Hindawi

Journal of Advanced Transportation

Volume 2018, Article ID 6752574, 17 pages
https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/6752574

Research Article
Speed Behavior of Passenger Car on Helical Ramps and
Helical Bridges in Mountain Riverside City

Jin Xu ,1 Jinghou Fu,2 Xiaoming Liu,2 and Yiming Shao3

1
Professor, Chongqing Key Laboratory of “Human – Vehicle -Road” Cooperation & Safety for Mountain Complex Environment,
Chongqing Jiaotong University, No. 66, Xuefu Ave., Chongqing 400074, China
2
Postgraduate Student, College of Traffic and Transportation, Chongqing Jiaotong University, No. 66, Xuefu Ave.,
Chongqing 400074, China
3
Professor, College of Traffic and Transportation, Chongqing Jiaotong University, No. 66, Xuefu Ave., Chongqing 400074, China

Correspondence should be addressed to Jin Xu; yhnl272727@163.com

Received 6 June 2018; Accepted 31 October 2018; Published 13 November 2018

Academic Editor: Md. Mazharul Haque

Copyright © 2018 Jin Xu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which
permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Helix alignment can allow for a rapid change in road elevation in size-constrained spaces, and it is becoming increasingly popular
in interchange design throughout the world. However, driving patterns and vehicle operating characteristics have not been clearly
defined on helical ramps. This work conducted field driving tests on four helical ramps located in Chongqing, China. The trajectory,
speed, and acceleration of vehicles under normal driving conditions were collected. Thus speed characteristics and speed patterns
on helical ramps, as well as their affecting factors, were obtained and analyzed. The findings in this study can provide basic data
referencing for designers and engineers, to help them understand how a multilayered helical ramp works, thus to essentially
improve the safety level of helix ramps. Moreover, our findings allow bridge designers to understand whether the actual vehicle
operating conditions acted in accordance with their expected design requirements, i.e., whether the expected design requirements
are achieved.

1. Introduction a large and flourishing mountain city and is famous for its
numerous complex bridges and roadways, the helical bridge
Helix curves are effective for overcoming elevation differ- in Figure 1(b) is a ramp of Chongqing Sujiaba Interchange,
ences in size-constrained spaces and for allowing the route and the helical bridge in Figure 1(c) is a segment of Hongyun
to ascend rapidly [1]. A helical ramp is the most effective Road, which is under construction and is to be opened to
design for achieving traffic transition in areas with highly traffic in Apr. 2019. The helical ramp in Figure 1(d) is an
limited space and large differences in elevation. Therefore, emergency lane linked to Tianxingzhou Yangtze River Bridge,
in recent years, helix curves are being used more extensively located in Wuhan, China. Similarly, in other countries out of
in highway and municipal engineering projects, such as China helical bridges also were adopted in mountain roads
expressways, tunnels, interchanges, and urban roads. More- and interchanges; for instance, Nanadaru Bridge Loop in
over, as the number of cities and towns in mountainous Figure 1(e) is a helical bridge constructed in Kawazu, Japan,
areas increases and the land use in cities intensifies, the and Tokyo Rainbow Bridge Loop in Figure 1(f) is another
use of helical ramps and helical bridges will become more helical bridge in Japan.
extensive. In addition, the increasing navigational clearance Compared to conventional ramps with general configura-
requirements for river-spanning bridges, along with increas- tions, helical ramps and bridges have the following distinctive
ing environmental protection awareness, also promote the features:
use of helical ramps. In China Shanghai Nanpu Bridge is a (i) Lane keeping and steering control may have particular
famous site where helical ramps are used in the interchange maneuvering demands for a driver when driving on a long,
at cross-river bridge, as shown in Figure 1(a). Chongqing is curvature-fixed helix curve.
2 Journal of Advanced Transportation

(a) (b) (c)

(d) (e) (f)

Figure 1: Helical bridges and helical ramps in and out of China. (a) Shanghai Nanpu Bridge, China; (b) Chongqing Sujiaba Interchange,
China; (c) helical bridge of Hongyun Road in Chongqing, China; (d) helical emergency ramp of Tianxingzhou Yangtze River Bridge, China;
(e) Nanadaru Bridge Loop, Japan; (f) Tokyo Rainbow Bridge Loop, Japan.

(ii) A one-directional steep slope (single gradient), mean- Zhang et al. [7] established an operating speed model for
ing that an ascending ramp has a continuously increasing ele- interchange ramps as a function of curvature change rate and
vation and a descending ramp has a continuously decreasing superelevation. Zhang et al. [8] used a radar speed gun to
elevation. measure the speed of passenger cars in a deceleration lane
(iii) Large turning-angle loops with a curve angle exceed- and established an operating speed model at the theoretical
ing 720∘ (currently, all helical ramps have two or more layers) gore and physical gore. Using a similar approach, Wang and
and a continually changing vehicle direction while driving. In Yang [9] measured the velocities of passenger cars at the
contrast, hairpin curves on a curvy mountainous road have a theoretical gore, the mid-point of the deceleration lane, and
deflection angle of approximately 180∘ , and the loop ramps the physical gore of an expressway interchange and obtained
of a cloverleaf interchange, which are generally considered a model for calculating the lengths of the deceleration lanes.
difficult to navigate, have angles of only approximately 270∘ . Guo et al. [10] used a driving simulator to simulate the driving
Therefore, because of the distinctive alignment charac- process on the entrance and exit ramps of expressways and
teristics and driving conditions of helical ramps, there is analyzed speed behavior in the deceleration and acceleration
an urgent need to investigate several related issues, such as lanes based on the use of the accelerator/brake pedals. Wang
whether the driving behavior and vehicle operating modes et al. [11] used vehicle-mounted equipment to continuously
have any particularities, whether the driving behavior matchs measure driver eye movement, vehicle speed, and lane usage
the design expectations and driving assumptions, and, if any in the expressway interchange area and analyzed the driving
deviations exist, whether the extent of the deviation is serious. behavior in a merging area, ramp area, and diverging area.
It is obvious that these issues are also the basis for improving Polus et al. [12] used aerial cameras to record the contin-
the intrinsic safety of helical ramps at the design stage. uous driving behavior of a vehicle in a freeway interchange
merging area and obtained the merging point of vehicles
2. Literature Review exiting from the acceleration lane (entering the mainline
traffic flow), as well as their continuous speed and accel-
At present, relevant studies closely related to helical ramps eration. Using similar methods, they also investigated the
mainly focus on the structural design of the ramp itself, driving behavior in the diverging area and determined the
such as the pier and beam layout [2], consolidation methods exact location and spatial distribution of the vehicles exiting
[3], structural force calculations [4, 5], and the treatment of the mainline traffic flow (entering the deceleration lane)
foundations [6] and rarely focus on the driving behavior and [13], as well as their deceleration rates. These two works
vehicle operating performance within the helical ramps. provided valuable data support for distinguishing the design
Existing studies are mainly devoted to investigating the parameters for parallel and tapered deceleration/acceleration
vehicle operation/driving characteristics on conventional lanes. Ahammed et al. [14] used a radar gun to track the speed
interchange ramps with general configurations. Among of vehicles traveling in the merging area of an interchange
them, based on data obtained from a vehicle mounted GPS, and developed the model of operating speed, acceleration,
Journal of Advanced Transportation 3

