Chapter 2

GEOMETRIC DESIGN
• Geometric design for transportation includes the
design of geometric cross sections, horizontal
alignment, vertical alignment, intersections and
various design details.
• These basic elements are common to all linear
facilities, such as roadways, railways, and airport
runways and taxiways.
 2.1 GEOMETRIC CROSS SECTION

• The primary consideration in the design of

geometric cross section for highways, runways
and taxiway is drainage. Details vary depending
on the type of facility and agency.
• Highway cross sections consist of traveled way,
shoulders (or parking lanes), and drainage
channels.
 2.1 GEOMETRIC CROSS SECTION
• Shoulders are intended primarily as a safety
feature. They provide for accommodation of
stopped vehicles, emergency use, and lateral
support of the pavement. Shoulders may be either
paved or unpaved.
• Drainage channels may consist of ditches (usually
grassed wales) or paved shoulders with berms or
curbs and gutters.
• For high-type roadways (such as freeways), cross-
slopes are normally 1.5 % to 2 %.
• Shoulders or parking lanes slope away from the
centerline at 2% to 6%.
• As general rule, superelevated sections will be
constructed in a single plane (including shoulders)
if the rate of superelevation exceeds the normal
cross-slope of the shoulder.
• Standard lane widths are normally 3.6m (12 ft),
although narrower lanes are common on older
roadways, and may still be provided in cases
where the standard lane width is not economical.
• Shoulders or parking lanes for heavily traveled
roads are normally 2.4 to 3.6 m (8 – 12 ft) in width;
narrower shoulders are sometimes used on lightly
traveled roads.
 HIGHWAY MEDIAN
Median in various form, becomes absolute requirement
for highways because of this following advantages:
1. It is an effective means of reducing headlight glares,
conflicts, and accident between opposing streams of
traffic.
2. It offers refuge between opposing traffic stream of
cross traffic, and pedestrian could traverse each stream
at separate maneuvers.
3. It provides available space for left turn lanes.
4. It makes turning of vehicles smooth and safe operation.
 HIGHWAY MEDIAN Standard Specifications
• Where space and cost permit, wide medians is highly recommended. For
rural sections of freeway, the 18 to 27 meters wide median is being
adopted.
• The policy on Geometric Design states that; 3.00 to 9.00 meters median
width is appropriate in suburban or mountainous situations.
• For rural and urban arterials, 18.00 meters median/wider is preferred
because it allows the use of independent profiles and at the same time
minimized cross over accident.
• Median with 6 to 18 meters allow drivers to cross each roadway separately.
A 4.20 to 6.60 meters median width provides protection for turning
vehicles.
• Curved median with 1.20 to 1.80 meters width serves as partition-
separation of opposite traffic control devices.
• Cross slope of the median should not be greater than 6:1 but preferably
1o:1
 2.2 VERTICAL ALIGNMENT

• The vertical alignment of a transportation

facility such as highway, consists of tangent
grades (straight lines in the vertical plane) and
vertical curves.
2.2.1 Tangent Grades

• Tangent grades are designated according to their slopes

and grades.
• The effect of a steep grade is to slow down the heavier
vehicles (which typically have the lowest power/weight
ratios) and increase operating costs. Furthermore, the
extent to which any vehicle is slowed depends on both
the steepness and length of the grade.
Table 4.1 gives the maximum grades recommended
for various classes of road by AASHTO.
2.2.2 Vertical Curves
• Vertical tangents with different grades are joined by
vertical curves such as the one shown in figure 4.7.
Vertical curves are normally parabolas centered about
the point of intersection (P.I.) of the vertical tangents
they join.
• Design standards for vertical curves establish their
minimum length for specific circumstances. For
highways, minimum length of vertical curve may be
based on sight distance, on comfort standards
involving vertical acceleration, or appearance
criteria.
• For crest vertical curves, the minimum length depends on the
sight distance, the height of the driver’s eye, and the height
of the object to be seen over the crest of the curve, as
illustrated in Figure 4.8.
 𝐴𝑆 2
• Lmin = 2 when S ≤ L
200 ℎ1 + ℎ2
2
• Lmin = 2𝑆 − 200 ℎ1 + ℎ2
𝐴
when S ≥ L
• For sag vertical curves, stopping sight distance is based on
the illuminated by the headlights at night. Design standards
are based on an assumed headlight height of 600 mm and an
upward divergence of the headlight beam of 1˚.

