SPTOPICS

SPTOPICS
MODULE 9

MODULE 9 PREPARED BY: ENGR. ENZO CASTILLO 1

 SPTOPICS

MODULE INTRODUCTION

Transportation Engineering is one of the newest trends in the civil engineering

board examinations. As such, it is imperative that it should be covered in review
to give an edge to students in their challenge of conquering the civil
engineering licensure examinations.

TIP #1: MOST OF THE TIME, IN WORDED PROBLEMS, THE HARD PART IS NOT
THE MATH PART, BUT THE ENGLISH PART.

TIP #2: SOLVE PROBLEMS WHICH ARE OF THE SAME CONCEPT BUT NOT IN THIS
MODULE. THIS MODULE WAS MADE FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO GRASP THE
CONCEPT ONLY.

TIP #3: BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE, PRAY!

MODULE 9 PREPARED BY: ENGR. ENZO CASTILLO 2

 SPTOPICS

MODULE OUTLINE

This module will cover these selected subjects and subtopics:

PAST BOARD PROBLEMS OF:

I. TRAFFIC ENGINEERING
II. SPIRAL CURVE
III. EMBANKMENT OF A CURVE
IV. SIGHT DISTANCES
V. PAVEMENTS
VI. MISCELLANEOUS

MODULE 9 PREPARED BY: ENGR. ENZO CASTILLO 3

SPTOPICS

MODULE 9

TRANSPORTATION
ENGINEERING

MODULE 9 PREPARED BY: ENGR. ENZO CASTILLO 4

SPTOPICS

 TRAFFIC ENGINEERING

1. Accident rates for 100 million vehicle miles of travel (HMVM) for a segment
of a highway:
𝐴(100,000,000)
𝑅=
ADT x N x 365 x L
 R = the accident rate for 100 million vehicle miles
 A = the number of accidents during period of analysis
 ADT = average daily traffic
 N = time period in years
 L = length of segment in miles

2. Accident rates per million entering vehicles (MEV) for an intersection:

𝐴(1, 000, 000)
𝑅=
ADT x N x 365
 R = the accident rate for one million entering vehicles
 ADT = the average daily traffic entering the intersection from all legs
 N = time period in years

3. Severity ratio

fatal + injury accidents

𝑠𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜 =
fatal + injury + property damage

4. Space mean speed of a vehicle:

𝑛𝑑
𝜇𝑠 =
∑ 𝑡𝑖

 ∑ 𝑡𝑖 = sum of all time observations

 n = no. of vehicles
 d = length of a segment of the road
 𝜇𝑠 = space mean speed

5. Space mean speed of a vehicle:

𝑑
∑
𝑡𝑖
𝜇𝑠 =
𝑛

 d = length of a segment of the road

 ti = time of observation
 n = no. of vehicles

MODULE 9 PREPARED BY: ENGR. ENZO CASTILLO 5

SPTOPICS

6. Rate of flow:

𝑞 = 𝐾𝜇𝑠

 q = rate of flow in vehicles/hour

 K = density in vehicles/hour/mile
 𝜇𝑠 = space mean speed

7. Spacing of vehicles:

𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐 𝑖𝑛 𝑣𝑒ℎ𝑖𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑠/ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟

𝑁𝑜. 𝑜𝑓 𝑣𝑒ℎ𝑖𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑘𝑚 =
𝑎𝑣𝑒. 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑎𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑘𝑚/ℎ𝑟
 Average density = no. of vehicles per km
1000
 Spacing of vehicles = 𝑎𝑣𝑒. 𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦
NOTE: 1 km = 1000 m

8. Capacity of a single lane in vehicles per hour:

𝑆 = 𝑉𝑡 + 𝐿
 S = ave. center to center spacing of cars in meters
 V = ave. speed of cars in meters
 t = reaction time in seconds
 L = length of one car in meters
1000 (𝑉)
 C= 𝑆
 C = capacity of a single lane in vehicles/hour