Helix Ramps Helix Brodges

Helix ramp of Yangtze River Bridge Helix ramp of Wujiang River Bridge Rongqiao Helix Bridge Jinkai ring bridge

(a) (b) (c) (d)

Figure 2: Helical ramps and helical bridges selected in this study.

and distance of the acceleration lane. Fitzpatrick et al. [15] were determined. The findings of this study answered the
analyzed the rationality of the basic assumptions for vehicle following questions:
deceleration in the merging areas and the applicability of (i) How does vehicle speed change when a car is driving
the deceleration rate in current design standards in U.S. on a helical ramp? Will the continually decreasing
Taking roundabouts as the research object, Zirkel et al. [16] or increasing elevation of the helical ramp cause a
discussed the effect of 85th percentile speed distribution change in driving speed?
and sight distance of the drivers on crash rates for low-
(ii) What kind of speed changes occur at the two ends of
volume single-lane roundabouts. Perco et al. [17] established
the helical ramp?
an operating speed model for the merging area and diverging
area of two types of interchanges by using the data obtained (iii) Do there exist diversified patterns in speed change
from radar guns. Yang [18] investigated the acceleration along a helical ramp for individuals?
characteristics for metered on-ramps with various geometric (iv) Are the speed amplitude consistent with the design
features and also figured out speed profiles to guide the design expectations of the helical ramp, and do any serious
of acceleration-lane length, using automatic video processors. deviations exist?
Li and Sun [19] collected merging maneuvers of 370 drivers
from the NGSIM (Next Generation Simulation Program) 3. Experiment Design
dataset and developed a novel data mining tool, called two-
step cluster analysis, and the merging maneuver was divided In view of the structural form and geometric feature of
into four clusters by this tool. Lvu et al. [20] analyzed helical ramps, vehicles with on-board apparatuses were used
the effect of driver’s gender, occupation, and experience on to conduct field driving test in this study. The operational
behavior while driving on a freeway deceleration lane based parameters and the steering input of the driver were collected
on field operational test data. However, all the above studies continuously while the car was traveling on the helical ramp
concentrate on merging/diverging traffic and deceleration/ and helical bridge. The following section provides a detailed
acceleration areas and do not concentrate on the ramps. description of the experimental design.
In summary, at present, there are no reports available
on driving behavior on helical ramps or helical bridges. 3.1. Experimental Objects. Four sites within the jurisdiction
Thus, researchers, designers, and managers are not able to of Chongqing, China, were selected: the Rongqiao Helix
understand the operating characteristics of vehicles traveling Bridge, which is located in an urban area of Chongqing
on helical ramps (bridges). Among driving behavior param- City, and the Wujiang Bridge helix ramp, Yangtze River
eters, speed is a basic response of vehicle operation and Bridge helix ramp, and Jinkai ring bridge, which are located
driver behavior; at the same time, it is the core parameter in the Fuling District, a city approximately 130 km from
that controls the interchange geometry and configuration Chongqing. The Jinkai ring bridge loops around the Jinkai
in design. For this reason, a natural driving test involving Ornamental Shopping Mall in two loops; that is, the building
passenger cars traveling on helical ramps was carried out in is encircled by the helix bridge. Table 1 lists the main technical
this study. Operating parameters were collected continuously parameters of the four experimental objects, and Figure 2
using on-board equipment, and the speed amplitude and shows a panoramic view of the two helical ramps and two
change patterns of a passenger car on a helical ramp (bridge) helical bridges, and their surrounding road network.
 4

Table 1: Main technical parameters of the test objects.

𝑉d Traffic lane Travel Number Participant
Test object name Location Structural form G (%) Horizontal Radius (m) Test vehicles
(km/h) number direction of layers identification number
39.525 m for ascending
Yangtze River Fuling District, ramp, Buick GL8 Firstland,
20 1 one-way Single column pier 4.5% 2 D6–D15
Bridge (YZ) Chongqing 50 m for descending Buick Buddha
ramp
51 m for ascending ramp,
Wujiang Bridge Fuling District, Single pier continuous Buick GL8 Firstland,
30 2 one-way 4.5% 38.25 m for descending 2 D6–D13
(WJ) Chongqing cantilever beam Buick Buddha
ramp
Rongqiao Helix Urban area of Door-type multi-span Benz Vito, Toyota D1–D5; D10–D11;
40 2 one-way 6% Median strip radius 55 m 2
Bridge (RQ) Chongqing continuous beam Hiace, Buick Buddha D13–D15
Jinkai Ring Fuling District, Door-type multi-span
20 2 two-way 5–6% 30 m (centerline) 2 Buick Buddha D8–D15
Bridge (JK) Chongqing continuous beam
𝑉d : design speed; 𝐺: gradient of the ramp.
Journal of Advanced Transportation
Journal of Advanced Transportation 5

Double Laser Doppler

GNSS tachometer
antenna

Power
Mainframe
lines
Integrated
with IMU
4G
antenna

Data
line
AHRS

(a) (b)

Figure 3: On-board equipment used in naturalistic data collection. (a) The composition of AHRS, fixed on the test car; (b) Laser Doppler
Tachometer.

