College of Engineering Education

BCE 312 – COURSE SYLLABUS

1. Course Number: BCE 312

2. Course Name: Highway and Railroad Engineering
3. Course Description: This course presents the methods and underlying principles for the design and
control of the elements of road and railroad infrastructure. Students also
become familiar with transportation system terminology, flow analysis, driver,
vehicle and road characteristics, and aspects of road geometrics, road
construction, drainage, pavements and maintenance.
4. Pre-requisite: BCE 211/F – Fundamentals of Surveying
5. Co-requisite: None
6. Credit: 3.0 units lecture
7. Class Schedule: 6 lecture hours per week

8. Program Educational Objectives (PEO) of BS Civil Engineering (BSCE) Program:

Three to five years after graduation, the BSCE graduates are expected to:
1. Pursue to be globally competitive through engineering professional’s engagement,
completion of an advanced degree, and/or participating in professional development
programs or trainings.
2. Demonstrate professional success through collaborations and innovations in the field;
addressing technical, environmental, economic, social, political, and/or business challenges.
3. Exhibit professional behavior and attitude in engineering practice.

9. Student Outcomes (SO) of BSCE and their links to PEO

PEO
By the time of graduation, the students of the BSCE program shall have the ability to: 1 2 3
SO a * apply knowledge of mathematics and science to solve complex civil engineering problems;  
SO b design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data;  
design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic
SO c * constraints, in accordance with standards;

SO d function in multidisciplinary and multi-cultural teams;   

SO e * identify, formulate, and solve complex civil engineering problems;   
SO f understand professional and ethical responsibility;   
communicate effectively civil engineering activities with the engineering community and
SO g * with society at large;  

understand the impact of civil engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental,

SO h  
and societal context;
SO i recognize the need for, and engage in life-long learning;  
SO j know contemporary issues;  
use techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for civil engineering
SO k  
practice;
know and understand engineering and management principles as a member and leader
SO l   
of a team in a multidisciplinary environment;

SO m understand at least one specialized field of civil engineering practice.   

Note: * SO being addressed in this course(refer to ANNEX II of the CMO)

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BCE 312 – COURSE SYLLABUS

PROGRAM EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES

VISION: By 2022, a globally recognized institution providing
(PEOs) OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
quality, affordable and open education.
PROGRAM (CE)
MISSION: To provide a dynamic and supportive academic
1. Pursue to be globally competitive
environment through the highest standards of instruction,
through engineering professional’s
research and extension in a non-sectarian institution
engagement, completion of an
committed to democratizing access to education.
advanced degree, and/or
participating in professional
VALUES: Excellence, Honesty and Integrity, Innovation and
development programs or trainings.
Teamwork
2. Demonstrate professional success
CORE COMPETENCY: “Quality affordable open education”
through collaborations and
innovations in the field; addressing
technical, environmental, economic,
social, political, and/or business
challenges.

STUDENT OUTCOMES (SOs) OF CIVIL ENGINEERING PROGRAM 3. Exhibit professional behavior and
(CE) attitude in engineering practice.

a. apply knowledge of mathematics and science to solve

complex civil engineering problems
b. design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze
and interpret data
c. design a system, component, or process to meet desired COURSE OUTCOMES (COs) of BCE 312-
needs within realistic constraints, in accordance with Highway and Railroad Engineering
standards
d. function in multidisciplinary and multi-cultural teams
e. identify, formulate, and solve complex civil engineering
problems CO 1. Recognize the basic concepts of
f. understand professional and ethical responsibility highway and railroad transportation and
g. communicate effectively civil engineering activities with present how to apply them in the civil
the engineering community and with society at large engineering practice.
h. understand the impact of civil engineering solutions in a
global, economic, environmental, and societal context CO 2. Distinguish the concepts associated
i. recognize the need for, and engage in life-long learning with the geometric and structural design
of highway and railway engineering
j. know contemporary issues
systems.
k. use techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools
necessary for civil engineering practice
CO 3. Recognize the basic service
l. know and understand engineering and management requirements of highway and detail the
principles as a member and leader of a team in a procedure to conduct level of service
multidisciplinary environment analysis.
m. understand at least one specialized field of civil
engineering practice CO 4. Develop basic traffic stream
parameters and models, traffic flow
models, and apply the queueing theory.