9. Min. time headway:

3600
𝐻𝑡 =
𝐶
 Ht = time headway in sec.
 C = capacity in sec.
1000𝑉
 C= 𝑆
 V = average velocity in kph
 S = spacing between cars
 S = Vt + L
 t = reaction time in sec.
 L = length of one car in meters

MODULE 9 PREPARED BY: ENGR. ENZO CASTILLO 6

SPTOPICS

10. Time mean speed:

∑ 𝜇𝑖
𝜇𝑡 =
𝑛
 𝜇𝑡 = time mean speed
 ∑ 𝜇𝑖 = sum of all spot speeds (kph)
 n = no. of vehicles

11. Space mean speed:

𝑛
𝜇𝑠 =
1
∑
𝜇1
1
 ∑𝜇 = sum of the reciprocal of spot speeds
1
 n = no. of vehicles
 𝜇𝑠 = space mean speed

12. Density of traffic:

𝑞
𝐾=
𝜇𝑠
 K = density of traffic in vehicles/km
 q = flow of traffic in vehicles/hr
 𝜇𝑠 = space mean speed in kph

13. Density of traffic:

𝑅1
𝐾=
𝑎𝑣𝑒. 𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑣𝑒ℎ𝑖𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑠
 K = density of traffic in vehicles/km
𝑠𝑢𝑚 𝑜𝑓 𝑣𝑒ℎ𝑖𝑐𝑙𝑒 𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ𝑠
 R1 = 𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑟𝑜𝑎𝑑𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

14. Variance about the space means speed:

𝜎𝑠 2
𝜇𝑡 + 𝜇𝑠 =
𝜇𝑠
 𝜎𝑠2 = variance about the space mean speed
 𝜇𝑡 = time means speed
 𝜇𝑠 = space mean speed

15. 5 min. peak hour factor:

𝑃𝐻𝐹 = 𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑘 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟

𝑠𝑢𝑚 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑜𝑛𝑒 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟
PHF = 60
𝑚𝑎𝑥.𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑘 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑥 5

MODULE 9 PREPARED BY: ENGR. ENZO CASTILLO 7

SPTOPICS

MODULE 9 PREPARED BY: ENGR. ENZO CASTILLO 8

 SPTOPICS

1. Data on a traffic incident recorded on a certain intersection for the past 5 years has an accident rate of 4160
per million entering vehicles (ARMV). If the average daily traffic entering the intersection is 504, find the total
number of accidents during the 5 year period. (Ans: 3826)

2. The accident rate at a sharp highway curve was 1240 per million passing vehicles. In the last 5 years, there
had been 2607 accidents. What was the average daily traffic? (Ans: 59.71)

3. Find the accident rate at a road intersection per million entering vehicles if the average daily traffic is 345
and 1742 accidents had occurred in the last 4 years. (Ans: 3429)

4. Data on a traffic accident recorded for the past 5 years on a certain stretch of a two lane highway is
tabulated as follows:

Year Property Injury Fatal

Damage
1960 110 42 4
1961 210 54 2
1962 182 60 5
1963 240 74 7
1964 175 94 6

Compute the severity ratio. (Ans: 0.275)

5. If 2340 vehicles per hour passes a certain lane of road with average speed of 52 kph, determine the
appropriate spacing between these vehicles. (Ans: 22.22 m)

6. During peak hours, 3800 vehicles pass thru a certain highway from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM, with a space mean
speed of 20 kph. What is the traffic density in vehicles per kM? (Ans: 95 vehicles/km)

7. The number of accidents for 6 years recorded in a certain section of a highway is 5432. If the average daily
traffic is 476, what is the accident rate per million entering vehicles? (Ans: 5211)

8. Using the road accident record shown below, determine the total no. of fatal accidents in 1993 and 1994 if
the severity ratio for a period of 5 years was 0.26. (Ans: x+y= 21.46)

Year Property Injury Fatal

Damage
1990 215 61 4
1991 188 53 5
1992 163 46 5
1993 198 65 X
1994 242 93 Y
Total 1006 318 14 + x + y

