Geometric Design

Geometric Design:
1. Cross-section Elements
2. Sight Distance Considerations
3. Horizontal Alignment
4. Vertical Alignment
• Factors Affecting Geometric Design:
1) Topography/Terrain: Classified according to
cross slope:
Type of Terrain Cross-slope

1. Plain 0 – 10%
2. Rolling 10 – 25%
3. Hilly or Mountainous 25 – 60%

4. Steep > 60%

2. Design speed of urban roads:
[A] Urban Roads
Road classification Design speed (Kmph)

Expressway 120
Arterial roads 80
Sub arterial roads 60
Collector roads 50
Local roads 30
[B] Rotaries
Road classification Design speed (Kmph)

Urban Roads 30
Rural roads 40

[C] Pedestrians – 1.2 m/sec

[D] Hair-Pin Bend – 20 km/hr
[E] Rural Roads (Plain Terrain)
Design speed (Kmph)
Road classification
Ruling Minimum

NH/SH 100 80
MDR 80 65
ODR 65 50
VR 50 40
Expressway 120 100
3] Traffic: Passenger car unit (PCU) – Equivalency Factor
values for Rural roads:
Sr. No. Fast Vehicles Equivalency factor

1 Two –wheeler→ Motor cycle, scooter, etc. 0.5

2 Passenger car, pick up van, auto rickshaw 1.0
3 Light commercial vehicle, agricultural tractor 1.5
4 Truck or bus 3.0
5 Agricultural tractor - trailer 4.5
Slow Vehicle
6 Pedal cycle 0.5
7 Cycle rickshaw 2.0
8 Hand cart 3.0
9 Horse drawn vehicle 4.0
10 (a) Bullock cart → small 6.0
(b) Bullock cart → large 8.0
4] Design Hourly Volume: 30th Highest Hourly Volume

5] Other Factors: Drainage, Hydrology, etc.

A] Cross-section Elements of Highway
1. Pavement surface characteristics
2. Camber or Cross-slope
3. Width of pavement or carriageway
4. Median or Traffic Separators
5. Kerb
6. Road margins:
1) Shoulder 5) Parking lanes 9) Formation or
2) Footpath 6) Lay-Bys Roadway width
3) Driveway 7) Bus-bays 10) Right of way or
4) Cycle-track 8) Guard Rails landwidth
I. Pavement surface characteristics
1. Friction
1) It decides the operating speed & minimum distance
required for stopping the vehicle
2) Friction is further classified into two:
a) Longitudinal friction / rolling friction: 0.35 to 0.40 (used in
Sight Distance calculation)
b) Lateral / transverse friction: 0.15 (used in horizontal curve
design)
3) Maximum friction is developed when brakes are applied
4) Friction also governs → Rotational & translatory
movement of the wheel
5) For uniform condition → Rotational movement =
Translation movement
6) Skid: when path travelled by vehicle is more than the
circumferential movement of the wheel, it is called as ‘Skid’
Translatory movement > Rotational movement
7) Slip: When wheel revolves more than corresponding
longitudinal movement along the road, it is termed as slip.
Rotational movement > Translatory movement
8) In case of old/worn-out tyres, friction will be more on the dry
surface.
9) In case of new tyres (Treads), Friction will be more on the
wet surface.
10) Friction is also known as skid resistance (f)
2] Camber / Cross-slope
• Transverse slope provided along the road surface
to drain off the rain water & to avoid the
following:
1. To avoid stripping of bitumen &
aggregates due to presence of water
2. To avoid slipping of vehicle
3. To avoid glare & keep surface dry
Camber for Different types of Road Surfaces
3] Width of carriageway
1 Single Lane 3.75 m
2 Two lane (without kerbs) 7.0 m