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BCE 312 – COURSE SYLLABUS

10. Course Outcomes (CO) of CE 530 and their links to SO

Upon completion of the course, the BSCE students are SO
expected to: a b c d E f g h i j k l m
CO 1. Recognize the basic concepts of highway and
railroad transportation and present how to apply E E E E
them in the civil engineering practice.
CO 2. Distinguish the concepts associated with the
geometric and structural design of highway and E E E E
railway engineering systems.
CO 3. Recognize the basic service requirements of highway
E E E E
and the procedure to conduct level of service analysis.
CO 4. Develop basic traffic stream parameters and models,
E E E E
traffic flow models, and apply the queueing theory.
Legend: I = Upon attainment of this CO, students will have been introduced to the SO.
E = Upon attainment of this CO, students will have enabled themselves to attain the SO.
D = Upon attainment of this CO, students will have demonstrated partly or fully the SO.

CO and Assessment Task Alignment

Assessment Task
CO Theory-based Practice-based Assessment Coverage
Schedule
1. Recognize the Multiple Choice - First Exam ➢ Importance of
basic concepts of Questions Transportation
highway and ➢ Highway development and
railroad
Multiple Choice - Final Exam planning
transportation and
present how to Questions ➢ Traffic Engineering
apply them in the ➢ Traffic flow and analysis of
civil engineering roads
practice. ➢ Pavement Materials and
Design

2. Distinguish the Multiple Choice - Second Exam ➢ Design criteria for

concepts Questions (30%) highways and railways
associated with ➢ Geometric design for
the geometric and Problem Set(70%)
highways and railways
structural design Problem Set(30%) - Final Exam
of highway and ➢ Structural design of
railway railways and pavements
engineering ➢ Failures, maintenance and
systems. rehabilitation of
transportation
infrastructure.
➢ Traffic Engineering
➢ Traffic flow and analysis of
roads

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BCE 312 – COURSE SYLLABUS

➢ Pavement Materials and

Design

3. Recognize the Multiple Choice - Third Exam ➢ Structural design of

basic service Questions railways and pavements
requirements of ➢ Failures, maintenance and
highway and the rehabilitation of
procedure to Multiple Choice - Final Exam transportation
conduct level of Questions (20%) infrastructure.
service analysis.
4. Develop basic Project Proposal Final Exam ➢ Importance of
traffic stream (Design) (50%) Transportation
parameters and ➢ Highway development and
models, traffic
planning
flow models, and
apply the queueing ➢ Traffic Engineering
theory. ➢ Traffic flow and analysis of
roads
➢ Pavement Materials and
Design

Assessment Task Details (Theory-based)

Assessment Coverage Assessment Task Details

Schedule
First Exam ➢ Importance of Multiple Choice You are expected to recognize the basic concepts
Transportation Questions and elements of highway and railroad
➢ Highway transportation. You must understand the basis for
transportation, its importance, characteristics and
development
scope to which transportation pervades our daily
and planning lives.

You must also acquire the basic areas in which

transportation engineers work: traffic operations and
management, planning and construction.

Furthermore, you are expected to know the

significance of highway development and planning.
These are some of the specialties in transportation
engineering. You must appreciate the planning
phase which involves the selection of projects for
design and construction. Part of this phase are road
patterns, planning surveys, highway alignment and
surveys. This part is essential which is why you need
to review the basic knowledge in the Fundamentals
of surveying to appreciate the topics.

Scoring System:
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Multiple-choice question with single correct answer

award 100% points for a correct answer and 0
points for an incorrect answer.