The pavement of the experimental objects was clean, analysis. In addition, cameras were fixed to the front and rear
smooth, and labelled with clear and complete markings. Field windows to record the environment in front of and behind
driving tests were carried out from 10:00 am to 17:30 pm to the vehicle, and videos were used in postprocessing to analyze
avoid peak traffic times in the morning and evening, and the reasons for fluctuations in the speed. We rented seven-
the drivers steered their cars in free flow traffic in all test seat commercial vehicles as the test vehicles, which included
rounds (occasionally, the subject car was obstructed by slow- a Buick Buddha, Buick GL8 Firstland, Benz Vito, and Toyota
moving forward vehicles, such as trucks). The driving tests Hiace, of which the first three are MPVs and the last is
were conducted from March 2016 to October 2017. minivan. The distribution of these vehicles on the four sites
is listed in Table 1.
3.2. Testing Equipment and Vehicles. Radar gun and GPS
are the two most commonly used methods for obtaining 3.3. Participants (Drivers). A total of 15 healthy drivers
vehicle speed. The former measures the vehicle speed at a participated in our field driving test. The age range of the
particular location. This method has limitations because the participants was 23–57 years, with an average age of 38. Seven
angle between direction of travel and the longitudinal axis drivers were 20–26 years old, three drivers were 35–39 years
of the gun cannot exceed 10–30∘ , the observation distance old, three drivers 40-49 years old, and two drivers were 55–59
cannot exceed 400 m, and there are also minimum speed years old. The length of their driving experience ranged from
requirements. Therefore, radar guns are only suitable for 1 to 31 years, averaging 10 years overall. Eight participants had
measuring speed in the merging and diverging areas of inter- 1–4 years of experience, two had 5–9 years, two had 15–19
changes and cannot be used for continuous speed acquisition years, two had 20–24 years, and one had 30–34 years. The
on large-angle ramps. GPS is mainly used for recording the subjects were recruited from an urban area of Chongqing
continuous speed of a single vehicle. However, as the vehicle and were familiar with the vehicle model used in this study.
travels on a helical ramp, the upper layer decks significantly Before the test, the participants were instructed to drive the
obstruct the GPS signal, causing a disruption in the real-time vehicles according to their daily driving style and habits; no
positioning data and a gap in the recorded speed data. requirements were imposed and no suggestions were given
In this study, we recorded the vehicle trajectory and regarding the driving process. If a participant inquired about
speed using two types of apparatuses. One is an Attitude any requirements or speed control limits before or during the
and Heading Reference System (AHRS), which consisted of driving test, the given answer was “no requirements.” This
an inertial measurement unit (IMU, an integration of triple- condition was intended to preserve the natural driving habits
direction accelerometer and gyroscope) combined with a of the participants to the greatest extent possible.
dual GPS antenna, as illustrated in Figure 3(a). When the
GPS signal was lost, the algorithm integrated the acceleration 3.4. Procedure of Driving Test. The route for each trial site
signal measured by the IMU to obtain the vehicle position was arranged before the field test was conducted, including
and performed an offline data compensation. The other is the location where the personnel started to record and save
a Laser Doppler Tachometer, as shown in Figure 3(b). The the data from onboard instruments and the location where
speed results from the ARHS measured on the tangent section the driver turned his/her car after driving off the helical
were used for calibrating the Laser Doppler Tachometer, ramp. For example, the helical ramp on the Fuling Yangtze
and the speed data output from the latter was used in the River Bridge is presented in Figure 4 to illustrate the path
6 Journal of Advanced Transportation

N
Beginning and
ending of data
recording

nue
ng Ave
Binjia
Yangtze River
Descending
Helix ramp

G319
Yangtze River
Bridge

Ascending
Helix ramp

Figure 4: Route of field driving test for helical ramp of Fuling Yangtze River Bridge.

of the vehicle in one loop of the driving test. At each site, 4.1. Ascending Helical Ramps
before we began recording data, the system time of each
instrument was calibrated with the host computer. After each 4.1.1. General Characteristics. Figure 5 shows the continuous
subject completed his/her required driving round, the on- speed profiles within the range of the helix for each of
board apparatus stopped recording. the four test objects. Figure 5(a) presents the speed profiles
For each test object, we designated one course on the of ten participants from the ascending ramp of the Fuling
ascending ramp and one course on the descending ramp as Yangtze River Bridge. When entering the ascending ramp
a complete round. We requested each driver to complete 4–6 from Binjiang Avenue, the driver had to wait at a traffic
rounds. The purpose was to ascertain whether the first lap signal before making a 90∘ left turn onto the ramp, as shown
experience was significantly different from the subsequent in Figure 4. Therefore, the vehicles started from a very low
laps. At the same time, it also ensured an adequate number speed and accelerated onto the helical ramp; i.e., there was
of data samples and prevented a situation in which valid an “initial acceleration” stage, i.e., Stage I, for approximately
data could not be collected due to unforeseen circumstances 60–90 m. Stage II, the main part of speed profiles that cover
occurring during a single round. the range of helix ramp, seems wholly to show a slight increase
For each participant, we first segmented the continuous along the distance travelled.
speed profile measured from a driver based on videos Figure 5(b) shows the speed profiles of eight participants
recorded by the front camera, one speed profile for one round, on the ascending helical ramp of the Fuling Wujiang Bridge.
and secondly cut the speed data within the area of helical Before entering the helical ramp, participants had to drive
ramp and separate it from the original data, to ensure each on a 60-m tangent after waiting for the left turn signal
ramp travel (ascending or downward) corresponding to one light on the mainline, as shown in Figure 2(b). The speed
change trend in stage II merits our attention. We can see that,
speed curve. Finally, the fluctuations and changing trends of
after a relatively intense acceleration period, the participants
the speed along the ramp were analyzed.
basically maintained a stable speed.
Figures 5(c) and 5(d) are the speed profiles for the
4. Overall Speed Characteristics on Helical Chongqing Rongqiao Helix Bridge and the Jinkai Ring
Ramps (Bridges) Bridge, respectively. These two ramps are part of the road
sections and not connecting ramps between two different
Design speed is the key parameter that controls the appear- roads. Therefore, no route change is necessary. We can see
ance, floor space, and operating performance of an inter- from the two figures that even though the speed fluctuates
change. In this section, we examine the coordination between within the helical bridge, the overall amplitude is stable for
the design of the helical ramp and the actual driving require- the most part. In Figure 5(c), the reduction at end of speed
ments based on the measured speed and analyze the speed profiles (Stage III) is caused by the fact that the vehicle needed
behavior at two ends of the ramps. to stop and wait at a traffic signal before it could enter the
Journal of Advanced Transportation 7

