Horizontal Curve Setting: MD Aftabuzzaman, PHD

HORIZONTAL CURVE SETTING
Md Aftabuzzaman, PhD
Introduction
• A horizontal curve in a roadway refers to the alignment , or how
‘straight’ the roadway section is.
• The operating characteristics of drivers and motor vehicles place
the greatest constraints on curvature.
• Generally, incorporating a bend in a roadway segment that
satisfies the design criteria for a motor vehicle will also be likely
to satisfy design criteria for pedestrians and bicyclists.
• The goal of the designer in the layout is to convey road users
between their point of origin and their point of destination along a
path in a safe and efficient manner that is compatible with the
environment and the users’ operational characteristics.
Introduction
• Roadways must respect the existing and developed environment
through which they pass while balancing the needs for safety and
cost effectiveness.
• As a result, roadways are not always flat and straight – they
possess vertical and horizontal curves in their alignments to
circumvent or be compatible with existing constraints.
• Alignment constraints typically include:
 topographical variation
 natural resource areas
 property ownership
 land use
 cost
 environment
Introduction
• Good alignment design is critical in the effort to balance the
needs and safety of the road user with the value of preserving the
integrity of the environment.
• The designer must use engineering judgment applied to a variety
of factors to develop effectiveness and efficient geometry in three
dimensions.
Introduction
Factors to consider in horizontal curves are:
• compatibility between existing and proposed conditions
• topographical / terrain variations
• vehicle characteristics
• driver limitations
• design speed
• line of sight
• roadway cross section
• radius of curve
• superelevation (or banking)
• length of curve
• tangent-to-curve-transition
• profile
• drainage considerations
• cost
Simple Highway Curves
• Two basic curves are used for connecting straight (tangent)

roadway sections in geometric design:
• A simple circular curve for horizontal alignment and a simple
parabolic curve for vertical alignment.
• Other options include spirals, compound curves, and reverse
circular curves for horizontal alignment.
• Unsymmetrical curves and reverse parabolic curves for vertical
alignment.
• Details on the geometry of these curves can be found in Meyer
and Gibson [1980].
Curve Geometry
A, B and C are three points on

the circumference of a circle.

AB   2  R  R  radians
360

AC   2  R  R  radians
360
Curve Geometry
Lines ABC and ADE are tangents to the

circle at B & D respectively. Therefore,
AB = AD and angles ABO = ADO = 90ο
• Opposite angles of a cyclic quadrilateral ABOD are

supplementary, therefore, Angles ABO + ODA = 180ο
• The external angle of a cyclic quadrilateral equals the internal
opposite angle, therefore, Angle FAD = angle BOD = θ
• Join OA, the perpendicular bisector of chord BD. Angle OGB
is a right angle and hence, angle BOG = θ/2 = angle OHB +
OBH
Simple Horizontal Curves
A circular curve connecting two straights or tangents.

R = Radius of the circular curve (measure of the curve tightness)
PI = Intersection point (the point at which the two straights join
PC & PT = tangent points (at which the straight and the circular
curve join.
I = Intersection angle (deviation / deflection angle)
T = Tangent distance
E = Secant distance or external distance
L = Circular curve length from PC to PT
M = Middle ordinate
C = chord length subtended by an angle I degrees 
A = Arc length subtended by an angle θ degrees = 180  R
D = degree of curvature (in degrees) – defined as the angle
subtended by a 30.5 m (100 ft) length of a circular curve.
5490
D = (I) = where R in meters
R
Angle PI PC O = Angle PI PT O = 90ο

Therefore O PC PI PT – is a Cyclic Quadrilateral
L (length of the curve) = R I
T I I
 tan  T (Tangent length )  R tan
R 2 2
C
Chord length (C) 2 sin I  C 2 R sin I
R 2 2
Major offset M = R – midpoint of the chord C

= R – R cos I/2 = R ( 1 – cos I/2)
External distance E = O PI – R
R I I
 cos  O PI  R sec
O PI 2 2
E = R sec I/2 – R = R ( sec I/2 – 1)

