ROUTE SURVEYING

Route Surveys – involves the determination of alignment, grades, earthworks quantities, location of natural and artificial objects in
connection with the planning, design, and construction of highways, railroads, pipelines, canals, transmission lines, and other linear
projects.

PROCESS IN UNDERTAKING ROUTE SURVEYS:

1. Reconnaissance
It is a rapid survey without the use of ordinary surveying instruments that will serve as a guide in selecting the
route to be taken.
2. Preliminary Survey
It is a survey which is made with the use of ordinary or sophisticated surveying instruments the purpose of which is
to establish, fix, and mark on the ground of the selected route and to collect important data such as elevations,
directions of lines, slopes or gradients, and curvatures upon which the final location may be made.
3. Location and Final Survey
It is the survey which is made for the construction of the final route or roadway being finalized or selected.

HIGHWAY CURVES
Curves enable the vehicle to pass gently and smoothly from one path onto another when the two paths meet at an angle.
They are also used in the vertical plane at all changes of grade or slope to avoid the abrupt changes of grade at the apex.

TYPES OF HIGHWAY CURVES:

A. HORIZONTAL CIRCULAR CURVES B. VERTICAL PARABOLIC CURVES
 Simple curves  Symmetrical curves
 Compound curves  Unsymmetrical curves
 Reversed curves

SIMPLE CURVES
A simple curve is a circular curve that consists of a single arc connecting two intersecting straight lines called the tangent
lines. It has a radius of the same magnitude throughout the arc.

20m (FULL STATION)

C C
D

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Faculty, CIT-U – CE Department
ELEMENTS OF A SIMPLE CURVE:
Point of Intersection (PI)
The point of intersection marks the point where the back and forward tangents intersect. The surveyor indicates it as one of the
stations on the preliminary traverse. It is sometimes referred to as the Vertex.

Point of Curvature (PC)

The point of curvature is the point where the circular curve begins. The back tangent is tangent to the curve at this point.

Point of Tangency (PT)

The point of tangency is the end of the curve. The forward tangent is tangent to the curve at this point.

Central angle (I)

The central angle is the included angle between the two radii of the arc. It is equal to the deflection angle between the forward
tangent and the backward tangent. It also referred to as the angle of intersection. The surveyor either computes its value from the
preliminary traverse station angles or measures it in the field.

Radius (R)
The radius is the distance from the center of the circular curve to the arc

Tangent Distance (T)

The tangent distance is the distance along the tangents from the PI to the PC or PT. These distances are equal on a simple curve.

External Distance (E)

The external distance is the distance from the PI to the midpoint of the curve. The external distance bisects the interior angle at the
PI.

Middle Ordinate (M)

The middle ordinate is the distance from the midpoint of the curve to the midpoint of the long chord. The extension of the middle
ordinate bisects the central angle.

Chord Length (CL)

The chord length is the distance from the PC to the PT. It is also known as the Long Chord.

Degree of Curve (D)

The degree of curve defines the “sharpness” or “flatness” of the curve. It is the included angle between two full stations of the
curve. There are two definitions commonly in use for degree of curve, the arc definition and the chord definition.

Length of Curve (Lc)

The length of curve is the distance from the PC to the PT measured along the curve.

DERIVATION OF FORMULAS:
 DEGREE OF CURVATURE (D)

1. ARC BASIS

20m
D 360°
R =
D 20m 2πR
R
𝟏𝟏𝟒𝟓.𝟗𝟏𝟔
𝐃=
𝐑

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Faculty, CIT-U – CE Department
 2. CHORD BASIS

20m
10m D 10m
R sin =
D/2 10m 2 R
D/2
R
𝟏𝟎
𝐃 = 𝟐 𝐬𝐢𝐧−𝟏 ( )
𝐑

 TANGENT and EXTERNAL DISTANCE

T E
So, also,

I T I R
tan = cos =
2 R 2 E+R

R
R 𝐈 R
𝐓 = 𝐑 𝐭𝐚𝐧 E= I −R
𝟐 cos
2

I/2 𝐈
𝐄 = 𝐑(𝐬𝐞𝐜 − 𝟏)
𝟐

 CHORD LENGTH and MIDDLE ORDINATE

T
So, also,
M
CL/2 I R−M I CL
cos = sin =
2 R 2 2R
I 𝐈
R–M M = R − R cos 𝐂𝐋 = 𝟐𝐑 𝐬𝐢𝐧
R 2 𝟐
𝐈
𝐌 = 𝐑(𝟏 − 𝐜𝐨𝐬 )
I/2 𝟐

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Faculty, CIT-U – CE Department
  LENGTH OF CURVE

Lc
20m

R R R R

I D

So, or,
By Ratio and Proportion, From geometry,
Lc 20m
= π
S = RƟ(180° ) (Formula for length of circular curve)
I D
𝟐𝟎I 𝛑
𝐋𝐜 = 𝐋𝐜 = 𝐑𝐈( )
𝐃 𝟏𝟖𝟎°

METHODS IN IDENTIFYING SHARPNESS OF CURVE:

1. Radius
Shorter radius – sharper curves
Longer radius – flatter or smoother curves

2. Degree of curve (D) - is the angle subtended for one FULL STATION.
ONE FULL STATION is every 20m interval.
For broad highways, 30m interval is desirable

GEOMETRY OF CIRCULAR CURVES

1. An inscribed angle is measured by ½ of its intercepted arc. Inscribed angles having the same or equal intercepted arcs are
equal.
2. An angle formed by a tangent and a chord is measured by ½ of its inscribed angle.
3. The two tangent distances to a circular curve from the point intersection of the tangents to the points of tangency are
equal.
4. Two angles are equal if their sides are perpendicular to each other in the same order.