60 I II III IV V 60

50 50

40 40

Speed (km/h)
Speed (km/h)

30 30

20 20
I II III IV
10 10

0 0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
Distance (m) Distance (m)
(a) (b)

70 50 I II

60 40
50

Speed (km/h)
Speed (km/h)

30
40
30 20
20 I II III IV
10
10
0 0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 0 100 200 300 400 500
Distance (m) Distance (m)
(c) (d)

Figure 5: Driving speed on ascending ramp. (a) Ramp of Fuling Yangtze River Bridge, design speed (Vd ) 20 km/h. (b) Ramp of Fuling Wujiang
Bridge, Vd = 30 km/h. (c) Ramp of Chongqing Rongqiao Helix Bridge, Vd = 40 km/h. (d) Jinkai Ring Bridge, Vd = 20 km/h.

P1 P2 P3 P4

P1 Bridge
P4
mainline
Speed
profiles
P3
P2

(a) (b) (c) (d)

Figure 6: Feature points of speed change. (a) Driving speed; (b) feature points of speed change at merging area; (c)-(d) driver’s line-of-sight
environment corresponding to points P2 and P3.

intersected road, Jiaming Road. And in Figure 5(d) the speed 4.1.2. Feature Points. In Figure 5(a), while approaching the
profiles exhibit a slightly rising tendency along the distance end of the ascending ramp, the speed curves for all par-
travelled, which is similar to the speed change within Stage II ticipants show an initial increase (Stage III), followed by a
in Figure 5(a). rapid decrease (Stage IV), and finally another sharp increase
After a comprehensive comparison of the measured speed (Stage V). Figures 6(a) and 6(b) show the feature points where
of all participants, we can draw the following conclusions: the change in speed occurs, as well as their corresponding
First, the continuously increasing elevation did not cause any positions on the ramp. It is evident that the driver started
speed reduction for passenger cars; second, even though the to accelerate immediately after exiting the end point of the
design speed of the helical ramp of the Yangtze River Bridge helix, P1. When arriving at P2, the mainline (bridge) and
was 20 km/h, the measured speed of most of participants its traffic flow enter the sight line of the driver, as shown in
ranged from 30 to 45 km/h. This indicates that the speed Figure 6(c), causing the driver to decelerate subconsciously.
perception provided by the ramp environment to the driver When the speed experiences the lowest value at P3, shown in
is seriously inconsistent with the design expectations. Figure 6(d), the driver begins to accelerate again. Location P4
8 Journal of Advanced Transportation

P1-P2, the section where drivers start their deceleration behavior;

P1 P3-P4, the section where drivers stop their deceleration and begin to
acceleration;
P5, end point of data recording .
Descending PG1 and PG2: Theoretical gore
P2 ramp
Ascending ramp
Descending ramp Ascending ramp
P3
PG1 P5

PG2 P4

Figure 7: Feature points of speed change on the ascending ramp of Fuling Wujiang Bridge.

70 P1 P2 P3 60 I II III IV
I II III IV
60 50

50 40
Speed (km/h)
Speed (km/h)

40
30
30 V＞ = 30 km/h
20
20
V＞ = 20 km/h
10 10

0 0
0 200 400 600 800 1000 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900
Distance (m) Distance (m)
(a) (b)
60 50
II III
50 40
40
Speed (km/h)

Speed (km/h)

V＞ = 40 km/h 30
30
20
20 I II III V＞ = 20 km/h
10 10

0 0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 0 100 200 300 400 500 600
Distance (m) Distance (m)
(c) (d)

Figure 8: Driving speed on descending ramps. (a) Ramp of Fuling Yangtze River Bridge, design speed (Vd ) 20 km/h. (b) Ramp of Fuling
Wujiang Bridge, Vd = 30 km/h. (c) Ramp of Chongqing Rongqiao Helix Bridge, Vd = 40 km/h. (d) Jinkai Ring Bridge, Vd = 20 km/h.

is the end point of the taper, i.e., the theoretical gore, and also observed on the end section of the helical ramp of Fuling
the end point for data recording. Yangtze River Bridge, we conclude that the deceleration
Moreover, the speed profiles in Figure 5(b) show different operation is a common driving behavior just before leaving
levels of decreases in speed at the end of the ramp of Wujiang the ramp.
Bridge, i.e., Stage III. Based on the videos from the front
camera and the diction of the driver, we suspected that 4.2. Descending Helical Ramps
the deceleration was caused by the driver observing the
traffic conditions on the main bridge. The drivers began to 4.2.1. General Characteristics. Figure 8 shows the speed pro-
accelerate again at the merge point, namely, Stage IV. The files for the four descending ramps. Figure 8(a) presents the
feature points of speed change along this ramp are present in speed on the ramp of Fuling Yangtze River Bridge. This ramp
Figure 7. Based on the above observations and the conditions consists of two parts: part one is the curved ramp section
Journal of Advanced Transportation 9

