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Curve Surveying
Curve Surveying
Concepts
Alignment is a 3D problem
broken down into two 2D
problems
Horizontal Alignment (plan
view)
Vertical Alignment (profile
view)
TYPES OF CURVES
Simple Curve
Compound Curve
R
R
spiral
Reverse Curve
R
R
R
spiral
Transitional Curve
Compound
Compound curve is often used because of the terrain
profile. This curve normally consists of two simple curves
curving in the same direction and joined together.
Vertical Alignment
STATIONING (Chainage)
On route surveys, the surveyor numbers the
stations forward from the beginning of the project.
For example, 0+00 indicates the beginning of the
project. The 15+12.96 would indicate a point
462.96 m from the beginning. A full station is 30
meters, making 15+00 and 16+00 full stations.
A plus station indicates a point between full
stations. (15+12.96 is a plus station.) When using
the metric system, the surveyor does not use the
plus system of numbering stations. The station
number simply becomes the distance from the
beginning of the project.
HORIZONTAL SIMPLE
CIRCULAR CURVES
A simple circular curve can be designated
either by the degree of the curve or by the
radius of curve.
Arc definition
The arc definition states that the degree of curve
(D) is the angle formed by two radii drawn from
the center of the circle to the ends of an arc 100
feet or 30.48 meters long. In this definition, the
degree of curve and radius are inversely
proportional using the following formula:
Chord definition
The chord definition states that the degree of curve
is the angle formed by two radii drawn from the
center of the circle to the ends of chord 100 feet
or 30.48 meters long. The radius is computed by
the following formula:
Standard Terminology
PI
PC
L
LC
PT
PI = Point of Intersection
PC = Point of Curvature
PT = Point of Tangency
L = Length of Curve
LC = Long Chord
Horizontal Curve
PI
T
E
M
L
/2
PT
R
/2 /2
T R tan
2
L
180
M
PC
/2
100
D
180
100
18,000
PT
R
/2 /2
T
E
M
PC
E R
1
cos 2
M R1 cos
2
/2
PT
R
/2 /2
Rv
Wp F f Fcp
Superelevation
Fc
e
W
1 ft
WV 2
WV 2
W sin fs W cos
sin
cos
gRv
gRv
Transition Curve
A transition curve is usually inserted
between the straight section and the circle (for
fluent passing)
A clothoid (Eulers spiral) is the transition
curve for roads and a cubic parabola is the
transition curve for railways.
Vertical Curves
When two grade lines intersect, there is a
vertical change of direction.
To insure safe and comfortable travel, the
surveyor rounds off the intersection by
inserting a vertical parabolic curve.
The parabolic curve provides a gradual
direction change from one grade to the next.
Vertical Curves
Curve a: Crest Vertical Curve
(concave downward)
(concave upward)
BVC
EVC
Xp
Yp
L/2
L = curve length
L/2
Terms:
BVC: Beginning of Vertical Curve
aka PVC
V: Vertex
aka PVI
aka PVT
Equations:
r = (g2 g1)/L
where:
g2 & g1 - in percent (%)
L in stations
and
Sight Distance
Defined as the distance required, for a given
design speed to safely stop a vehicle thus avoiding
a collision with an unexpected stationary object in
the roadway ahead
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