Activity # 9:

Surveying, Highway, and Transportation Engineering Notes

Problem 1: There are 12 vehicles observed in a 400 m section of N. Bacalso Avenue. Given that
the average time headway is 5 seconds, compute the space mean speed, in kph.

Problem 2: The following data are taken from 5 vehicles observed from photographs taken 3
seconds apart. Compute the space mean speed, in kph.

Vehicles Distance( m )
1 38.4
2 35.4
3 32.8
4 36.6
5 37.5

Problem 3: A horizontal curve has a design speed of 80 kph. Find the degree of the curve if
the rate of super elevation is, e = 0.12 m/m and the side – friction factor, f = 0.16.

Problem 4: The provisions of safety sight distance depends the characteristics of the vehicle such
as:
I. Type of vehicle – car and truck
II. Friction between the tire and road
III. Eye height of the driver
IV. Speed of vehicles

A. I, II, and III only C. I, III, and IV only

B. II, III and IV only D. all of the above

Problem 5: The clearance to an obstruction is 10 m and the desired sight distance when rounding
a horizontal curve is 180 m. Determine the minimum radius of the curve required assuming that the
sight distance is less than the length of the curve.

Problem 6: The reaction time to be used for road safety is ____ seconds. This value is applied to
the whole range of design speeds.

Problem 7: A vertical summit curve has tangent grades of + 2.8% and – 1.6%. A motorist whose
eyesight is 1.5 m above the roadway sighted the top of a visible object 100 mm at the other side of
the summit. Assuming that the sight distance is lesser than the length of the curve, calculate the
length of the curve for a sight distance of 130 m.

Problem 8: Each type of sight distance consists of the three elements.

I. Driver eye sight
II. Object height
III. Sight distance
IV. velocity of vehicle

A. I, II, and III only C. I, III, and IV only

B. II, III and IV only D. all of the above

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Problem 9: Traffic can be controlled at an intersection by traffic control device such as
I. Regulatory signs
II. pavement markings
III. traffic signals
IV. roundabouts

A. I, II, and III only C. I, III, and IV only

B. II, III and IV only D. all of the above

Problem 10: Standard sign shape for regulatory signs.

A. Octagon C. Circle
B. Equilateral triangle D. Rectangle

Problem 11: Standard sign shape for facility information signs, instruction signs, guide signs, and
destinations of point of interest.
A. Octagon C. Circle
B. Equilateral triangle D. Rectangle

Problem 12: Standard color used for background color for road signs.
A. Red C. black
B. yellow D. white

Problem 13: Standard color used for background color for most signs and legends for some
colored background.
A. Red C. black
B. yellow D. white

Problem 14: Signs used to warn motorists of potentially hazardous conditions on or adjacent to
the road.
A. Warning signs C. regulatory signs
B. direction signs D. prohibitive or restrictive signs

Problem 15: The figure shown is a type of grade intersection known as

A. channelized C. flared
B. multi – leg intersection D. rotary intersection

Problem 16: The figure shown is a type of grade intersection known as

A. channelized C. flared
B. multi – leg intersection D. rotary intersection
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Problem 17: The traffic sign shown indicates

A. right curve ahead C. right turn

B. dangerous right curve D. no right turn

Problem 18: The Traffic sign shown indicates

A. warning cross roads C. accident prone area

B. no entry D. entering cross roads

Problem 19: The speed distribution of vehicles at a point on the roadway and it is the average of
instantaneous speeds of observed vehicles at the spot.
A. instantaneous speed C. average speed
B. time – mean speed D. space – mean speed

Problem 20: The number of vehicles per unit distance occupying a section of roadway at a given
instant time and is usually measured in vehicles per mile or per km.
A. Density C. capacity
B. flow D. volume

Problem 21: Two cars are approaching each other from 2 opposite directions at a speed of 130
kph and 80 kph respectively. Assuming a reaction time of 2 seconds and a coefficient of friction of
0.60 with a break efficiency of 50%, Compute the minimum sight distance required to avoid a head
on collision of the 2 cars.

Problem 22: A car travelling at 50 mph is 80 m from the rear side of a parked bus ahead. If the
driver applies the brakes immediately ( perception time is 2 seconds ) and begins slowing the
vehicle at 10 m/sec2. Find the distance from the stopping point to the rear side of the bus.