9. Data on traffic passing thru an intersection indicates that vehicles moved at a space mean speed of 40 mph
where the density is 22 vehicles per hour per mile. Compute the rate of flow in vehicles per hour. (Ans: 880
vehicles per hour)

10. Compute the rate of flow in vehicles per hour if the space mean speed is 30 mph and the density is 14 vehicles
per km. (Ans: 675.92n veh

11. Determine the appropriate spacing of vehicles center to center in a certain lane if the average speed of the
cars using that particular lane is 40 kph and the volume of traffic is 800 vehicles per hour. (Ans: 50 m.)

MODULE 9 PREPARED BY: ENGR. ENZO CASTILLO 9

 SPTOPICS

12. In an observation post shows that 5 vehicles passes through the post at intervals of 8 sec, 9 sec, 10 sec, 11 sec
and 13 sec, respectively. The speed of the vehicles were 80 kph, 76 kph, 70 kph, 80 kph, and 50 kph,
respectively.
a. Compute the time mean speed. (Ans: 67.2 kph)
b. Compute the space mean speed if the distance travelled by the vehicles is 250 m. (Ans: 88.24 kph)
c. If the density of traffic is 20 vehicles per km, compute the rate of flow of traffic in vehicles/hour.

13. The speed of a car moving on a single lane is 60 kph. If the length of the car is 4.2 in and the value of the
reaction time is 0.7 sec.
a. Compute the average center to center of cars in meters. (Ans: 15.87 m)
b. Compute the capacity of the single lane in vehicles per hour. (Ans: 3781 vehicles/hr)
c. Compute the average density in traffic in vehicles per hour. (Ans:63 vehicles/hr)

14. Compute the average speed in kph that a passenger car should travel in a certain highway if the spacing of
the cars moving in the same lane is 40 m. center to center. Volume of traffic at this instant is 2000 vehicles per
hour. (Ans: 80 kph)

15. There are 5 vehicles passing through an intersection of two highway in a period of 20 sec.

Vehicles Spot Speed

(kph)
1 34.20 kph
2 42.40kph
3 46.30 kph
4 41.10 kph
5 43.40 kph

Compute the space mean speed in kph. (Ans: 41.05 kph)

16. The truck overturned at 12:00 noon near 50 km on the north bound of road in the province of Cebu
completely blocking the highway. Fortunately the incident site is just beyond an overpass between an off-
ramp and an on-ramp. This means the most vehicles will see the blockage and exit at the off-ramp, avoiding
a backup and long delay. This also makes the detour of through vehicles simply a matter of using these ramps
to go around the incident site. After the truck mishaps, the ramp capacities were govern by a stop light at
the end of the off-ramp and priority given to cross traffic, which did not have a stop sign. The ramp service
rate of detouring traffic was approximately 650 vph. At exactly 11:00 PM the highway was reopened to
through traffic with capacity of 3600 vph. The flow rate at this time of the day is 1550 vph.
a. What was the longest vehicle queue? (Ans: 900 vehicles)
b. At approximately what time does the queue dissipate? (Ans:1:24.0 PM)
c. Compute the average delay per vehicle. (Ans: 17.42 min/vehicles)

17. The intersection of EDSA and Ortigas avenue may not have qualified as a hazardous intersection, but many
drivers perceive it as unsafe. A team of observers spent 40 hours at the intersection and collected the
following information.
 94 total conflicts with 54 being a rear-end conflict type.
 Average hourly approach volume = 1205 vehicles
 Total time to collision (TTC) severity = 190 for the 94 conflicts
 Total risk of collision (TRC) severity = 201 for the 94 conflicts

a. Determine the average hourly conflict (AHC) per thousand entering vehicles. (Ans: 2.35)
b. Determine the overall average conflict severity (OACS). (Ans: 391)
c. Determine the total conflict severity (TCS). (Ans: 4.16)

