HDM-4 Configuration

Purposes of Configuration

HDM-4 is used in a wide range of

countries with diverse road networks and
conditions.
Configuration seeks to:
HDM - 4 CONFIGURATION
Customising data sets to reflect local
circumstances
Manage aggregate data
Manage HDM-4 default data

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Components of Configuration

Climate zones
Road network data
Road class
Speed-flow types Climate Zones
Traffic flow pattern
Aggregate data and defaults
Currency
RD and WE Calibration

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Climate Zones Moisture Classification

Climate has significant impact on Moisture Description Thornthwaite Annual

pavement deterioration Classification Moisture
Index
Precipitation
(mm)
Arid Very low rainfall, -100 to -61 < 300
Climatic conditions affect vehicle High evaporation
operation (e.g., rolling resistance, cold Semi-arid Low rainfall -60 to -21 300 to 800

engine start, etc.) Sub-humid Moderate rainfall, or -20 to +19 800 to 1600
strongly seasonal
Definition is based on moisture rainfall
Humid Moderate warm +20 to +100 1500 to 3000
classification and temperature regimes seasonal rainfall
Per-humid High rainfall, or very > 100 > 2400
Number of climate zones are defined by many wet-surface days

the user

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 HDM-4 Configuration

Temperature Classification Climate Data

Moisture-class related data:

Temperature Description Temperature range Mean monthly precipitation (mm/year),
(C)
Tropical Warm temperatures in small range 20 to 35 Thorntwaithe moisture index
Sub-tropical - High day cool night temperatures, - 5 to 45
hot hot-cold seasons
Duration of dry season (as a proportion of
Sub-tropical - Moderate day temperatures, cool -10 to 30 a year)
cool winters
Temperate - Warm summer, - 20 to 25 Temperature-class related data:
cool shallow winter freeze
Temperate - Cool summer, - 40 to 20 Mean annual temp, temp range ºC
freeze deep winter freeze
Number of days with temp exceeding 32 ºC,
freezing index, etc.

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Road Network Data

Road class
Functional hierarchy to facilitate management or
analysis of the road network
Speed-flow types
Models the effects of traffic volume on speed and the
Road Network Data economic consequences of road improvements
Traffic flow pattern
Models traffic congestion at different hours of the
day, and on different days of the week and year
Aggregate data and defaults
Road condition, strength, road geometry, etc.

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Road Classes

Managing roads: identify who is responsible

for what class of road
Funding: allocation of funding to roads of
different classes, separate sources of funding
Recognition of different road functions which
Road Class
could be defined in the policy framework of
road administration
Maintenance and improvement: setting up
different objectives, standards and
intervention levels for works for each road
class

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 HDM-4 Configuration

Speed-Flow Types

Represents the capacity

characteristics of different road types

Default Capacity Types:

Speed-Flow Types Single Lane
Intermediate Road
Two Lane Road
Wide Two Lane Road
Four Lane Road
Defined in terms of parameters that define
the speed-flow curve model.

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Equivalencies Differences between PCU and PCSE

Used to convert a stream of different PCU/PCE

vehicles into an equivalent homogeneous consider two factors:
stream space occupied by vehicle
speed effects
Two types used in highway capacity calculations
PCE: Passenger Car Equivalencies (PCU) PCSE (HDM-4)
PCSE: Passenger Car Space Equivalencies considers only space occupied
HDM-4 uses PCSE speed effects considered separately
through speed model

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PCSE HDM-4 Speed-Flow Model

S1

S2
Speed in km/h

S3

Snom

Length Gap Sult

Qo Qnom Qult
Flow in pcse/h

Space (m)

CAR = 1 MINI-BUS = 1.3 LORRY = 1.8

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 HDM-4 Configuration

Speed-flow model requirements Types of Capacities

Requires speeds
Nominal Capacity
Free speed (calculated)
the capacity where the traffic stream is
Snom - Speed at nominal capacity (calculated) travelling at a constant speed
Sult - Speed at ultimate capacity sustainable over long time periods
Requires capacities Ultimate Capacity
Q0 - Volume where interactions affect speeds maximum possible capacity before flow
Qnom - Nominal capacity breaks down

Qult - Ultimate capacity

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HDM-4 Default Capacities

ROAD TYPE Width Qo Qnom Qult

(m)
Single Lane Road <4 0 420 600
Intermediate Road 4 to 5.5 0 420 1800 Traffic Flow Patterns
Two Lane Road 5.5 to 9 280 2520 2800
Wide Two Lane Road 9 to 12 640 2880 3200
Four Lane Road > 12 3200 7600 8000

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Traffic Flow Patterns Annual Distribution of Hourly Flows

Flow Periods
Represent the varying traffic intensities Peak
that occur on roads throughout the day Flow Next to Peak
Examples include: /hr Medium flow
Next to Low
Commuter
Overnight
Seasonal
Inter-city

Defined as a set of flow periods that

represent the hours of the day with the
same traffic flow Number of Hours in the Year

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 HDM-4 Configuration

Data Requirements

Name
Road use
Number of flow-frequency periods
Number of hours in each flow-frequency
Aggregate Data and Defaults
period (HRYRp)
Percentage of AADT in each flow-
frequency period (PCNADTp), or
Hourly flow in each period (HVp) as a
proportion of AADT

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Aggregate Data and Defaults Traffic Bands

User defined
Defined by:
Traffic levels: e.g., low, medium, high.
Geometry class: in terms of parameters reflecting Description e.g., high, medium, low
horizontal and vertical alignment Pavement surface class (e.g., bituminous,
Pavement characteristics: structure and strength concrete or unsealed)
parameters defined according to pavement surface
Mean or Representative AADT
class
Road condition: ride quality, surface distress and Unlimited number of traffic bands
surface texture
Pavement history: construction quality, pavement
age, etc.

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Road Geometry Class Bituminous Pavement Strength

Defined by : Defined in terms of the structural adequacy

Description e.g., mostly straight and gently to carry traffic loading
undulating, bendy and winding, etc.
Structural adequacy
Average rise plus fall (m/km)
defined in qualitative bands e.g., good, fair,
Average number of rises and falls (no./km)
poor
Average horizontal curvature (deg/km)
each band is assigned a representative SNP
Average super-elevation (%)
default pavement layer thickness for each
Other speed related data (e.g., speed limit)
band
Unlimited number of geometry classes

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 HDM-4 Configuration

Road Condition Construction Quality

Aggregated into 3 measures: User defined bands such as good, fair, poor
Ride quality - an indication of the roughness For each band, define
of the road construction defect indicator for bituminous
Surface condition - modelled by a number of surfacing (CDS),
distress modes depending on the pavement construction defect indicator for roadbase
type (CDB),
Surface texture - gives an indication of texture relative compaction (COMP)
depth and skid resistance of the surface For unsealed roads, construction method is
either ‘mechanical’ or ‘manual’

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Currencies

Defined in terms of:

Name (e.g. Dollars)
Symbol (e.g. $)
Symbol position (i.e. before or after the
Currency figures)
‘Thousand’ separator (e.g. comma or point)
For road works, vehicle resources and
analysis outputs
Unlimited number of currencies

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Accident Classes

Calibration

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 HDM-4 Configuration

Need for Calibration Calibration Set - Bituminous

HDM-4 is a tool that needs to be used

appropriately for the outputs to be
meaningful
HDM-4 needs to be adapted and calibrated
so that the outputs are representative of
the local conditions

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Calibration Set - Unsealed END

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