Second Exam ➢ Design criteria Multiple Choice You are expected to distinguish the concepts
for highways Questions (50%) associated with the design criteria for highways and
and railways railways. The criteria involved are the driver,
➢ Geometric
pedestrian, vehicle performance and the road
design for
highways and which must be understood properly. As future
railways highway or traffic engineers, you need to study and
understand the fundamental elements that are
important in the design of highways.

Moreover, the most important characteristic of the

driver is the driver response process which consists
of perception, identification, emotion and reaction.
For the road, it has direct relationship with the
driver’s characteristics: the sight distance. Two
types must be known, the stopping sight distance
and the minimum sight distance.

Scoring System:

Multiple-choice question with single correct answer

award 100% points for a correct answer and 0
points for an incorrect answer.

Problem Set (50%) You are expected to demonstrate the process on

how to apply the geometric design for railways and
highways including cross sections, horizontal and
vertical alignments, super-elevation and earthworks.

The design of highways necessitates the

determination of specific design elements, which
include the number of lanes, lane width, median,
curve radii required for vehicle turning, and the
alignment required to provide adequate stopping
and passing sight distances. This also includes the
determination of standard (and maximum) super-
elevations, minimum slope for pavements and
required grades for vertical alignments.

Furthermore, you are expected to focus on the key

elements of highway alignment which are the most
important components of geometric design. The
alignment topic is particularly well-suited for
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demonstrating the effect of vehicle performance

and dimensions on the design of highway.

Scoring System:
Each problem has corresponding points and your
solution will be graded according to the following
criteria: (see attached rubrics)
1. Identify an engineering problem -20%
2. Formulate engineering solutions to a given
problem-40%
3. Apply the best solution to an engineering
problem- 40%

Third Exam ➢ Traffic flow Multiple Choice You are expected to identify the basic service
and analysis of Questions requirements of highway and the procedure to
roads conduct level of service analysis. This analysis assumes
that all the traffic characteristics of the queue are
➢ Level of deterministic and demand volumes & capacities are
service known.
assessment
You are also expected to understand the idea of traffic
analysis which includes a practical method of
quantifying the degree of congestion and to relate this
to the overall performance of the roadway. You must
be able to demonstrate accepted standards for
applied traffic analysis for the three types of flow
roadways: freeways, multilane highways and two-lane
highways.

In addition, you must also learn the basic concepts of

different traffic engineering studies: speed studies,
volume studies, travel time and delays, and parking
studies.

Also, you must recognize the value of the selection of

suitable soils to be used as the foundation for the
highway pavement surface which is the primary
importance in the design and construction in any
highway.

Scoring System:

Multiple-choice question with single correct answer

award 100% points for a correct answer and 0
points for an incorrect answer.

➢ Importance of Multiple Choice You are expected to distinguish the concepts

Fourth Exam Transportation Questions (20%) associated with the structural design of highway
➢ Highway and railway engineering systems.
development
You are also expected to understand that highway
and planning engineering and traffic analysis involve complex

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BCE 312 – COURSE SYLLABUS

➢ Design criteria interaction of economic, social, environmental and

for highways technological factors. These complexities
and railways sometimes lead to challenges (or even failures).
Proper approaches and principles must be applied
➢ Geometric
for the design as well the maintenance &
design for rehabilitation of highways and to assess their
highways and operating performance.
railways
➢ Structural Scoring System:
design of
railways and Multiple-choice question with single correct answer
pavements award 100% points for a correct answer and 0
➢ Failures, points for an incorrect answer.
maintenance
and Problem Set (30%) You are expected to demonstrate the process on
rehabilitation how to design a pavement which basically has two
of types: flexible and rigid pavements. These
transportation pavements must be designed for high-traffic volume
infrastructure. highway facilities subjected to heavy truck traffic.
➢ Traffic flow
For flexible pavement, it basically involves
and analysis of
determining the strength characteristics of the
roads materials of the pavement surface and underlying
➢ Level of materials, and then determining the respective
service thicknesses of subbase and base course. Design
assessment methods for this type of pavement are based
➢ Pavement wholly or partly on theoretical analysis which are
Materials and presented by the AASHTO methods.
Design
The basic design principles for rigid highway
pavements are also available in the AASHTO
methods. For its thickness design, flexural strength
is an important factor which is why it must be
properly attained for it has a beam-like action
across minor irregularities in the underlying
material.