before the starting point of the helix and consists of three

horizontal curves that account for 35% of the total ramp
length; part two is the helical ramp section. It is evident Theoretical
from the figure that vehicle speed on the first part decreases gore (also Starting point
the P1) of helix (also
significantly, starting from the theoretical gore. Therefore, the the P3)
P1, P2, P3: Feature
deceleration distance can be regarded as reflecting the natural points
habits of drivers. Moreover, the change in speed within the P1-P2: Deceleration
helical ramp range (Stage III) exhibited an overall descending section;
P2-P3: Acceleration
trend in general. P2 section
Figure 8(b) shows the speed for the descending helical
ramp of the Fuling Wujiang Bridge. The starting point of Figure 9: Feature points of speed change on the ascending ramp of
the speed profiles is located at the end of bridge mainline, Ramp of Fuling Yangtze River Bridge.
and the end point is the position where the ramp meets
Binjiang Avenue after reaching the ground level. Similarly, the
speed curve trend shows a decrease first (Stage I), followed by and the range of an average line was 110–129 m. Figure 10(b)
an increase (Stage II), while remaining constant in the next shows the cumulative frequency of the deceleration distance,
section (Stage III). The decline of the speed curve in its end which obeys the Gamma distribution, shown in (1) and
is caused by the fact that there is a traffic signal at the traffic (2). The estimated values of parameters 𝛼 and 𝛽 are 65.778
merge point, so the vehicle should wait for the green signal (95CI: 39.01-111.92) and 1.841 (95CI: 1.09-3.11), respectively,
before entering the mainline traffic flow. and the 85th percentile deceleration distance is 138 m. The
Figure 8(c) shows the speed on the descending ramp of distribution of the end points of the deceleration distance was
the Rongqiao Helix Bridge. Although the speed fluctuates marked on this ramp, as shown in Figure 10(c), where 𝐿 dmin
slightly within the helical ramp (Stage III), it is obvious that and 𝐿 dmax are the minimum and maximum deceleration
the overall trend is constant. The intersection of Rongqiao distance, respectively. It is evident from the figure that the
Road and Mingjia Road is a T-junction; moreover, there is deceleration behavior lasts over the range of helical ramp, at
a pedestrian crossing at the beginning of the helical ramp approximately 1/3 of the circumference of the ramp.
(Figure 2(c)), so the vehicles need to decelerate or stop before
accelerating onto Rongqiao Road. Therefore, the speeds in 𝛼𝛽 𝛼−1 −𝛽𝑥
𝑓 (𝑥) = 𝑥 𝑒 , 𝑥>0 (1)
Figure 8(c) all begin with an acceleration until a peak value is Γ (𝛼)
reached, and then a deceleration is exhibited when entering +∞
the helical ramp. Finally, a constant speed is shown at the end. Γ (𝛼) = ∫ 𝑡𝑥−1 𝑒−𝑡 d𝑡 (2)
Figure 8(d) shows the speed on the descending ramp of the 0
Jinkai Ring Bridge. The profiles show a similar trend to that
Figure 11(a) shows the deceleration distances (the vehicle
of the Rongqiao Helix Bridge, except that the speed amplitude
travelled in Stage II of Rongqiao Helical Bridge) of ten partic-
is slightly lower.
ipants in an increasing order. The differences between differ-
Based on Figure 8, we did not observe an increasing trend ent drivers are significant, with the average line ranging from
in speed when traveling on descending ramps, whether it 60 to 140 m. Figure 11(b) shows the cumulative frequency of
was a helical ramp or a helical bridge, indicating that the the acceleration and deceleration distance, where parameters
continuously decreasing elevation along the distance did not 𝛼 and 𝛽 of the Gamma distribution function for deceleration
result in an increase in the traveling speed of passenger cars. distance are estimated at 6.619 (95CI: 3.81-11.49) and 13.068
(95CI: 7.36-23.19), respectively. Figure 11(c) shows the feature
4.2.2. Deceleration and Acceleration Length. From Figure 8(a) points of the acceleration and deceleration behavior, where
we can find that the deceleration distance (the distance L1 and L2 are the minimum and maximum acceleration
between point P1 and point P2) of most participants is about distance, respectively, while L4 marks the area within which
200 m. The feature points P1 to P3 on the ramp are marked in the end points of driver deceleration behavior are distributed.
Figure 9, and we can see that the ending point of deceleration, Therefore, we can conclude that the deceleration will continue
P2, is just located on the middle of the hairpin curve, while the into the helical ramp range for a distance approximately 40%
point P3, the ending point of followed acceleration, coincides of the ramp circumference.
with the start point of the helical ramp. Therefore, we may
recognize the fact that drivers’ deceleration and acceleration
5. Speed Patterns on Helical Ramps (Bridges)
behavior in this case is highly depending on the geometric
features of the ramp. From the speed profiles set presented in Figures 5 and 8,
It is evident from Figure 8(b) that drivers decelerate when we can get general understanding on speed change within
entering the ramp from the mainline (a 650 m long tangent) the range of helical ramp, i.e., rising, falling, or stabilizing.
of Wujiang second bridge. We extracted the deceleration However, for a specific participant, his/her speed preference
distance from the speed-distance curves for all participants might be the opposite of the overall trend in speed tendency;
at this location, and the results are shown in Figure 10(a). i.e., individual speed change might be masked and hide in the
The distribution interval of the discrete points was 95–165 m, overall trend, while, for highway design and traffic safety, the
10 Journal of Advanced Transportation

180 100
PG1 and PG2:

Cumulative frequency (%)

Deceleration distance (m)

160 85ＮＢ theoretical

80 gore;
Deceleration
140 distance
Pd: Starting
60 point of
120 deceleration
40

L ＞Ｇ；
100

x
L Pd
20 ＞Ｇ
80 Speed of D8
ＣＨ

60 0
D7 D10 D9 D6 D11 D8 D12 80 100 120 140 160 180
PG1
ID of drivers Deceleration distance (m) PG2
Average
(a) (b) (c)

Figure 10: Deceleration distances on the descending ramp of Fuling Wujiang Bridge. (a) Deceleration distances of different test participants;
(b) deceleration distance cumulative frequency curve; (c) deceleration distance distribution area.

