HIGHWAY ENGINEERING

WEEK 3 – SOLUTIONS
 Driver Characteristics

Example 1: A driver with a perception-reaction time of 2.5

seconds is driving at a constant speed of 100kph when he
observes that an accident has blocked the road ahead.
Compute the distance the vehicle would travel before the
driver could activate the brakes.
 SOLUTION:

• Distance = Velocity x PRT

• Must convert kph to meters per second (mps)
• D = 100kph*(2.5 seconds)= (27.8mps)*(2.5 seconds)
• D = 69.5 mts (before brakes are activated!)

• General Formula:
• D = (V)(t)
• where: D is the distance in meters, V is the speed in mps, t is the
perception-reaction time in seconds.
 Vehicle Characteristics

Example 2 (constant acceleration case):

A vehicle traveling at 50kph. The driver applies the brakes

20m from the stop sign. Will the driver be able to stop in
time (using a deceleration of -3.4m/s²)?
 Vehicle Characteristics
SOLUTION:
A vehicle traveling at 50kph. The driver applies the brakes 20m
from the stop sign. Will the driver be able to stop in time (using
a deceleration of -3.4m/s²)?

ANSWER: The driver won’t be able to stop in time.

 Stopping Sight Distance
Example 3 (stopping distance):
A man testing the breaking ability of his car determined
that he needs 10.00 m. more to stop downhill on a
particular road than uphill when driving at 80kph. Assume
a coefficient of friction of 0.30, determine the braking
downhill and the % grade of the road.
 Practical Stopping Distance
SOLUTION:
A man testing the breaking ability of his car determined that he
needs 10.00 m. more to stop downhill on a particular road than
uphill when driving at 80kph. Assume a coefficient of friction of
0.30, determine the braking downhill and the % grade of the road.
Db = downhill braking distance
u2 (80 * 0.28  22.2) 2
Db   Db-10m = uphill braking distance
2 g ( f  G) 2 * 9.81(.30  G )
22.2 2 22.2 2
10  
19.6(0.3  G ) 19.6(0.3  G )
22.2 2
Db  10 
19.6(0.30  G )

G 2  5G  0.09  0 G  0.018(1.8%)
22.2 2
Db 
19.6(0.30  0.018) Db  89.16m.
 Stopping Sight Distance

Example 4 (stopping distance):

A motorist is traveling at 100kph down a grade of 2%,
what is the SSD?. Assume tr=2.5sec.

𝑢2 (100𝑘𝑝ℎ ∗ 0.278)2
𝑆𝑆𝐷 = 𝑢𝑡 + = 100𝑘𝑝ℎ ∗ 0.278 2.5 𝑠 + 𝑚
2𝑔(𝑓 − 𝐺) 2(9.81 2 )(0.3 − 0.02)
𝑠

𝑆𝑆𝐷 = 168.5 m
 Stopping Sight Distance
Example 5 (stopping distance):
A man traveling at 90kph down a grade of 5% observes an accident
blocking the road ahead of him. If he is able to stop his car 10m
before the accident site, how far from the site was he when he first
observed the accident?
Assume PRT (perception-reaction time) = 2.5 sec
i: Find stopping distance:

ii: Find distance at first observation:

 Minimum Radius of a Circular Curve

Example 6 (superelevation):
Existing highway has a horizontal curve with 100m radius restricting
maximum speed to 60% of the design speed. If the curve is to be
improved so that maximum speed will be equal to the design speed.
Determine the minimum radius of the new curve. Assume that
coefficient of side friction is equal at 0.15 and superelevation is 0.08.
Superelevation does not change.
 Minimum Radius of a Circular Curve
SOLUTION:
Existing highway has a horizontal curve with 100m radius restricting maximum
speed to 60% of the design speed. If the curve is to be improved so that
maximum speed will be equal to the design speed. Determine the minimum
radius of the new curve. Assume that coefficient of side friction is equal at 0.15
and superelevation is 0.08. Superelevation does not change.
R = 100 m 𝑢2 𝑢2
fs = 0.15 𝑅= 100 =
127(𝑒 + 𝑓𝑠 ) 127(0.08 + 0.15)
e = 0.08
54
𝑢 = 54 kph = 90 kph = 𝑢𝑑
Design Speed 60%
(kph) fs
To 90kph: fs = 0.13
40 0.21
50 0.18
55-80 0.15 902
𝑅= 𝑅 = 304 𝑚
> 110 0.10 127(0.08 + 0.13)
 Stopping Sight Distance
Example 7 (stopping distance):

A new transportation engineer is in charge with the design of a

horizontal curve for a new highway. His final design calls for a curve
with a radius of 520 meters. Would you sign your name to his plans?

Assume that the design speed for this highway is 110 km/h. You can
also assume that snow and ice will be present on the roadway from
time to time.