Problem 23: A motorist traveling at 100 kph on an expressway intends to leave the expressway
using an exit ramp with a maximum speed of 50 kph. At what point on the expressway should the
motorist steps on her brakes in order to reduce her speed to the maximum allowable on the ramp
just before entering the ramp? The section of the expressway has a downgrade of 3%.
Acceleration is 3.5 m/sec2.

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Problem 24: Five racing cars are travelling on a 2.5 mi track. An observer is standing at a point on
the track for a period of 20 minutes and records the instantaneous speed of each vehicle as it
crosses his point of observation. The following table are obtained.

Cars Speed( mph ) Laps covered

1 154 28
2 162 32
3 160 31
4 152 26
5 158 30

Compute the time mean speed.

Problem 25: The number of accidents for 4 years recorded in a certain section of a highway is
4,892. If the average daily traffic is 438, determine the accident rate per million entering vehicles.

Problem 26: The clearance to an obstruction is 40 m and the desirable sight distance when
rounding a horizontal curve is 600 m. Determine the minimum radius of horizontal curve if the
length of the curve is 550 m long.

Problem 27: A highway curve has a super elevation of 7o. Find the radius of the curve so that
there will be no lateral pressure between the tires and the roadway at a speed of 40 mph?

Problem 28: Compute the minimum time headway for cars moving at an average speed of 60 kph.
The average length of car is 4.2 m. Reaction time is 0.80 sec.

Problem 29: The average of 24 – hr traffic counts collected every day in a year. These counts are
used to estimate highway user revenues, compute accident rates, and establish traffic volume
trends.

Problem 30: The maximum number of vehicles that pass a point on a highway during a period of
60 consecutive minutes. This volume is used for functional classification of highways, geometric
design standards selection, capacity analysis, development of operational programs, and
development of parking regulations.

Problem 31: Compute the pavement thickness by expansion pressure method if the expansion
pressure is 0.160 kg/cm 2 and the average pavement density is 0.0030 kg/cm 2.

Problem 32: What is the stiffness factor of a pavement if the modulus of elasticity is 180 MPa and
whose subgrade modulus is 40 MPa?

Problem 33: The types of joints in cement concrete pavements are.

I. Expansion joint
II. Contraction joint
III. Warping joint
IV. Interconnection joint

A. I and II only C. I, II, and III only

B. II and IV only D. All of the above

Problem 34: The layer of pavement which finally carries the load from the road is
A. sub – base C. wearing surface
B. base coarse D. sub –grade

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Problem 35: The component of the road structure which receives the traffic and transfer it to the
sub - grade.
A. sub – base C. wearing surface
B. base coarse D. base

Problem 36: A layered structure placed over a soil subgrade for forming a road is _____.
A. sub – base C. pavement
B. base coarse D. sub –grade

Problem 37: A layer consisting of properly designed mix of coarse aggregates, fine aggregates, a
filler, and bituminous binder.
A. asphaltic concrete C. bitumen carpet
B. penetration macadam D. bitumen macadam

Problem 38: The number of days of final curing for concrete cement pavement is done for
A. 21 days C. 14 days
B. 12 days D. 24 days

Problem 39: Describes the effectiveness of pavement to prevent or reduce skid related crashes.

Problem 40: Shoulder pavement is a valuable method of providing

I. Integrity of pavement
II. width to place edge line pavement markings
III. Additional safety to prevent vehicles skidding or drivers losing control on gravel
IV. Low maintenance cost compared with unpaved shoulders.
A. I, II, and III only C. I, II, and IV only
C. II, III, and IV only D. all of the above

Problems 41 - 45: The color of

1) pavement markings is _______.
2) curb markings for prohibition of parking is _______.
3) no loading/unloading zone markings is ________.
4) fire lane zone markings is ________.
5) hazard markings to warn road users at locations where the protruding objects such as bridge,
piers, traffic signals and other permanent objects on or near the roadway is _______.

Problems 46 - 60: Define or briefly explain the following: ( 1 or 2 sentences )

1) space headway
2) passing sight distance
3) stopping sight distance
4) space mean speed
5) time mean speed
6) time headway
7) traffic volume
8) traffic capacity
9) traffic density
10) weaving
11) breaking distance
12) impact factor
13) expressway
14) Queue
15) Merging