CE222 Highway Engineering

Notes for Chapter 7 Geometric Design of Highways

Design Standards: Design standards and procedures vary from state to state. Federal
Aided highway projects should follow ASSHTO standards.

Factors affecting
Highway Design: Functional Classification of the roadway
Projected traffic volume and composition
Required design speed
Topography of the surrounding land
Capital costs for construction
Agency funding mechanisms
Human sensory capacities of roadway users
Vehicle size and performance characteristics
Traffic safety considerations
Public involvement, review, and comment
Environmental consideration
Right-of-way impacts and costs

In detail, the following factors are directly related to the design of new roadway:

Average Daily Traffic (ADT)

Design Hourly Volume (DHV)
Directional Distribution (D)
Percentage of trucks (T)
Design Speed (V)
Design Vehicles
All the above factors reflect the demand side of the highway facility to be built.
They indicate the measurements that the new facility (after built) should
accommodate or meet.

Roadway Capacity

Roadway capacity represents the supply side of the roadway. Capacity is directly
related to Level of Service. See Table 7-1

Cross Section Elements

Cross Section Elements are also called Templates

Students should have a clear understanding of Two-lane, three-lane, multilane
undivided, multilane divided, and limited-access highways
Pavement crown: width and slope normal slope is 2%, in detail see CalTran
Design manual
Shoulders: see CalTran Design manual
Guardrail Warrant: slope greater than 3:1, guardrail should be placed
 Curbs, curb and gutter and drainage ditches

Curbs are seldom on freeways but often used urban and

suburban roadways
Right-of-Way: see CalTran Design Manual

Roadway Alignment

Horizontal and Vertical Alignments

Terrain Types: level, rolling and mountainous

Horizontal Alignment: Consists of lines and circular curves

Lines are easy for understanding
Curves should be understood in greater detail
Degree of curvature: arc definition and chord definition

Controls used in the Horizontal alignment: See Page 179. Students should have
full understanding on how to use these equations and formulas.

Super-elevation of curves:

Why we need super-elevation? Transition from a tangent section to a

curved section of the highway
Difference between emax and e
Attainment of super-elevation: See CalTran design manual
1/3 of transition length (transition runoff) on curve
2/3 of transition length 9transition runoff) on tangent line

A lot of students mistakenly think that the length discussed above is the
length of curve.

Vertical Alignment:

Vertical alignment is designed on profile. Pay attention to grades and

grade control.

Vertical curves - parabolic curve not circular curve

Crest curve and sag curve
Understand equations and formulas on Page 192, very important
Full understanding on Example 7-1 on page 193

Sight Distance

Stooping sight distance,

Passing sight distance
Decision sight distance

Please understand how to ensure your highway design to meet sight

distance requirements. Check my class lecture notes. This part is very
important.