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Introduction To Highway Engineering: 1. Importance of Transportation

This document discusses the importance of transportation and provides an introduction to different modes of transportation, including highways. It covers the history of road development from early Mesopotamian roads to modern French and British road construction techniques. The four major modes of transportation are described as road, rail, water, and air. Road transportation is the most flexible but has limitations for long-distance cargo. The document outlines social and economic impacts of transportation as well as learning objectives.

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Francis Aguisanda
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© © All Rights Reserved
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358 views

Introduction To Highway Engineering: 1. Importance of Transportation

This document discusses the importance of transportation and provides an introduction to different modes of transportation, including highways. It covers the history of road development from early Mesopotamian roads to modern French and British road construction techniques. The four major modes of transportation are described as road, rail, water, and air. Road transportation is the most flexible but has limitations for long-distance cargo. The document outlines social and economic impacts of transportation as well as learning objectives.

Uploaded by

Francis Aguisanda
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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INTRODUCTION TO HIGHWAY ENGINEERING

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

1. To discuss the importance of transportation.


2. To define the different mode of transportation and its use.

INTRODUCTION:

Transportation is essential for a nation’s development and growth.


Transportation has promoted trade, business, conquest, and social interaction for
as long as the human race has existed, while also taking a tremendous amount
of time and resources. The primary need for transportation has been economic,
involving personal travel in search of food or work, travel for the exchange of
goods and commodities, exploration, personal fulfillment, and the improvement
of a society or a nation.

1. IMPORTANCE OF TRANSPORTATION

The ability to access natural resources and markets, as well as preserve a


competitive advantage over other regions and countries, is inextricably related
to the quality of the transportation system. The speed, cost, and capacity of
available transportation have a substantial impact on an area's economic
vibrancy and ability to utilize its natural resources to their full potential.

• Transportation and Economic Growth

For a society to develop and grow, it must have a strong internal transportation
system consisting of good roads, rail systems, as well as excellent linkages to the
rest of the world by sea and air. Thus, transportation demand is a byproduct
derived from the needs and desires of people to travel or to transfer their goods
from one place to another. It is a necessary condition for human interaction and
economic competitiveness.
Good transportation;

1. Permits specialization of industry or commerce


2. Reduce costs for raw materials or manufactured goods
3. Increases competition between regions

• Social Costs and Benefits of Transportation

The improvement of a region’s economic position with the use of a good


transportation requires enormous resources of energy, material, and land.

Other negative effects of transportation:

1. Risk in travelling
2. Noise
3. spoil the natural beauty of an area
4. change the environment
5. pollute air and water
6. Consume energy resources.

Society has indicated a willingness to accept some risk and changes to the
natural environment in order to gain the advantages that result from constructing
new transportation systems. Society also values many social benefits brought
about by good transportation. Providing medical and other services to rural areas
and enabling people to socialize who live some distance apart are just a few
examples of the benefits that transportation provides.

2. MODES OF TRANSPORTATION

The Four Major mode of transportation are:


1. Road Ways
2. Rail Ways
3. Water Ways
4. Air Ways
1. Road Ways:
Roads are the means that connect one place to another on the surface of
the land. The transportation by road is the only mode that could give maximum
service to all. This mode has also maximum flexibility for travel with reference to
route, direction, time and speed of travel etc. through any mode of vehicle. It is
possible to provide door to door service only road transport.
3 Types of Road Transport

i. Man driven
ii. Animal driven
iii. Motor driven

Limitations of Road transport


• Due to limited carrying capacity road transport is not economical for long
distance transportation of goods.
• Transportation of heavy goods or goods in bulk by road involves high cost. It is
affected by adverse weather conditions. Floods, rain, landslide, etc.,
sometimes create obstructions to road transport.

2. Rail Ways:
The transportation along the railway track advantages by railways between
the stations both for the passengers and goods, particularly longer distances.
These railway tracks could serve as feeder system for transportation to interior
parts and to intermediate localities between the railway stations. The Energy
requirement to haul unit load through unit distance by the railway is only fraction
of the required road. Therefore full advantage of this mode should be taken for
the transportation of bulk goods along land where the railway facilities are
available. Used by the Trains for Traveling and Transportation purpose.

