Institute of Technology of Cambodia

Faculty of Hydrology and Water Resources Engineering

Highway Design

Assignment 1
Topic: Policy of vertical clearances in Cambodia or US and their Reality

Lecturer: Dr. LONG Borith

Group: I4-WRI-A (01)

Student name’s: ID

1) BIN Phoem e20150009

2) BUN Panha e20150020
3) BUN Pheakdey e20150021
4) BUNHY Sokny e20150023
5) CHEA Kokheng e20140039

Academic Year: 2018-2019

Table of Contents
I. Introduction:...........................................................................................................................................................2
II. Objective:................................................................................................................................................................2
III. Specifications:.........................................................................................................................................................2
1) For Major Structures.......................................................................................................................................2
2) For Minor Structures......................................................................................................................................2
3) For Federal Aid Participation..........................................................................................................................2
4) Tunnel Clearances...........................................................................................................................................3
IV. Site Observation:....................................................................................................................................................3
V. Comparison between the high way design manual of the US and observation on site:.........................................5
VI. Limitation for allowing type of car travel in Phnom Penh city:...............................................................................6

Policy of vertical clearances in Cambodia or US and

their Reality

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 I. Introduction:
Vertical clearance is the minimum clearance under overhead structures (including over the
paved shoulders). Height of the bridge is the maximum vertical drop distance from the bridge deck
(the road, rail or other transport bed of a bridge) down to the ground or water surface beneath the
bridge span. And it also depends on some factors are effected on selection of level design such as
the region for construction, type of road and the structure are walked across.

II. Objective:
The main objectives of the study are comparison about 3 options of the policy vertical
clearances between the Highway Design Manual, Cambodia Standard and measurement data in
real situation for constructed in around Phnom Penh city such as flyover, and the plat of
commercial on the road. Add more, we will demonstrate about limitation of access movement of a
kind truck travel on some road in our city. So, there are necessaries for drivers to understand the
policy of vertical clearances that are allowable travelling of heavy trucks in our city.

III. Specifications:
According to the high way design manual of the US for any structures above any roads always has
the allowable clearance as below:

1) For Major Structures

a) Freeways and Expressways, All construction except overlay projects. The minimum
vertical clearance shall be 5.1 m over the road bed of the state facility.
b) Freeways and Expressways, Overlay Projects, 4.9 m shall be the minimum vertical
clearance.
c) Conventional Highways, Parkways, and Local Facilities, All Project, 4.6 m shall be the
minimum clearance in the middle and 4.5 m at the shoulders of all portion of roadbed.

2) For Minor Structures

1) Pedestrian over-crossings shall have a minimum vertical clearance 0.5 m greater than the
standard for major structures for the State facility at above.
2) Sign structures shall have a vertical clearance of 5.5 m over the roadbed of the State
facility.

3) For Federal Aid Participation

For falsework clearance or the vertical clearance is controlled by an adjacent structure in a
multi-structure interchange:
 Highway Facilities
1. 5.3 m over freeways and expressways
2. 4.8 m over other highways (4.7 m over shoulders).
3. For pedestrian structures, 0.7 m greater than the above values.

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  Railroad Facilities
1) 7.1 m over the top of rails for non-electrified rail systems
2) 7.4 m over the top of rails for existing or proposed 25 kv electrification
3) 8 m over the top of rails for existing or proposed 50 kv electrification.

4) Tunnel Clearances
The minimum vertical clearance shall be 4.6 m measured at any point over the traveled way
and 4.5 m above the gutter at the curb line.

The Table show about vertical clearance in summary:

Type Traveled Way Shoulder

Freeways and Expressways, New Construction, Lane Additions,
5.1 m 5.1 m
Reconstruction and Modification
Freeways and Expressways, Overlay Projects 4.9 m 4.9 m
All Projects on Conventional Highways and Local Facilities 4.6 m 4.5 m
Sign Structures 5.5 m 5.5 m
Pedestrian for Minor Structures Standard + 0.5 m
4.6 m measured at any point
and 4.5 m above the gutter at
Tunnel
the curb line.

IV. Site Observation:

On the site for study, we have selected 5 placed in our study such as below:

1) 5 Makara Skyway:

2) 7

Makara Skyway:

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3) Sterng mean chey Skyway:

4) Skype Bridge at Chompu voan:

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 5) The plate of commercial on the street 21 near Ta Kmau statue:

Vertical clearance
Nº Site study Type
(m)
Skyway 5
1 5 Makara Skyway
Tunnel 5
2 7 Makara Skyway Skyway 5.2
Tunnel 5
3 Sterng mean chey Skyway
Sign Structures 5.2
4 Skype Bridge at Chompu voan Pedestrian over-crossings 5.5
5 Ta Kmau Sign Structure 5.2

V. Comparison between the high way design manual of the US and

observation on site:
We only have 2 options in comparison that are HDM and Site observation and for about
Cambodia Standard doesn’t speak at this point. So, the Table below is comparison between HDM
and Data collected on the real situation in Phnom Penh city.

Nº Site study Type Real situation HDM

Skyway 5m 4.9 m
1 5 Makara Skyway
Tunnel 5m 4.5 m
2 7 Makara Skyway Skyway 5.2 m 4.9 m

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 Tunnel 5m 4.5 m
3 Sterng mean chey Skyway
Sign Structure 5.2 m 5.5 m
4 Sky Bridge at Chompu voan Pedestrian over-crossings 5.5 m 5.4 m
5 Ta kmau Sign Structure 5.2 m 5.5 m

On the results after we compared between HDM and the real site show that: For construction of
structure relate to vertical clearance in our country are stayed in specification of HMD.

VI. Limitation for allowing type of car travel in Phnom Penh city:
The policy for allowing type of car travel in Phnom Penh city are define by Phnom Penh capital
hall. There are several main roads for applying on this policy such as below:

 Sahak Ponrousi boulevard from Phrasey Haknok to Cambodia airport.

 Mouha Vitey Phrasnourodom from Wat Phnom to Thbal Thnol the sky bridge.
 Vitey Phrasey Haknok, Vitey Dougolf and Kampuchea Krom boulevard.
 Vitey Sisowat from Chounat circle.
 Mouha Vitey Phras Ponivong from Speanchas circle to Bokor’s signal light.
 Mao Tse Toung street from Tepon’s signal light to Derm Kor market.
 All of truck, at least 5 tons don’t allow through Chrouy Changva, Phras Monivong Thmey,
Phras Monivong Chas, Thbal Thnol and 7 makara bridges.
The time for moving on these roads are divided 4 type of cars:
1) Type A: medium trucks (3.5 to 6 tons) are not allow for travelling start from 6 AM to 9 AM
and 4 PM to 8 PM.

2) Type B: Concrete mixer trucks are not allowing for travelling start from 6 AM to 9 AM and
4 PM to 8 PM.

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3) Type C: Heavy trucks (6 to 10 tons) are not allowing for travelling start from 6 AM to 9
AM and 4 PM to 8 PM.

4) Type D: Heavy trucks (10 to 24 tons) are allow for travelling start from 8 PM to 6 AM.

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References:

 The high way design manual of the US (HDM)

 Phnom Penh capital hall
 Cambodia Standard

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