3 Two lane (with kerbs) 7.5 m

4 Intermediate carriageway 5.5 m

5 Multilane 3.5 m per lane

2 lane 7m
4 lane 14 m
6 lane 21 m
4. Median or traffic separators:
1) Minimum desirable width for rural highways –
5m
2) When land is restricted – 3 m
3) For bridges & viaducts – 1.5 m
4) Absolute minimum median for urban highway
– 1.2 m
5] Kerb:
Rise Provided to footpath on edges of pavement
1. Mountable kerb – 10 cm
2. Semi-mountable kerb – 15 cm
3. Barrier kerb – 20 cm
6] Road Margins:
i. Shoulder – As per IRC mi. width of shoulder for
Two lane Highway in India is 2.5m
ii. Parking lanes – 3m width (in case of parallel
parking)
iii. Footpath : 1.5 m
iv. Cycle track: 2.0 m
6] Road Margins:
i. Shoulder – As per IRC mi. width of shoulder for
Two lane Highway in India is 2.5m
ii. Parking lanes – 3m width (in case of parallel
parking)
iii. Footpath : 1.5 m
iv. Cycle track: 2.0 m
[B] Sight Distance Consideration:
1) Stopping Sight Distance (SSD) or Non-Passing Sight
Distance
2) Overtaking Sight Distance (OSD) or Passing Sight
Distance
3) Headlight Sight Distance (HSD)
4) Intermediate Sight Distance (ISD)
5) Overtaking Zone
1) SSD
• Minimum available ahead of driver to stop the vehicle after
observing the obstruction on road & stopping the vehicle
without collision is called as SSD or Non-passing sight
distance.
• SSD = Lag distance + Braking distance
• Lag distance = Distance travelled by vehicle during Total
Reaction
Lag distance = v. t
+ for Up gradient
- for Down gradient
OSD or Passing Sight Distance
Clear visible distance available ahead of a driver to overtake a
slow moving vehicle is called as OSD.
Note:
i. Overtaking is not possible on single lane road
ii. If all vehicles are moving with same design speed, then
overtaking is not allowed
OSD (one way traffic) = (d1 + d2)
OSD (two way traffic) = (d1 + d2 + d3)
OVERTAKING SIGHT DISTANCE
Note:
Length of Vehicles L
1 Motor Vehicles other than transport having not 9.5 m
more than two axles
2 Truck / Trailer or Tractor-Trailer Combination 18 m

Height of Vehicles H
1 Double Decker buses 4.75 m
2 For Normal Specification 3.8 m
3 For ISO Container 4.2 m
 Standards for Building Line & Control Lines
NH & SH = 80 m (For Plain & Rolling Terrains Between
Building lines)

150 (Between Control Lines)

[C] Horizontal Alignment:
1. Horizontal curves
2. Superelevation
3. Grade compensation
4. Extra widening
1. Horizontal curves: Required to change direction on
Road/Railway
(a) Simple circular curve: It is a single arc with constant
radius (same radius) of circle tangential to straight lines
(b) Compound curve: 2 arcs of different radius is called as
compound curve
(c) Reverse/Serpentine Curve: 2 arcs of same or different
radius is called as reverse curve
(d) Broken-Boundary Curve: Shorter curves to connect two
straight lines
(e) Transition curve/Easement curve: Curve of varying
radius. It is a gradual curve introduced between two
straight lines
  Types of Transition Curves:

1. Spiral / Euler’s Spiral /

Glover’s spiral / Clothoid
Spiral Curve

2. Lemniscate / Bernoulli’s
Lemniscate / Autogenous
Curve

3. Cubic Parabola / Froude’s

Transition Curve
• Values of Gradient
Type of Superelevation Rate of change of
road/areas (emax) superelevation
(N)

Urban road 4% 1/100 (1 in 100)

Plain & rolling 7% 1/150 (1 in 150)

terrain
Snow bound area 7% -

Hilly areas 10% 1/60 (1 in 60)

4] Vertical Alignment
[A] Vertical Curves:
(i) Summit Curve
Crest/Hogging Curve
Upgradient is followed by down gradient (i.e. Convexity
Upwards)
(ii) Valley Curve
Downgrade is followed by up gradient (i.e. Convexity
Downward)
 Gradient: Longitudinal Slope along length of Road
Type of Gradient

1 Ruling Gradient Max. allowable gradient in design

All vehicle will move with design speed on this gradient.

2 Limiting Gradient More than Ruling Gradient

Provided in short length to decrease gradient.

3 Exceptional
Gradient

4 Minimum Gradient It is less than Ruling Gradient

Provided for Drainage purpose through the road
IRC recommends 0.5% minimum gradient
Note: Minimum Gradient < Ruling Gradient < Limiting
Gradient < Exceptional Gradient
 Important Note Points:
1. Most widely used transition curve for smaller
deflection angle for simplicity is Cubic Parabola
2. Driveway: Access to building by a short stretch of
road is driveway.
3. Laybyes: Provided near public convenience with
guide maps enable driver to stop vehicle/ clear off
carriageway
4. Phase III of PMGSY → July 2019
5. Minimum width for kerbed roads (urban) for
allowance of stalled vehicles is 5.5 m.