200 120
Cumulative frequency (%)
Deceleration distance (m)

175 100
150 80
125
60
100 0m
11
40 40m L2= 0m
75 =1 =6
L4
=1 L3 L1
50 20
20
m
25 0
40 65 90 115 140 165 190
D8
D9
D6

D7
D11
D12
D13

D15
D14
D10

Acceleration/deceleration distance (m)

ID of drivers
Average Acce. distance
Dece. distance
(a) (b) (c)

Figure 11: Deceleration distance on the descending ramp of the Rongqiao Helix Bridge. (a) Deceleration distances of different participants;
(b) cumulative frequency curve of deceleration distance; (c) distribution area of deceleration distance.

behavior of individuals should be given equal weight to the In fact, the position of an arbitrary data point (GV 1𝑖 ,
behavior of average/overall level. GV 2𝑖 ) in GV 1 —GV 2 coordinate is nothing more than subject
to the following nine kinds, as shown in Figure 13, in which
5.1. Method to Identify the Speed Patterns. Here we focus on one situation corresponds to one speed pattern, i.e., the speed
the pattern of speed change within the range of helical ramp in the graph below the GV 1 —GV 2 coordinate. Therefore,
after drivers finish their initial acceleration and deceleration, we can recognize the speed pattern by using the data points
i.e., changing patterns of speed curves of Stage II marked in (GV 1𝑖 , GV 2𝑖 ).
Figure 5 and speed curves of Stage III marked in Figure 8.
The gradient of speed, GV 1 and GV 2 , was used to identify 5.2. Results of Speed Pattern Identifying. Using the method
and define the speed pattern on a helical ramp, and GV 𝑖 was illustrated in Figure 12, data points (GV 1𝑖 , GV 2𝑖 ) of all four
calculated by ascending helical ramps and four descending ramps were
(𝑉𝑖+1 − 𝑉𝑖 ) obtained and displayed in the GV 1 —GV 2 coordinate, as
𝐺𝑉𝑖 = (3) shown in Figure 14. Comparing the quadrant distribution of
(𝑑𝑖+1 − 𝑑𝑖 )
(GV 1𝑖 , GV 2𝑖 ) of ascending ramp against that of descending
The method of getting GV 1 and GV 2 from a given ramp, we find that there exists significant difference between
speed profile was illustrated in Figure 12. Because the speed speed patterns of ascending ramp and descending ramp.
fluctuates locally along the distance, 𝑉𝑖 was extracted from Taking YZ as example, for ascending ramp, twenty-seven
the trend line (fitting curve) of the measured data of speed. data points are located in the first quadrant, and seventeen
According to the shape of speed profiles in Figures 5 and 8, points are located in the fourth quadrant, while for descend-
a broken line linked by three point can outline the trend and ing ramp, of all forty-five points, twenty-one were in the
changing pattern of a given speed profile. Data point (GV 1𝑖 , fourth quadrant, and the rest were scattered in other three
GV 2𝑖 ) would be determined and plotted in a plane coordinate quadrants. The quadrant distribution of WJ’ ascending ramp
after the valves of GV 1 and GV 2 were calculated. is similar to that of YZ’ ascending ramp; i.e., patterns I, IV,
Journal of Advanced Transportation 11

60 Stage III 60 Remove 60

Measured data
50 50 50 Fitting curve
Speed (km/h)

Speed (km/h)

Speed (km/h)
40 40 40

30 30 30

20 20 20

10 10 10
0 200 400 600 800 1000 0 200 400 600 800 1000 200 400 600 800 1000
Distance (m) Distance (m) Distance (m)
0.1 60

GV1 = (V2-V1 )/(d2 -d1 ) 50 (d1 , V1 )

Speed (km/h)
GV2 = (V3-V2 )/(d3 -d2 ) (d2 , V2 )
40
GV1 0
−0.1 0 0.1 30 (d3 , V3 )
(GV1, GV2) (GV1, GV2) 20

−0.1 10
GV2 200 400 600 800 1000
Distance (m)

Figure 12: Method to get the value of GV 1 and GV 2 from a measured speed profile and show the point of (GV 1 , GV 2 ) in a plane coordinate.

Pattern I Pattern II Pattern III Pattern IV

GV2 GV2 GV2 GV2
Data point of (GV1i ,
GV2i )
0 GV1 0 GV1 0 GV1 0 GV1 Data point of (di ,
Vi )
Speed line

Speed Speed Speed Speed

Distance Distance Distance Distance

Pattern V Pattern VI Pattern VII Pattern VIII Pattern IX
GV2 GV2 GV2 GV2 GV2

0 GV1 0 GV1 0 GV1 0 GV1 0 GV1

Speed Speed Speed Speed Speed

Distance Distance Distance Distance Distance

Figure 13: Identifying the speed pattern on helical ramp by using the position of an arbitrary data point (GV 1𝑖 , GV 2𝑖 ) in GV 1 —GV 2
coordinate.
12 Journal of Advanced Transportation

YZ-A WJ-A RQ-A JK-A

0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1

0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05

GV1 GV1 GV1 GV1

−0.1 −0.05 0 0.05 0.1 −0.1 −0.05 0 0.05 0.1 −0.1 −0.05 0 0.05 0.1 −0.1 −0.05 0 0.05 0.1

−0.05 −0.05 −0.05 −0.05

−0.1 −0.1 −0.1 −0.1

GV2 GV2 GV2 GV2
YZ-D WJ-D RQ-D JK-D
0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1

0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05

GV1 GV1 GV1 GV1

−0.1 −0.05 0 0.05 0.1 −0.1 −0.05 0 0.1 0 0
0.05 −0.1 −0.05 0.05 0.1 −0.1 −0.05 0.05 0.1

−0.05 −0.05 −0.05 −0.05

−0.1 −0.1 −0.1 −0.1

GV2 GV2 GV2 GV2

Figure 14: Data point (GV 1𝑖 , GV 2𝑖 ) of four ascending helical ramps and four descending ramps shown in GV 1 —GV 2 coordinate, where YZ-A
and YZ-D denote the ascending and descending ramp of Fuling Yangtze River Bridge, respectively; WJ-A and WJ-D denote the ascending
and descending ramp of Fuling Wujiang Bridge; RQ-A and RQ-D denote the ascending and descending ramp of Rongqiao Helix Bridge; and
JK-A and JK-D denote the ascending and descending lane of Jinkai ring bridge.