18. The Manila City Engineers staff believes that installing stop signs at a previously uncontrolled intersection will
recue crashes (accidents) by 26%. In the base year (last year) there were 11 right angle collision at the

MODULE 9 PREPARED BY: ENGR. ENZO CASTILLO 10

 SPTOPICS

intersection whose approach volume was 3273 vehicles per day. Ten years from now, the approach average
daily traffic is forecasted to be 4000 vehicles per day.
a. How many crashes will be predicted in 10 years from now if the stop signs were installed? (Ans: 3.5)
b. If we extend the period of analysis to 15 years, the traffic growth will increase to 2%, and the number
of right angle collision will also increase by 2%. Determine the total number of crashes prevented in
the 3rd year. (Ans: 2.91 crashes)
c. If the total crash is only 0.5%, determine the number of crashes prevented after one year. (Ans: P41,
633,88)

19. A man is driving along a local road at 88 kph. This man hates to wait for anything, even the train he sees
heading for the grade crossing ahead. There is no gate and this grade crossing, only a cross buck sign and a
belt. He decided to try to beat the train to the crossing. Although he can guess at these values, the train is
150 m. from the crossing and moving 80 kph when the man first sees it. At the time he was 240 m from the
crossing.
a. Assuming he has a reaction time of 0.6 seconds, how far from the crossing will he be when he begins
to accelerate? (Ans: 225.34 m)
b. If the car can accelerate at the rate of 8.5 m/s2 but has a max speed of 140 kph, how fast will it be
going when it reaches the crossing? (Ans: 263.2 kph)
c. How much time did he beat the train? (Ans: 2.71 sec)
20. A driver travelling in his 4.8 m SUV at a speed limit of 48 kph was arrested for running a red light at an
intersection that is 18 m wide. The driver claimed innocence, on the grounds that the traffic lights were not
set properly. The yellow light was on the for the standard 4 seconds. The SUV driver reaction time assumed to
be 1.5 sec. comfortable deceleration is at a rate of 3 m/s2.
a. Compute the min. distance needed to stop as soon as he sees the yellow traffic signal. (Ans:49.61 m)
b. Compute the distance the driver can travel in the 4 seconds that the yellow light was on at a constant
speed of 48 kph. (Ans: 53.32 m)
c. How long is the dilemma zone this intersection approach? (Ans: 19.09 m)

21. A bus running at a speed of 50 mph, downhill on a grade of 2%. The coeff. of friction between the road
surface and the tire is 0.34. After suddenly applying full brakes, how far will the bus travel until it stops? (Ans:
70.8 m)

22. The brakes are suddenly applied to stop a car is running at 48 kph. Determine the braking distance if the
coeff. of friction between the road surface and the tire is 0.35. (Ans: 25.9 m)

23. The driver of truck running at 100 kph starts applying brakes with increasing force such that at = ct where c =
2.5 m/s3, t = time in sec. in how many seconds after the application of the brakes will the car stops? (Ans: 4.71
sec)

24. Find the total distance that a car traveled from the time the driver saw the hazard when he was travelling 75
kph. Perception time is 2 sec. and the average skid resistance is 0.60. Assume that the car has an efficiency
of 80%. (Ans:87.70 m)

25. While travelling at a constant speed, a driver saw a road block 112 m. away. He applied the brakes and the
car decelerated uniformly at 6.4 m/s2. If stopped 5 m. from the block. Fine the initial constant speed of the
vehicle in mph, if the drivers perception reaction time is 2.2 seconds. (Ans: 57.06 mph)

26. A cargo truck of weight 6000 lb. hits a Mercedes Benz having a weight of 1600 lb. and both vehicles skid
together through a distance of 5 m. before coming to stop. Compute the initial speed of the cargo truck if it
does not apply brakes before collision. Assume coeff. of friction = 0.6. (Ans: 34.99 kph)