Centripetal Force
Speed stays constant, but velocity R v

changing constantly as the direction
changes.
Velocity is changing due to
Centripetal ( centre seeking) force.
Uniform circular motion

Centripetal Force and Acceleration
ac = Δv/ Δ t
Newton’s 2nd Law
W
Fc  m a c  ac
g
v2
W v2
Fc 
ac Rg
ac
ac W = weight of the body
v1 v = linear velocity
ac g = gravitational acceleration
R = radius of the circular path
ac
ac = Centripetal acceleration
Fc = Centripetal force
ac = v2/R (R is radius of curve)
Centripetal Force - Observations
• For a car at a curve the centripetal force is provided by the

friction force between the road and tyres.
• The force is reduced when the road is wet or icy.
• The centripetal force on an object is always perpendicular to
the object’s velocity, hence, the centripetal force never does
work on the object and no energy is transformed.
• “Centrifugal force” is a fictitious force - the inertia of the
object is wrongly attributed to the action of the fictitious
force.
Centripetal Force - Observations
For a car at a curve the centripetal force is provided by the

friction force between the road and tyres.
R
W
F
N ( ground reaction ) W
N
F ( friction )  f W
F is the centripeta l force Fc
W v2
f W 
Rg
v2
f R
g
Superelevation of a roadway
R
 W N
Force along the slope,

= F + W sin θ
= f N + W sin θ where, (N = W cos θ)
= W (f cos θ + sin θ)
Component of the centripetal force along the slope = FC cos θ

FC cos θ = W (f cos θ + sin θ)
 W N
W v 2 cos 
W  f cos   sin  
Rg
v2
R  f  tan  
g
v2
g
R
 f  tan  
R
e
e 
tan   e 1
1 
v2
R    e 
g
2
 1000 
2
2 V  
v  3600 
R 
g  f  e g  f  e
V2
R
127  e  f 
v2 V2
e  f    where v (m / s ), V (km / h) and R (m)
g R 127 R
RADIUS CALCULATION
v2 V2
R 
g  e  f  127  e  f 
v2 V2
e  f    where v (m / s ), V (km / h) and R (m)
g R 127 R
R min  correspond s  to  max  value  of  e  and  f .
Key steps in the design of horizontal curves
• determining maximum superelevation rate, e
• determining vehicle speed
• setting a maximum side friction factor value
• calculating the minimum radius for the horizontal curve;
values of R (minimum radius) to satisfy the above equation
as long as the e value falls within desirable or maximum
values. (Iterate and test several radii until you are satisfied
with your design) (see Table 2.1 below).
• ensuring the stopping sight distance is achieved throughout
the length of the curve
• designing the transition segments.
Calculating the minimum radius for a horizontal curve is based

on three factors:
 the design speed
 The superelevation
 side-friction factor.
The minimum radius serves not only as a constraint on the
geometric design of the roadway, but also as a starting point
from which a more refined curve design can be produced.
The maximum achievable centripetal force is obtained when

the superelevation rate of the road is at its maximum practical
value, and the side-friction factor is at its maximum value as
well.
Any increase in the radius of the curve beyond this minimum
radius will allow you to reduce the side-friction factor, the
superelevation rate, or both.
Using the equations for circular motion, friction, and inclined
plane relationships we can derive an expression for minimum
radius:
This equation allows the engineer to calculate the minimum

radius for a horizontal curve based on the design speed, the
superelevation rate, and the side friction factor.
On steep down grades, the minimum curve radius from the

previous slide should be increased by 10% for each 1%
increase in grade over 3%.
Superelevation
Maximum Superelevation Rates
• High rate of superelevation may cause slow moving vehicles to
slide down the banking in snow and ice.
• High superelevation rates can be difficult to attain in urban
settings due to closely spaced intersections, numerous
driveways, and limited right of way.
• Maximum superelevation rates are chosen to limit the adverse
effects of superelevation.
Maximum superelevation rates that are commonly used are:
 5% for urban areas
 6% for high speed rural areas
 7% for intermediate speed rural roads of 80 to 100 km/h
 10% for low speed rural roads and where there are vehicles
with high centres of gravity.
• As a general rule superelevation rates relate directly to the
operating speed as shown in Table 7.7
Factors to consider when selecting superelevation values are:

