INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

GUWAHATI
Department of Civil Engineering

CE323: Transportation Engineering Lab- II

Lab: 07
Gap Acceptance Analysis for Critical Gap Estimation

Date of Experiment: 11/03/2021

Date of Submission: 25/3/2021

Name: Gourav Kushwaha

Roll No.: 180104036
Mail ID: gourav18a@iitg.ac.in
Contents

1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 2
Critical Gap ....................................................................................................................................... 2
2. Objective ............................................................................................................................................ 3
3. Summary of Calculations and Results ............................................................................................ 4
4. Discussion of Results, Conclusions .................................................................................................. 4
5. Appendix: raw data ......................................................................................................................... 5

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1. Introduction

Unsignalized intersections are the most common intersection type. They

play crucial role in control intersection types. A poorly operating
unsignalized intersection can affect a signalized network or the operation
of an Intelligent Transportation System.
At unsignalized intersection the drivers sometimes s, drivers sometimes
have to choose gaps in the opposing stream of traffic in order to complete
their turning manoeuvre. The drivers choose gaps which are much larger
than those actually required for the manoeuvre
Unsignalized intersections give no positive indication or control to the driver.
He or she is not told when to leave the intersection. The driver alone must
decide when it is safe to enter the intersection. The driver looks for a safe
opportunity or "gap" in the traffic to enter the intersection. This technique has
been described as gap acceptance. Gaps are measured in time and are equal to
headways
.
Critical Gap
Drivers sometimes have to choose gaps in the opposing stream of
traffic in order to complete their turning manoeuvre. and the
minimum gap size which a driver chooses, is referred to as the
critical gap. When the time headway between vehicles is greater
than the critical gap, vehicle movement takes place.
The critical gap is the smallest gap that a driver is assumed to
accept. Critical gap influences the delay and queue lengths that
form at unsignalized intersections. If the critical gap increases for a
particular movement, the number of acceptable gaps in the
conflicting movements reduces which again increases the service
times and hence delay and the queue lengths for that movement.
Critical gap depends on driver behaviour, traffic composition and
flow of the stream.

In this experiment to determine the critical gap of an unsignalized T-

junction.
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 Three Readings are collected:
1. Reading 1: Time reading for vehicles on the major road
when the front bumper crosses the read mark in the figure.
2. Reading 2: Arrival time of the vehicle for turning from
major to minor road.
3. Reading 3: Time at which vehicle enters the minor road.

2. Objective

To determine the critical gap for the right turn movements from major
road to minor road at an unsignalized T-junction.

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3. Summary of Calculations and Results

The Critical Gap is found to be 3.151sec.

4. Discussion of Results, Conclusions

The theory assumed that drivers are both consistent and homogeneous. A
consistent driver is expected to behave the same way every time at all
similar situations. Which is not possible as human behaviour cant be
predicted It is unreasonable to expect driver to be consistent and
homogeneous.

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5. Appendix: raw data

Length of gap, No. of No. of rejected

sec acceptable gaps gaps
0 0 125
1 2 100
2 15 80
3 38 46
4 68 23
5 85 6
6 125 0

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From the Cumulative curve above shown the values are:

a 46
b 38
a-b 8
c 68
d 23
c-d 45

t1 3
t2 4
Δ = - 1

ℎ𝑠mall ℎ𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒
=
𝑏𝑠𝑚𝑠𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒

𝛥𝑡1 𝛥𝑡 − 𝛥𝑡1
=
𝑎−𝑏 𝑐−𝑑

𝛥𝑡1 − 𝛥𝑡1
=
8 45

 𝛥𝑡1 = 0. 5

𝑡𝑐 = 𝛥𝑡1 + 𝑡1 =3.151