27. A car weighing 1000 kg runs at 60 kph around an unbanked circular curve with a radius of 100 m. what force
of friction on the tires should be to prevent the car from sliding? (Ans: 2778)

MODULE 9 PREPARED BY: ENGR. ENZO CASTILLO 11

 SPTOPICS

28. A car running at max. allowable speed along a highway curve with an impact factor of 0.20. If the weight of
the car and its loas is 40 kN, what is the centrifugal force on it? Neglect the friction between the tires and the
pavement. (Ans: 8 kN)

29. A highway curve has a radius of 265 m. and an angle of elevation of embankment of 7°. Find the max. speed
that the car could move in these curve so that there will be no lateral pressure between the tires and the
roadway. (Ans: 39.96 mph)

30. The rated speed of a highway curve of 100 m radius is 65 kph. if the coefficient of friction between the tires
and the road is 0.60, what is the maximum speed at which a car can round the curve without skidding? (Ans:
121.79 kph)

31. A flexible pavement having thickness of 46 mm carries a static wheel load of “W”. The circular contact are
of time has an equivalent radius of 150 mm. if the load “W” is assumed to be transmitted across a wide area
of subgrade at an angle of 45°, compute the value of the wheel load “W” if the bearing stress of the base is
0.42 MPa. (Ans: 50.72 kN)

32. Determine the pavement thickness in cm using an expansion pressure of 0.15 kg/cm 2 and a pavement density
of 0.0025 kg/cm3. Use the expansion pressure method. (Ans: 60 cm)

33. The power of 35000 kW is to pull a train weighing 10000 kN up on a 3% grade. The train resistance of 4N/kN.
Determine the max . speed of the train in m/s. (Ans: 10.29 m/s)

34. A cement concrete pavement has a thickness of 18 cm. and has two lanes of 7 meters with a longitudinal
joint. Design the spacing of the tie bar and the length of the bar.
(Ans: L=38 cm; spacing= 0.88 m )
 Allowable working stress of steel in tension = 16000 kg/cm 2
 Unit weight of concret = 24000 kg/cu.m
 Coefficient of friction between pavement and subgrade = 1.5
 Allowable bond stress in concrete = 24 kg/cm2
 Use 16 mm diameter steel bars

35. A simple and horizontal curve road has a degree of curve of 3.2°, determine the design speed in this curve
in mph if e = 0.08 and f = 0.12. (Ans: 59.2 mph)

36. A rigid pavement is to be used to carry a wheel load of 53.5 kN, design the thickness of the pavement. The
allowable tensile stress of concrete is 1.38 MPa. Sufficient dowels are used across the joints. (Ans: 171 mm at
the center)

37. Compute the intermediate sight distance for a freeway with a design speed of 80 kph if the perception time
is assumed to be 2.5 seconds with a skid resistance of 0.70. assume brake efficiency to be 60%. (Ans: 230.96
m)

38. Compute the minimum required sight distance to avoid a collision got two-way traffic with single lane with a
car approaching from the opposite directions if both cars are moving at a speed of 80 kph. total perception
and reaction time is 2.5 sec. coefficient of friction is 0.40 and brake efficiency is 50%. (Ans: 362.82 m)

39. The driver applied the brakes on a car that is running at a speed of 38 mph. in how many seconds will the car
stop if the average skid resistance is 0.70. (Ans: 2.47 sec)

40. Determine the spacing between contraction joints for a 3.0 m slab having a thickness of 20 cm. coefficient
of friction between concrete and subgrade is 1.5 and unit weight of concrete is 2400 kg/cu.m. Allowable
tensile stress of concrete is 0.8 kg/cm2 and that of steel is 800 kg/cm2. Unit weight of steel is 7500 kg/cu.m steel
bars having a diameter of 1.6 cm. Total reinforcement is 4 kg/cm 2 and it equally distributed in both directions.
For plain cement concrete: b = 3 m; b = 300 cm (Ans: L=4.44 m)

MODULE 9 PREPARED BY: ENGR. ENZO CASTILLO 12