Ascending ramps descending ramps

Ascending ramps Descending ramps K-Means Clustering K-Means Clustering
0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1

0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05

GV1 GV1 GV1 GV1

−0.1 −0.05 0 0.05 0.1 −0.1 −0.05 0 0.05 0.1 −0.1 −0.05 0 0.05 0.1 −0.1 −0.05 0 0.05 0.1

−0.05 −0.05 −0.05 −0.05

−0.1 −0.1 −0.1 −0.1

GV2 GV2 GV2 GV2
Cluster 1 Cluster 3 Cluster 2 Cluster 3
Cluster 2 Cluster 4 Cluster 4 Cluster 1
Center of clustering Center of clustering

(a) (b) (c) (d)

Figure 15: Scatter plot containing the points of (GV 1𝑖 , GV 2𝑖 ) of four ascending/descending ramps. (a) Scatter plot of ascending ramps; (b)
scatter plot of descending ramps; (c) four clusters for ascending ramps; (d) four clusters for descending ramps.

and V are dominant speed modes, while, for WJ’ descending is {𝑁1 = 53 (39%), N 2 = 65 (47.8%), N 3 = 14 (10.3%), N 4
ramp, dominant speed patterns are IV, V, and VII. = 4 (2.9%)}, while in Figure 15(b) this set of numbers is
Data points of RQ bridge and JK bridge have simi- {𝑁1 = 39 (28.3%), N 2 = 62 (44.9%), N 3 = 24 (17.4), N 4 =
lar distribution characteristic; however, for RQ bridge the 13 (9.4%)}. Therefore, pattern IV is dominant pattern for
points’ distribution is more concentrated, especially on RQ’s both ascending and descending ramps, followed by pattern
descending lanes, which indicates that a convergent driving I, and pattern III occupied the lowest share in the total.
behavior occurs on this helical bridge. Figures 15(c) and 15(d) show four clustering results obtained
Data points of all four ascending ramps were put together by K-means arithmetic; the center of clustering distributes
and displayed in one GV 1 —GV 2 coordinate, as shown the quadrants except the third quadrant. Table 2 lists the
in Figure 15(a); and Figure 15(b) for descending ramps was coordinate values of the center of clustering for ascend-
then obtained using the same method. In Figure 15(a) the ing/descending ramps and sample size of points divided into
number of data points located in the first to fourth quadrant each cluster.
 Journal of Advanced Transportation

Table 2: Center of clustering for ascending/descending ramps.

Ascending ramps Descending ramps
Cluster 1 Cluster 2 Cluster 3 Cluster 4 Cluster 1 Cluster 2 Cluster 3 Cluster 4
Value of clustering center (0.01, 0.0058) (0.020,-0.0262) (0.04,-0.00154) (-0.023, 0.0255) (0.01108, 0.00347) (0.0131,-0.02772) (0.0435, -0.01247) (-0.0232, 0.0181)
sample size of each cluster 64 34 27 12 65 30 17 36
13
14 Journal of Advanced Transportation

50 50
45
45 45
40

Speed (km/h)

Speed (km/h)
40 40
Speed (km/h)

35
15 35 35
14
30 30 30

25 25 25

20 20 20
R27 R32 R38 R39 R50 R51 R55 R60 20 30 40 50 60 30 35 40 45 50 55
Horizontal radius (m) Radius (m) Radius (m)
Up-direction ramp V；85 V；85 fitting curve V；85 V；85 fitting curve
Down-direction ramp V；a V；a fitting curve V；a V；a fitting curve
(a) (b) (c)

Figure 16: (a) Box plots of speed versus ramp radius; eigenvalue of driving speed and horizontal radius of (b) ascending ramp and (c)
descending ramp.

Table 3: Regression model coefficients and the goodness of fit. 7. Discussion

Object b1 b2 R2 Based on the speed behavior of various participants measured
Ascending ramp 𝑉a85 21.803 -43.175 0.940 in this study (speed profiles shown in Figures 5 and 8), we
Ascending ramp 𝑉aa 20.496 -41.87 0.906 conclude that the design speed of the helical ramp of the
Descending ramp 𝑉a85 28.494 -68.198 0.962 Yangtze River Bridge is not appropriate, and the alignment
Descending ramp 𝑉aa 22.593 -49.712 0.876 elements are inconsistent with its design standard. This leads
to a serious deviation between the actual driving behavior
and design expectations. Therefore, the ramp radius, shoulder
6. Correlation between Speed and width, and other geometric features used in the design
Ramp Radius process should not significantly exceed the normal values
recommended in the guideline; otherwise, the design speed
The box plot of the average speed on a helical ramp (the should be increased to correspond to the design criteria of
average value of a speed curve within Stage II in Figure 5 and ramp geometry.
Stage III in Figure 8), V 𝑎𝑖 , was obtained using SPSS19.0, as After the interchange construction is completed and
shown in Figure 16(a). It is obvious from the figure that there opened to traffic, a proper speed limit for the ramp should
is a correlation between the driving speed and horizontal be determined through an adequate field investigation and
radius of the helical ramp, regardless of whether it is an verification, rather than simply using the design speed of
ascending or descending ramp; that is, the larger the radius, the ramp as the speed limit. A too low speed limit reduces
the higher the driving speed. The 85th percentile of 𝑉𝑎𝑖 , i.e., the traffic capacity and the operational efficiency in ramp
𝑉𝑎85 , for each helical ramp was extracted, and a broken line areas where there are no valid safety concerns. According
graph of 𝑉𝑎85 changing over ramp radius was plotted, as to Figure 16, apart from R60 (ascending ramp of Rongqiao
shown in Figures 16(b) and 16(c), in addition to the quadric Helix Bridge), the 75th percentiles 𝑉ai , 𝑉a75 , for other seven
mean 𝑉aa . From the figure, we can see a strong correlation ramps, are less than 40 km/h. In addition, except for Jinkai
between 𝑉𝑎85 (or 𝑉aa ) and ramp radius. Using the least Ring Bridge, the 85th percentile V 𝑎𝑖 , 𝑉a85 , for the ramps
squares analysis, the regression formula for the data points at the other three sites, ranges from 40 to 45 km/h for the
in the graphs can be determined. Among various typical ascending path and 38 to 45 km/h for the descending path.
mathematical functions, logarithmic function has a higher Therefore, for one-way helical ramps and bridges with design
goodness of fit and a simpler form, and it is expressed as speeds below 40 km/h, speed limit for passenger cars should
follows: be set at 40 km/h, i.e., the roundness of 𝑉a85 taking tens
as unit. Moreover, because it is common for the drivers to
𝑓 (𝑥) = 𝑏1 ⋅ ln (𝑥) + 𝑏2 , (4) decelerate in the traffic merge area (the end of the ramp),
there is a high rear-end collision risk in that area when
where 𝑥 is the independent variable, namely, the horizontal the deceleration amplitudes of the preceding and following
radius of the centerline (m) of the bridge deck (box girder) vehicles are inconsistent. This fact also requires the attention
where the traffic lane is located, and 𝑓(𝑥) is the function of the of the designers and administrators.
dependent variables 𝑉a85 or 𝑉aa . The values of the regression For descending ramps, drivers experience an obvious
model coefficients, b1 and b2 , and the goodness of fit, R2 , are deceleration when entering a helical ramp, and deceleration
presented in Table 3. length and its distribution of WJ’ ramp and RQ’ ramp are
Journal of Advanced Transportation 15