 safety
 appearance , particularly in flat terrain and urban areas
 a tendency for slow moving vehicles to move towards the
inside of a curve
 a longitudinal grade
 operating speed
 drainage controls
 the presence of intersections and access points.
Minimum Radii of Horizontal Curves
Horizontal curves - Design Iterations
In many ways, horizontal alignment is an art form.
The goal is to produce a horizontal curve that is
comfortable and safe to use.
Also cost efficient and aesthetically pleasing.
The first step is to calculate the radius of the horizontal curve.
We can calculate the radius for any combination of
superelevation and side-friction factors using:
Horizontal curves - Design Iterations
For an acceptable design;

• the curve should be above the minimum radius
• the superelevation should not exceed the practical values
• the side-friction factor within reasonable limit
Designer probably need to test several curve radii before
selecting the final design.
While iterating, consider other factors: the cost, environmental
impacts, sight distances and, the aesthetic.
Most surveying books contain a complete chapter on the layout
of horizontal curves.
Side Friction (Lateral Friction)
The side-friction factor is simply the coefficient of friction
between the design vehicle's tyres and the roadway.
The friction factor varies because of:
• variations between tyres the vehicle's centre of gravity
• difference between suspension systems
• condition of pavement (wet or dry pavement)
• type of pavement surface (sealed or unsealed road surface)
• high cross winds
• speed of the vehicle
• type and condition of the vehicle’s tyres; e.g. tyre wear.
Side Friction (Lateral Friction)
Since the friction factor decreases as speed increases, numerous
studies have been performed to develop friction factors for
various speeds.
Table 7.4 Recommended side friction factors for cars and trucks), (Reference Austroads Guide to
Road Design 2010)
SETTING A HORIZONTAL CURVE
Find the elements of the horizontal

curve
Tangent distance
External distance
Mid-ordinate
Long chord
Curve length
PC location = PI location - tangent
distance
PT location = PC location + Curve
length
(CONTD.)
Chainage (m) Arc length Deflection Cumulative Short chord Long chord
(m) angle deflection (m) (m)
(degree) angle
(degree)
SETTING A HORIZONTAL CURVE (CLASS
EXAMPLE)
Chainage (m) Arc length Deflection Cumulative Short chord Long chord
(m) angle deflection (m) (m)
(degree) angle
(degree)
1110.57 -- -- -- -- --
1150 39.43 2.824 2.824 39.414 39.414
1200 50 3.581 6.405 49.97 89.24
1250 50
1300 50
1350 50
1400 50
1417.74 17.748 1.271
8
(CONTD.)
Chainage (m) – usually 50m or 100 m interval
Arc length (m) – the difference between two consecutive chainage points
Deflection angle (degree)
l1 L

1 
Cumulative deflection angle (degree) – Summation of deflection angles
Short chord (m)
cs1 2 R sin(1 )
Where is the deflection angles

1 (m)
Long chord
cl1 2 R sin(1 )
Where is the cumulative deflection angles
1
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
These powerpoint slides are based on the work of my RMIT
colleague
Dr. A.S.M. Moniruzzaman

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HORIZONTAL CURVE SETTING

• Two basic curves are used for connecting straight (tangent)

A, B and C are three points on

Lines ABC and ADE are tangents to the

• Opposite angles of a cyclic quadrilateral ABOD are

A circular curve connecting two straights or tangents.

Angle PI PC O = Angle PI PT O = 90ο

Major offset M = R – midpoint of the chord C

E = R sec I/2 – R = R ( sec I/2 – 1)

Speed stays constant, but velocity R v

Uniform circular motion

• For a car at a curve the centripetal force is provided by the

For a car at a curve the centripetal force is provided by the

Force along the slope,

Component of the centripetal force along the slope = FC cos θ

Calculating the minimum radius for a horizontal curve is based

The maximum achievable centripetal force is obtained when

This equation allows the engineer to calculate the minimum

On steep down grades, the minimum curve radius from the

Factors to consider when selecting superelevation values are:

For an acceptable design;

Find the elements of the horizontal

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