SUBCHORDS AND SUB-ANGLES

SUBCHORDS – are chord lengths from P.C. to the first full station 20m full station
and/or the last full station to P.T.

SUB-ANGLES – are subtended angles from P.C. to the first full station
and/or the last full station to P.T.

By Ratio and Proportions:

so,

𝐝𝟏 𝐃 𝐝𝟐 𝐃
= = SUB-ANGLE SUB-ANGLE
𝐜𝐥𝟏 𝟐𝟎 𝐜𝐥𝟐 𝟐𝟎

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Faculty, CIT-U – CE Department
SAMPLE PROBLEMS:
1. The bearing of line AB and BC are N 30° W and N 25° E, respectively. If a 5° - simple curve is to be connected between these
tangents, find the elements of the curve using arc basis.
C

P.T.

R
T
I=55°

30° 25°
Lc
P.I. E M CL I=55° O
B

T
R

P.C.

30°
A

SOLUTION:
 CENTRAL ANGLE  MIDDLE ORDINATE
I = 30° + 25° I
M = R(1 − cos 2)
𝐈 = 𝟓𝟓° ANS. 55°
M = 229.18(1 − cos 2 )
𝐌 = 𝟐𝟓. 𝟖𝟗 𝐦 ANS.
 RADIUS OF CURVATURE  CHORD LENGTH (LONG CHORD)
1145.916 I
R= D
CL = 2R sin 2
𝐑 = 𝟐𝟐𝟗. 𝟏𝟖 𝐦 ANS. 55°
CL = 2(229.18) sin 2
𝐂𝐋 = 𝟐𝟏𝟏.65 𝐦 ANS.
 TANGENT DISTANCE  LENGTH OF CURVE
I π
T = R tan Lc = RI(180°)
2
55° π
T = 229.18 tan 2 Lc = 229.18(55°)(180°)
𝐓 = 𝟏𝟏𝟗. 𝟑𝟎 𝐦 ANS. 𝐋𝐜 = 𝟐𝟐𝟎. 𝟎𝟎 𝐦 ANS.
 EXTERNAL DISTANCE
I
E = R(sec 2 − 1)
55°
E = 229.18(sec − 1)
2
𝐄 = 𝟐𝟗. 𝟏𝟗𝐦 ANS.

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Faculty, CIT-U – CE Department
 2. The bearings of two tangents are N 20°30’ E and S 35° E, respectively. If the degree of curve is 10° for a chord of 10m and
the stationing at the vertex is 10 + 205m, compute the:
a. Elements of the curve
b. Stationing of P.C. and P.T.
c. Length of the subchords and its corresponding sub-angles.

10 + 205m

10 + 120m P.I. 20°30’ 10 + 220m (Last full station before P.T.)

10 + 100m (First full station after P.C.) I
10 + 110m
35°
E
10 + 095.96m T Lc T 10 + 220.62m

10m
20°30’ 10m M
P.C. cl1 CL cl2 P.T.

Full station of every 10m

D
R d1 D d2 R

O
SOLUTION:
A. ELEMENTS of the CURVE MIDDLE ORDINATE STATIONING OF P.T.
I
CENTRAL ANGLE M = R(1 − cos 2) Sta. of P.T. = (Sta. of P.C.) + Lc
I = 180° − 20°30′ − 35° 124°30′ = (10 + 095.96) + 124.66
𝐈 = 𝟏𝟐𝟒°𝟑𝟎′ ANS. M = 57.37(1 − cos 2 )
Sta. of P.T. = 10 + 220.62m ANS.
𝐌 = 𝟑𝟎. 𝟔𝟔 𝐦 ANS.
RADIUS OF CURVE (chord basis) CHORD LENGTH (LONG CHORD) C. SUBCHORDS and SUB-ANGLES
D 5m I
sin = CL = 2R sin SUBCHORD cl1
2 R 2
10° 5m 124°30′ cl1 = (Sta. of first full station) – (sta. of P.C.)
sin = CL = 2(57.37) sin 2 = (10 + 100) – (10+095.96)
2 R
𝐑 = 𝟓𝟕. 𝟑𝟕 𝐦 ANS. 𝐂𝐋 = 𝟏𝟎𝟏. 𝟓𝟒 𝐦 ANS. cl1 = 4.05m ANS.
TANGENT DISTANCE LENGTH OF CURVE SUBCHORD cl1
I π
T = R tan 2 Lc = RI( ) cl2 = (Sta. of P.T.) – (sta. of last full station)
180°
124°30′ Lc = 57.37(124°30′)( )
π = (10 + 220.62) – (10+220)
T = 57.37 tan 2 180° cl2 = 0.62m ANS.
𝐓 = 𝟏𝟎𝟗. 𝟎𝟒 𝐦 ANS. 𝐋𝐜 = 𝟏𝟐𝟒. 𝟔𝟔 𝐦 ANS.
EXTERNAL DISTANCE B. STATIONING of P.C. and P.T. SUBANGLES d1 and d2
I 𝒅𝟏 𝟏𝟎° 𝒅𝟐 𝟏𝟎°
E = R(sec − 1) STATIONING OF P.C. = =
2 𝟒.𝟎𝟓𝒎 𝟏𝟎𝒎 𝟎.𝟔𝟐𝒎 𝟏𝟎𝒎
124°30′ Sta. of P.C. = (Sta. of P.I.) – T
E = 57.37(sec 2 − 1) = (10 + 205) – 109.04
𝐄 = 𝟔𝟓. 𝟖𝟒𝐦 ANS. 𝒅𝟏 = 𝟒. 𝟎𝟓° ANS. 𝒅𝟐 = 𝟎. 𝟔𝟐° ANS.
Sta. of P.C. = 10 + 095.96m ANS.

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Faculty, CIT-U – CE Department