3. Water Ways:

Water transport refers to movement of goods and passengers on waterways


by using various means like boats, steamers, ships, etc. Transportation by water is
slowest among the four modes; but this mode needs minimum energy to haul unit
load through unit distance. The transportation by water is possible between the
ports on the sea routes or along the rivers and canals where land transportation
facilities are included.
Limitations of water transport:
• The depth and navigability of rivers and canals vary and thus, affect
operations of different transport vessels.
• It is a slow moving mode of transport and therefore not suitable for transport
of perishable goods.
• It is adversely affected by weather conditions.
• Sea transport requires large investment on ships and their maintenance.

4. Air Ways:
The transportation by air is the fastest among four modes. Air Travel also
provides more comfort apart from saving in transportation time for the passengers
and the goods between the airports.

Airways, waterways and railways have to depend on transportation of roads


for the service to and from their respective terminals, airport, harbors or stations.
The road network is therefore needed not only to serve as feeder system for other
modes of transportation and to supplement them, but also to provide
independent facility for road travel by a well-planned network of roads
throughout the country.
HIGHWAY DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING

HISTORY OF ROADS
Early roads with hard surfaces were found in the land of Mesopotamia. These roads
were constructed as early as 3,500 BC. Another stone surface roads were also found in
the Mediterranean island of Crete, similarly constructed as those in the Western
Hemisphere by the Mayans, Aztecs and the Incas of Central South America.

Purposes of the early Roads:

• For the movement of armies in their conquest and for defense against invasion.
• For transport of food and trade of goods between neighboring towns and cities.

THE ROMANS
The Romans, who discovered cement, expanded their vast empire through extensive
road networks radiating in many directions from the capital city of Rome. Many of the
roads built by the Romans still exist even after 2,000 years.

Roman Roads were laid on three courses:

1. A layer of small broken stones.


2. Followed by layer of small stones mixed with mortar and then compacted firmly.
3. Wearing course of massive stone blocks properly set and bedded with cement
mortar.

Main Features of Roman Roads

1. They were built straight regardless of gradients.


2. Roman roads were built after the soft soil was removed and hard stratum was
reached.
3. The total thickness of the construction was as high as 0.75 to 1.2 meters at some
places even though the magnitude of wheel loads of animal drawn vehicles was
very low.
4. The wearing course consisted of dressed large stone-blocks set in lime mortar.
FRENCH ROADS
Jerome Tresaguet (1716-1796)

• A French Engineer which introduced new methods of construction and maintenance


of stone roads.
• He improved the crown, the drainage, and the grade of the road, including the stone
foundation by reducing the depth of broken stones to 25 centimeters.
• Made it possible for Napoleon to build the massive highways of France.
• “Father of modern road building”

Main Features of French roads:

1. Thickness of construction was 25 cm


2. Subgrade prepared by hand laying large foundation stones
3. Submerged kerb stones were given
4. Broken stone were filled at the center and compacted
5. Top wearing course was smaller stones for 5cm at edge and increasing at center.
6. Slope 1 in 45 was provided for drainage
7. Shoulders with cross drain

BRITISH ROADS
Thomas Telford (1757-1834)

• President and founder of the Institute of Civil Engineer


• Introduced some improvements in the construction methods of Jerome Tresaguet
• The road foundation course of Telford was made of stones having 3 inches minimum
thickness. 5 inches breadth and 7 inches height.
• Smaller stones were driven by mauls on top voids and trued the surfaces by breaking
the projecting points.
• Telford employed a flat sub-grade, providing slight crown using stones of varying sizes.
John Louden Mac Adam (1755-1836)

• another famous Scottish Engineer road builder and contemporary of Telford


• Subgrade drainage was important
• Heavy foundation was not necessary
• Cross slope 1 in 36
• Total thickness is 25cm
• Uniform thickness for subbase and base course

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