For both types of pavements, calculated thicknesses

should be adequate to prevent excessive cracking
and permanent deformation beyond certain limits.

Scoring System:
Each problem has corresponding points and your
solution will be graded according to the following
criteria: (see attached rubrics)
1. Identify an engineering problem -20%
2. Formulate engineering solutions to a given
problem-40%
3. Apply the best solution to an engineering
problem- 40%

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Assessment Task Details (Practice/Performance-based)

Assessment Coverage Assessment Task Details

Schedule
Final Exam ➢ Importance of Project Proposal • In this task, you are required to submit
Transportation (50%) Geometric Design Calculations.
➢ Highway development • You will presume the role of a civil
and planning engineer designing a highway from a
given contour map using the AASHTO
➢ Design criteria for
and DPWH Specifications.
highways and railways • A road is proposed to connect two
➢ Geometric design for points S (Start) and E (End). The road
highways and railways will be located in an area whose
➢ Structural design of topographical area are shown in the
railways and map given. Contour number should be
pavements strictly followed; however you may
➢ Failures, maintenance assume or add closer contour lines to
and rehabilitation of practically draw the proposed road
transportation plan. The load is expected to carry an
average daily traffic assigned to you.
infrastructure.
Follow the Design Standards for
➢ Traffic flow and Philippine National Highways as to the
analysis of roads values of the design speed, radius of
➢ Level of service the curve, super-elevation, grade and
assessment sight distances.
Pavement Materials • You need to develop and provide
and Design appropriate construction drawings
printed in a 20 x 30 tracing paper that
would satisfy the following
requirements:
1. Cross-sections and slopes as per
DPWH standards
2. Minimum of two vertical and
horizontal (spiral-easement)
curves.
3. Show all computations in an A4 size
book paper( Font type: Cambria,
Font size: 12, 1.5 spacing)
4. Draw to scale the following:
a. Road Plan 1:1000
b. Profile and centerline of
ground surface and the road
1:1000
c. Relative profiles of the
pavement edges with respect
to centerline, Horizontal
1:1000, vertical as desired
d. Cross sections at stations 1:200
e. Mass diagram; horizontal
1:1000, vertical as desired

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• You will be graded according to the

following criteria (see rubric attached):
1. Project on Time and Adequacy
(10 points)
2. Defense Presentation and Output
➢ Project Presentation (30
points)
➢ Project Output (30 points)
Design Computation (30 points)

11. COURSE OUTLINE AND TIME FRAME

TIME FRAME TOPICS TLA REQUIRED READINGS

Week 1 • Orientation (UM VMG, CEE PEO, • Discussion
Grading System)

➢ Policies & Guidelines

Overview of the Course.
• Lecture
• Oral Presentation
• Group Dynamics

Week 2 ➢ Importance of Transportation

To • Different modes of transportation • Lecture Garber, Nicholas; & Hoel,
Week 3 • Characteristics of road transport • Discussion Lester. 2015. Highway and
• Oral Presentation Traffic Engineering, 5th Edition.
• Scope of highway engineering
Brookes/Cole Publishing
➢ Highway development and planning
• Classification of roads Part 1
• Road patterns
• Planning surveys
• Highway alignment and surveys

FIRST EXAMINATION
Week 4
to • Lecture Mannering Fred, Washburn
Week 5 ➢ Geometric design for highways and • Discussion Scott, Kilaresky Walter. 2016.
railways • Oral Presentation Principles of Highway
• Group Dynamics
• Including cross sections, horizontal Engineering & Traffic Analysis,
• Video Presentation
and vertical alignments 6th Edition. Muze Inc.
• Super-elevation and earthworks
Chapter 3

