Highway Engineering/Chapter Five Dr.

Raad Awad Kattan

Horizontal alignment
The horizontal alignment consists of straight sections of the roads, known as tangents,
connected by horizontal curves. the curves usually segments of circles.

Cricular Curve Tangent Tangent

Cricular Curve

Tangent

Horizontal curves

Types of horizontal curves

Simple circular, compound, reversed , and spiral

Simple Circular Compound Curve

Reverse Curve

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 Highwa
ay Engineeering/Ch
hapter Fiive Dr. Raaad Awad Kattan
Sim
mple circullar curves

Thee simple ciircular currve is desccribed by the

t radiuss of the curve R
PII
Δ
T E

PC M
PT
C

R
Δ/2 Δ/2

L=
= Length of the currve

∆rad= L= R ∆rad

T
T= length of
o the tang
gent

T=R tan

M
M= the midd
dle ordinate

M = R - R cos ( ))

E
E=the extern
nal distance

E = - R

∆
Len
ngth of thee long cho
ord C= 2R
R sin )

Exaample

Δ = 50ْ , R = 100
00m , sttation P.I =20+00. Find statiion : P.C,, P.T

an ∆/2= 10
T= R ta 000* tan 25= 466.31m

Station
n P.C= stattion P.I –T=
– 2000-- 466.31= 15+33.699
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 Highway Engineering/Chapter Five Dr. Raad Awad Kattan
L = 1000* 55* = 959.93 m

P.T= station P.C + L = 1533.69+ 959.93= 24+93.62

Setting out of simple circular curve using theodolite and tape

Measure the deflection angle from the tangent at point P.C and chord joining consecutive
whole station

Example: a horizontal curve having R= 500m, ∆=40°, station P.I= 12+00 ,prepare a setting
out table to set out the curve using deflection angle from the tangent and chord length
method, dividing the arc into 50m stations. PI

50m arc

δ/2

PT

PC

L= R ∆rad = 349.07m T= R tan ∆/2= 181.99m

Station P.C= 1200- T= 10+18.01

Station P.T= Station P.C+L=13+67.08

δ=

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 Highway Engineering/Chapter Five Dr. Raad Awad Kattan
.
δ1= =3° 39´ 57˝

δ2, 3,4..= ° ´ ˝

station arc deflection angle δ/2 tangential chord

length δ angle length
(m)
10+18.01
10+50 31.99 3° 39´ 57˝ 1° 49´ 59˝ 1° 49´ 59˝ 31.99
11+00 50 5° 43´ 46˝ 2° 51´ 53˝ 4° 41´ 52˝ 49.97
11+50 50 5° 43´ 46˝ 2° 51´ 53˝ 7° 33´ 45˝ 49.97
12+00 50 5° 43´ 46˝ 2° 51´ 53˝ 10° 25´ 38˝ 49.97
12+50 50 5° 43´ 46˝ 2° 51´ 53˝ 13° 17´ 31˝ 49.97
13+00 50 5° 43´ 46˝ 2° 51´ 53˝ 16° 09´ 24˝ 49.97
13+50 50 5° 43´ 46˝ 2° 51´ 53˝ 19° 01´ 17˝ 49.97
13+67.08 17.08 1° 57´ 26˝ 0° 58´ 43˝ 20° 00´ 00˝ 17.08
∑=349.07 ∑=39° 59´ 59˝ ∑=20° 00´ 00˝

Compound curves : consist of two or more curves in succession turning in the same
direction with any two successive curves having common tangent. Compound curves are
used mainly in obtaining desirable shape of the horizontal alignment…e.g : at intersections,
ramps, difficult topographic conditions.

In general Ratio of the flatter radius to the sharper < 2:1 T1 T2

T1,T2 = tangents to the compound curve

PCC
t1, t2 = tangents to the simple curves PC t1

PCC = point of compound curve t2 pT

The first curve is set out using a theodolite from point PC

The theodolite reads zero towards point R1 R2

The second curve is set out from point PCC. The theodolite

read 360-Δ1/2 ( 360- 17=343ْ in the next example). The theodolite rotate untie it reads zero
then transit on the vertical plan to be on tangent to the second curve.
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 Highway Engineering/Chapter Five Dr. Raad Awad Kattan

60ْ
26ْ
Example : ∆1=34° ∆2=26° st PI= 611+30 T1 d1 d2
34ْ
t1=500 tan 17°=152.87m L1=269.71m t1+t2

t2=350 tan13° =80.80m L2=158.82m

t1+t2=233.67m
500 26ْ 350
.
= d1= 118.28m

T1=t1+d1=152.87+118.28=271.15m 34ْ

St P.C=61130-T1 =61130.00-271.15 =608+58.85

ST PCC= ST PC+L1=60858.85+269.71 =611+28.56

ST PT= ST PCC+L2= 61128.56+158.82 =612+87.38

station arc deflection δ/2 tangential chord

angle angle length
pc 608+58.85 ---
609+00 41.15
609+50 50
610+00 50
610+50 50
611+00 50
pcc 611+28.56 28.56
pcc 611+28.56 ------
611+50 21.44
612+00 50
612+50 50
612+87.38 37.38

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 Highway Engineering/Chapter Five Dr. Raad Awad Kattan

Reverse curves

Reverse curves usually consist of two simple curves turning in opposite direction with a
common tangent . They are generally used to change the alignment of the highway .

Reverse curves are seldom recommended because of the sudden change in alignment.
When it is necessary to reverse alignment it is better to use two simple curves separated by
sufficient tangent between them.

I1

50°

I2 50°

Example

Equal radius reverse curve

Common tangent I1-I2 =700m find R

Example

Equal radius reverse curve , Common tangent I1-I2 =700m , ∆1=40° ∆2=40°

Straight section on the tangents= 150m … find R

I1

150m

I2

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 Highway Engineering/Chapter Five Dr. Raad Awad Kattan

Calculating R depending on the distances between the beginning and end of the reverse
curve d (between the tangents) and D (along the tangents)

tangent
common tangent

tangent

∆ Δ/2

R (R- R cos ∆)

R cos ∆

(R- R cos ∆) R d

R cos ∆ R

Δ/2 Δ

tan ∆/2= d/D D=d cot ∆/2

D is the distance between the beginning and end of the reverse curve (along the tangents)

d= (R- R cos ∆)+ (R-R cos ∆)

d= 2R(1-cos ∆) R=
∆