GV1
0.1 Pattern of C1 Pattern of C2 Pattern of C3 Pattern of C4
Speed Speed Speed Speed
C4
C1 C3
GV2
−0.1 0 C2 0.1

−0.1 Distance Distance Distance Distance

(a)
GV1
0.1 Pattern of C1 Pattern of C2 Pattern of C3 Pattern of C4
Speed Speed Speed Speed
C4
C1
GV2
−0.1 0 0.1
C3
C2

−0.1 Distance Distance Distance Distance

(b)

Figure 17: Speed patterns correspond to four clustering center. (a) Ascending ramp; (b) descending ramp.

60
Buick Benz Toyota Buick Buddha Average speed of a travel on Rongqiao
50 Buddha Vito Hiace D11 ascending ramp within Stage III, V；Ｏi
Benz D10 D1 D3
Toyota Vito Average speed of a travel on Rongqiao
45 descending ramp within Stage III, V；＞i
Hiace D2
Speed (km/h)

40 D4 Average of V；Ｏi for a driver

D1
Benz D11 Average of V；＞i for a driver
35 D3 Vito Design speed, 40 km/h
D2 Toyota
30 D10 Hiace Di, The number for a driver
D4
Drivers D1 and D2 drove the Benz Vito
25
Drivers D3 and D4 drove the Toyota Hiace
20 Drivers D10 and D11 drove the Buick Buddha
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Sequence Number

Figure 18: Average speed of different types of vehicles on Rongqiao Helical Bridge.

present in Section 4.2.2. The deceleration length of YZ’ ramp ramp. Consequently, we searched for other examples of such
was analyzed qualitatively, instead of getting a statistical interchanges within the jurisdiction of Chongqing and found
distribution, because there are three curves between the Yangtze River Bridge and Wujiang Bridge in Fuling, a district
tangent and the helix (see Figure 9); i.e., the helix is not of Chongqing. While conducting the driving tests in Fuling
directly connected to the tangent (mainline). for the second time, we found another conspicuous object, the
One of the main aims of this work is to get the speed Jinkai Ring Bridge. Therefore, the number of participants for
pattern for helical ramps, a method of “location in four- each experimental site was different because of the difference
quadrant of speed gradient (GV 1𝑖 , GV 2𝑖 )” was designed to in the experiment period. And the sample of participants of
determine the speed patterns, and this method has an explicit all experimental sites is relatively small, which may reduce the
physics meaning to explain the change in speed. In addition, statistical significance and result in a limitation of this study.
four clusters by K-means algorithm are present in Figures Another limitation of this paper is the two different types
15(c) and 15(d); according to the location of four clustering of vehicles adopted in the driving test, three MPVs and
centers in GV 1 —GV 2 coordinate, we can draw the four one minivan. Minivan (Toyota Hiace) has a higher center
typical speed patterns, as shown in Figure 17. of gravity than the other three vehicles, which can result in
The content of this study is a part of investigative work on a larger rolling moment that acted on the vehicle body and
the “identification and control of dangerous driving patterns may influence the driving behavior. To figure out whether the
on complex interchanges based on reverse deconstruction of effect exists, the average speeds within Stage III on Rongqiao
multi-parameters (NSFC 51678099),” conducted by us. In the Helical Bridge (Toyota Hiace was used on this site), 𝑉au and
early stages of the driving experiments, we carried out driving 𝑉ad , were calculated for each travel. And 𝑉au𝑖 and 𝑉ad𝑖 for each
tests on interchanges located in an urban area of Chongqing. participant were averaged again (i = 1, 2. . . . . ., N, N is number
While collecting the naturalistic data on the Rongqiao Helix of rounds a driver’s trip on the helical bridge), and then the
Bridge, we became aware of the peculiarities of this type of quadric mean speed was obtained, as shown in Figure 18.
16 Journal of Advanced Transportation

Next, we sequenced the quadric mean speed in an ascending In this work, we mainly analyzed the speed character-
order and then obtained two polylines for up- and down- istics on helical ramps. Other key factors, such as lateral
direction travel. In Figure 18 driver D4 drove Toyota Hiace at acceleration, lane occupancy, and steering/pedal input, will
the lowest speed, while driver D3 of the same vehicle steered be described in another article. Moreover, during the natural
at the second-highest speed. From Figure 18 we are not able driving test, we collected the electrocardiographic (ECG)
to see a correlation between vehicle type and average driving signals of the drivers and passengers. In our future work,
speed, and maybe the driving style and personality of drivers we will analyze the distribution and variation characteristics
are the dominant factors for the difference in driving speed. of ECG signals within helical ramps to obtain the mental
And this issue will be analyzed and discussed in our future workload of drivers and its influence on the driving behavior.
work.

8. Conclusions Data Availability

In this study, we conducted field driving tests and obtained The data used to support the findings of this study are
the operating parameters of vehicles traveling on helical available from the corresponding author upon request.
ramps under natural driving conditions. Based on the anal-
ysis of the naturalistic data of driving speed obtained from Conflicts of Interest
the participants, speed characteristics and speed patterns on
helical ramps were determined, as well as factors affecting The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest
speed amplitudes and fluctuations. The findings in this study regarding the publication of this article.
can provide basic data referencing and scientific evidence to
essentially improve the safety level of helical ramps in the
practice of design and operation stage. The main findings of Acknowledgments
our research are as follows: This research was supported by the National Natural Science
(1) When a helical ramp merged with the main route, the Foundation of China (Grant No. 51678099) and by Applied
driver would observe the traffic on the mainline and make a Basic Research Program of Ministry of Transport of China
judgment to adjust his/her speed. Therefore, obvious decel- (Grant No. 2015319814050).
eration behavior exhibited by the driver was observed before
the physical gore, and this was common to all participants.
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