Unit 8[3]
Design of Highway Intersections
Equations for determining capacities and delays
Content
Highway Intersections
Major/minor priority intersections
Equations for determining capacities and delays
Equations for determining capacities and delays
Introduction
Once the flows to be analysed have been determined and a generally appropriate geometric layout has been
settled on, it is then necessary to establish the capacity of each traffic movement through the priority junction.,
In each case, it is mainly dependent on two factors:
The quantity of traffic in the conflicting and merging traffic movements
General geometric properties of the junction
The traffic flows relevant to the determination of these capacities are shown in Fig.
Figure Relevant flows for determining capacity of major movements through priority intersections.
Equations for determining capacities and delays
The following equations are used
The stream capacities and flows are measured in passenger car units per hour.
The geometric characteristics of the junction, represented in above Equations by D, E and F and specific to
each opposed traffic stream, are represented as:
Equations for determining capacities and delays
Parameters:
m = Stream capacity
qab = Measured flow of stream a-b
qac = Measured flow of stream a-c
qca = Measured flow of stream c-a
qcb = Measured flow of stream c-b
wba = Average lane width over a distance of 20m available to waiting vehicles in the stream b-a, metres
wbc = Average lane width over a distance of 20m available to waiting vehicles in the stream b-c, metres
wcb = Average lane width available to waiting vehicles in the stream c-b, metres
Vrba = Visibility to the right from a point 10 m back from the give-way line for vehicles making the b-a manoeuvre,
metres
Vlba = Visibility to the left from a point 10 m back from the give-way line for vehicles making the b-a manoeuvre,
metres
Vrbc = Visibility to the right from a point 10 m back from the give-way line for
vehicles making the b-c manoeuvre, metres
Vrcb = Visibility to the right, along the major road for traffic crossing traffic performing
the c-b manoeuvre, metres
Wcr = Width of the central reserve (only for dual carriageways), metres
Y = (1 - 0.0345W)
W = Total major road carriageway width, metres
Equations for determining capacities and delays
Parameters:
The determination of queue lengths and delays is of central importance to assessing the adequacy of a
junction.
When actual entry flows are less than capacity, delays and queue sizes can be forecast using the steady
state approach.
With this method, as demand reaches capacity, delays and therefore queue lengths tend towards
infinity.
The steady state result for the average queue length L is:
where
C is a constant depending on the arrival and service patterns;
For regular vehicle arrivals C = 0, for random arrivals C = 1.
In the interests of simplicity, the latter case is assumed.
Therefore, above Equation can be simplified as: In reality, this is not the case with queue
lengths where the ratio of flow to capacity
reaches unity.
Thus, at or near capacity, steady state theory
over estimates delays/queues.
Equations for determining capacities and delays
Deterministic approach
The number of vehicles delayed depends on the difference between capacity and demand.
It does not take into account the statistical nature of vehicle arrivals and departures and seriously
underestimates delay, setting it at zero when demand is less than or equal to capacity.
Queue length Delay per arriving vehicle
Parameters:
Delay per unit time
Equations for determining capacities and delays
Examples
Example 1 – Computing capacities, queue lengths and delays at a priority intersection
Figure indicates a set of design reference flows for the evening peak hour at a proposed urban-based
priority intersection. All flows are in passenger car units per hour.
Geometric parameters:
The width of the major carriageway (W) is 9.5m.
The lane widths for traffic exiting the minor road
turning both left and right
(wba, wbc) are 2.5m.
The lane width on the major road for traffic waiting
to turn right onto the
minor road (wcb), is 2.2m.
Visibility to the right and left for traffic exiting the
Figure Design reference flows at priority intersection. minor road turning right
(Vrba, Vlba) is 30m and 50m respectively.
Estimate the ratio of flow to capacity for each of the Visibility to the right for traffic exiting the minor road
opposed movements and, for the one with the highest turning left (Vrbc) is 30m.
ratio, estimate the average queue length and delay per Visibility to the right for traffic exiting the major road,
vehicle during the peak hour. turning right onto the minor road (Vrcb) is 50m.
Equations for determining capacities and delays
Example 1 – Computing capacities, queue lengths and delays at a priority intersection
When using Equations given below for estimating the ratios of flow to capacity for the various opposed
turning movements, the design reference flows shown in Fig. should be multiplied by 1.125 in order to
allow for short-term variations in the traffic flow.
Equations for determining capacities and delays
Example 1 – Computing capacities, queue lengths and delays at a priority intersection
Equations for determining capacities and delays
Example 1 – Computing capacities, queue lengths and delays at a priority intersection
Ratios of flow to capacity (RFC):
For the most critical movement (traffic exiting onto the major road, turning right) the ratio is just below the
maximum allowed in urban areas of 0.85.
The maximum reduces to 0.75 in rural areas.
Table. RFCs for opposed flow movements
Equations for determining capacities and delays
Example 1 – Computing capacities, queue lengths and delays at a priority intersection
Total delay during peak hour
Equations for determining capacities and delays
Example 1 – Computing capacities, queue lengths and delays at a priority intersection
Delay per arriving vehicle (excluding delay at stop-line)
Thus, the average delay per vehicle is 1.3 minutes, with a queue length of five vehicles.