SECOND EXAMINATION
Week 6 to • Lecture
Week 7 ➢ Traffic Engineering • Discussion Wright, Paul H. 2003. Highway
• Traffic characteristics • Oral Presentation Engineering, 7th Edition. Wiley
• Traffic studies-speed • Group Dynamics & Sons.
• Volume, speed and delay • Video Presentation
• Origin-destination
• Parking and accident studies

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• Capacity of urban roads and

highways
• Traffic operations regulation and
control
• Design of intersections-at grade and
grade separated
➢ Traffic flow and analysis of roads
• Including queueing analysis
• Level of service assessment

THIRD EXAMINATION

Week 8 to
Week 9 • Lecture Mannering Fred, Washburn
➢ Pavement Materials and Design • Discussion Scott, Kilaresky Walter. 2016.
• Specifications and tests on • Oral Presentation Principles of Highway
pavement materials • Group Dynamics Engineering & Traffic Analysis,
• Video Presentation
• Pavement design factors 6th Edition. Muze Inc.
• Design of flexible and rigid
pavements as per IRC.

➢ Structural design of railways and

pavements

➢ Failures, maintenance and

rehabilitation of transportation
infrastructure.
Garber, Nicholas; & Hoel, Lester.
2015. Highway and Traffic
Engineering, 5th Edition.
Brookes/Cole Publishing

FOURTH EXAMINATION

12. TEXTBOOK : Mannering Fred, Washburn Scott, Kilaresky Walter. 2016. Principles of Highway Engineering &
Traffic Analysis, 6th Edition. Muze Inc.

REFERENCES
a. Wright, Paul H. 2003. Highway Engineering. Wiley & Sons.
b. Garber, Nicholas; & Hoel, Lester. 2015. Highway and Traffic Engineering, 5th Edition. Brookes/Cole
Publishing
c. Fajardo, Max Jr. B., Elements of Roads and Highways, Second Edition, 5138 Merchandising Publisher,
Manila 1998.
d. Department of Public Works and Highways. 1995. Standard Specification for Public Works and
Highways (Volume II – Standard Specification for Highways, Bridges and Airports), DPWH, Office of
the Secretary, Bonifacio Drive, Port Area, Manila.
e. Hay, W.W. 1982. Railroad Engineering, 2nd Edition. Wiley.
f. Armstong J.H. 2008. The Railroad: What It Is, What It Does, 5th Edition.

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BCE 312 – COURSE SYLLABUS

13. COURSE EVALUATION

Assessment methods Weights
I. LECTURE 60%
A. Exam 1 10%
B. Exam 2 10%
C. Exam 3 10%
D. Exam 4 30%
40%
E. Quizzes 15%
F. Assignments/Plates 10%
G. Board Work/oral recitation/Seatwork 15%
100%

14. POLICIES AND GUIDELINES.

a. Attendance is counted from the first regular class meeting.
b. A validated student identification card must always be worn by all students while attending classes.
c. Cheating is strictly prohibited. Any form of dishonesty shall be dealt with accordingly. Honesty is
called for at all times.
d. Valid examination permits are necessary in taking the examinations as scheduled. CELLULAR
PHONES or any ELECTRONIC GADGETS and PRESCRIBED PRC CALCULATORS are NOT allowed during
EXAMINATIONS.
e. Base-15 grading policy should be observed. Students who obtained failing scores in major exams
are recommended to attend the tutorial class.
f. The policies and guidelines from existing relevant operational procedures manual (OPM) instituted
by the university shall always be adhered.

Prepared by: Reviewed by:

ABO YASSER L. MANALINDO, RCE, RMP SHOWNA LEE T. SALES, RCE, RMP, ME1
ALFONSE IRENEO ESTIBAL, RCE BSCE, Program Head
Faculty

References reviewed by:

BRIGIDA E. BACANI, MAEd-LS

Head-LIC

Recommending approval:

CHARLITO L. CAÑESARES, DEng-ME

Dean, College of Engineering Education

Approved by:

PEDRITO M. CASTILLO II, Ed. D

AVP-Learning Innovation and Design

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