• Consistent designs are associated with lower workloads and crash frequencies.
Controls for Maximum Superelevation

• Climate (amount of precipitation)

• Terrain (flat, rolling, or mountainous)
• Area type (rural or urban)
• Slow-moving vehicles (frequency)

Eight percent (8%) is considered to be a reasonable maximum superelevation rate.

The highest superelevation rate for highways is typically 10 percent;
Rates greater than 12% are considered beyond practical limits but may be used in some cases (i.e. low-
volume gravel roads for cross drainage).