NATIONAL UNIVERSITY – MANILA

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

HIGHWAY AND RAILROAD ENGINEERING

Practice Problems

1. Calculate the stopping sight distance for a design speed of 100kph. Take the total
reaction time 2.5 seconds and the coefficient of friction 0.35.

2. Find the stopping sight distance for a design speed of 65 kph, μ=0.36. Assume AASHTO
values. What are the sight distance requirements at a gradient of 1 in 40?

3. The speeds of overtaking and overtaken vehicles are 80 and 60 kph, respectively. If the
acceleration of the overtaking vehicle is 2.5 kph per second, calculate the safe passing
sight distance for a) one-way traffic, and b) two-way traffic.

4. In the previous problem, what should be the length of overtaking zone?

5. Find the safe overtaking sight distance for a highway having a design speed of 100 kph.
Speed of overtaken vehicle=84 kph, maximum acceleration of overtaking vehicle=1.6 kph per
second.

6. Design the superelevation required for a horizontal curve of radius 300 meters for speed
of 60 kph. Assume recommended DGCS and IRC values.

7. Calculate the maximum allowable speed on a horizontal curve of radius 350 m if the
maximum allowable values of lateral coefficient of friction is 0.15 and rate of
superelevation is 0.07.

8. A radius of 250 m must be provided at a locality due to site restrictions in a National

highway with design speed 100 kph. Design the superelevation. Should there be restriction
in speed?

9. A driver travelling at 50 mph sees a hazard (boulder) at a certain distance ahead. The
driver then applies the brakes immediately; PIEV time is 2 seconds and begins slowing the
vehicle at 10 m/sec2. If the distance from the stopping point to avoid hitting the boulder
is 10.28 m, how far was the car from the boulder upon perception?

10. Compute the impact factor for a horizontal curve radius of 400 m if the design speed is
120 kph. Also, compute for the centrifugal ratio.

11. If friction is enough to prevent skidding, a vehicle would impend to overturn at a speed
V kph on a highway having a radius of 150 m. the vehicle’s center of gravity is 0.68 m
above the road and its wheelbase width is 1.50 m. determine the value of V if the angle
of superelevation is 10º.