𝐴𝑉 2
L≥
395
where L = length of the vertical
curve, m
A = g 1 – g2, %
V = designs peed, kph
 2.3 HORIZONTAL ALIGNMENT
• Horizontal alignment for linear transportation
facilities such as highways and railways consists of
horizontal tangents, circular curves, and possibly
transition curves.
• In the case of highways, transition curves are not
always used. Figure 4.11 illustrates horizontal
alignments with and without transition curves.
2.3.1 Horizontal Tangents
• Horizontal tangents are described in terms of their lengths
and their directions. Directions may be either expressed as
bearing or as azimuths and are always in the direction of
increasing station.
2.3.2 Circular Curves
• Horizontal curves are normally circular. Figure 4.13 illustrates
several of their important features. Horizontal curves are also
described by radius, central angle (is equal to the deflection
angle between the tangents) lengths, semitangent
distance, middle ordinate, external distance and chord.
2.3.3 Transition Curves

• Transition curves are used to connect tangents to

circular curves.
• Spirals are used both for esthetic reasons and
because they provide a “rational” superelevation
transition.
• In the case of highways, spirals are used primarily
for esthetic purposes. They are most appropriate
for roadways with relatively high design
standards, where large radius curves are used.
Figure 4.16 shows how spirals
connect circular curves to
tangents, and illustrates the
nomenclature of spirals.
2.4 SUPERELEVATION

• The purpose of superelevation or banking of

curves is to counteract the centripetal
acceleration produced as a vehicle rounds a curve.
• In the case of highways, somewhat more
complicated modifications of the cross sections
are required, and, because widths vary,
superelevation is expressed as a slope.
 2.5 COORDINATION OF HORIZONTAL AND
VERTICAL ALIGNMENT
• Transportation facilities such as highways and railways are three-
dimensional objects. Although many aspects of their design can
be determined by considering horizontal and vertical alignment
separately from one another, it is important to understand the
relationship between them. Proper coordination of horizontal
and vertical alignment is important for reasons related to the
esthetics, economics, and safety of the facility.
• As general rule, horizontal curvature and grades should be kept
in balance. That is, the designer should avoid both the provision
of minimal curvature at the expense of long, steep grades and
the provision of level critical alignment at the expense of
excessive horizontal curvature.
 2.6 RIGHT OF WAY

• Acquisition of land for the right of way is very costly. A

successful freeway operations, closes the roadway from
direct access to adjoining property and some local roads
or streets.
• Frontage road shall be permitted to enter connecting
cross streets only at distance of at least 100 meters for
rural road and 50 meters for urban conditions.
 2.7 INTERSECTION AND INTERCHANGES
• Geometric design of transportation facilities must provide for the
resolution of traffic conflicts. In general, these may be classified
as merging, diverging, weaving and crossing conflicts, illustrated
in Figure 4.23.
• Merging conflicts occur when vehicles enter a traffic stream;
• Diverging conflicts occur when vehicles leave the traffic stream;
• Weaving conflicts occur when vehicles cross paths by first
merging and then diverging; and
• Crossing conflicts occur when they cross paths directly
Three basic ways of resolving crossing conflicts
a. Time sharing solutions involves assignment of the right-of-way to particular movements for
particular times.
b. Space sharing solutions convert crossing conflicts into weaving conflicts. An example of this is
the traffic circle or rotary.
c. Grade separation solutions eliminate the crossing conflict by placing the conflict traffic streams
at different elevations at their point of intersections. Examples of these are freeway
interchanges and highway-railway grade separations.
Freeway interchanges are classified primarily according to the way in which the handle left-turning
traffic.
a. Diamond interchanges employ diamond ramps, which connect to the cross road by means of an
at-grade intersection. Left turns are accomplished by having vehicles turn left across traffic on
the cross road.
b. Cloverleaf interchanges/intersections employs loop ramps, in which vehicles turn left by turning
270° to the right.
c. Partial cloverleaf (parclo) interchanges involve various combinations of diamond and loop
ramps.
d. Direct interchanges employ direct ramps, in which vehicles turn left by means of a left-turning
ramp which is grade separated as it crosses both traffic streams.
e. Frontage roads are used to provide access to adjacent property
f. Collector-distributor roads are used to intercept traffic from local streets which do not cross the
freeway.