CSURV223P

HIGHER SURVEYING

ROUTE SURVEYING
Route Survey
A Route Survey is defined as being the required service and product that adequately locates the
planned path of a linear project or right of way which crosses a prescribed area of real estate,
extending from at least one known point and turning or terminating at another known point.
Adequate location shall mean substantial compliance with the conditions and tolerances
expressed in this standard. A route survey which defines new or proposed boundaries shall be
conducted as a boundary survey and must adhere to the rules and regulations of the Texas
Board of Professional Land Surveying (TBPLS).

- Are surveys made for the purpose of locating any buildings, highways, canal, power transmission
lines, pipe lines, and other utilities which are constructed for the purpose of transportation
or cmmunication.

PURPOSES:

A Route Survey is usually required for the planning of a right of way, the acquisition of fee or
easement property and for eventual construction layout work. The location of the facilities within
the right of way are often held in respect to the center line or a right of way line. A Route Survey
is made on the ground to provide for the location of right of way lines, a centerline, or reference
lines in relation to property lines and terrain features.

Route Surveys shall include but are not limited to the proper location, monumentation,
description or platting of the following routes:

Roadways, highways and railroads.

Transmission lines for communications, fuel, chemical, water and electrical needs.

Canals, waterways, drainage ditches and sewers.

View easements, air space easements, ingress and egress easements such as approach
routes.

What is a Curve in Roads?

A curve is nothing but an arc which connects two straight lines which
are separated by some angle called deflection angle. This situation occurs where
the alignment of a road way or rail way changes its direction because of
unavoidable objects or conditions. The object may be a hill or a lake ord.
a temple etc. so, for the ease of movement of vehicle at this point a curve is provide
 TYPES OF CURVES
A. HORIZONTAL CURVES
B. VERTICAL CURVES

HORIZONTAL CURVES
are one of the two important transition elements in geometric design for highways
(along with Vertical Curves). A horizontal curve provides a transition between
two tangent strips of roadway, allowing a vehicle to negotiate a turn at a gradual rate
rather than a sharp cut. The design of the curve is dependent on the intended design speed
for the roadway, as well as other factors including drainage and friction.
These curves are semicircles as to provide the driver with a constant turning rate
with radii determined by the laws of physics surrounding centripetal force.

VERTICAL CURVES
are the second of the two important transition elements in geometric design for highways,
the first being Horizontal Curves. A vertical curve provides a transition between two sloped roadways,.
allowing a vehicle to negotiate the elevation rate change at a gradual rate rather than a sharp cut.
The design of the curve is dependent on the intended design speed for the roadway, as well as other
factors including drainage, slope, acceptable rate of change, and friction. These curves are parabolic
and are assigned stationing based on a horizontal axis.

KINDS OF HORIZONTAL CURVES

Simple Circular Curve
Simple circular curve is normal horizontal curve which connect two straight lines with constant radius.

Compound curve
consists of two or more consecutive simple curves having different radius, but whose centers lie
on the same side of the curve. n this case both or all the curves lie on the same side of the common tangent.

Reverse curves
is formed by twocircular simple curves having a common tangent but lies on opposite side.

Geometry of circular curves

1.] The measure of an arc of a circle is equal to
the measure of the central angle that intercepts the arc.

2.] Inscribed angle theorem. The measure of an inscribed angle is equal to

one-half the measure of its intercepted arc. The usual proof begins
with the case where one side of the inscribed angle is a diameter.
Then the central angle is an external angle of an isosceles triangle and
the result follows. Situations where a side of the inscribed angle is
not a diameter can be reduces to the former by appropriate auxiliary lines.
3. The measure of an angle formed by a tangent and chord
is equal to one-half the measure of its intercepted arc. A useful pair
of auxiliary lines is to contruct an isosceles triangle with
one side parallel to the tangent line.

4. Tangents from external point to a circle are equal

5. Angles whose sides are perpendicular sides are either

equal or supplementray

Terminologies in Simple Curve

PC  = Point of curvature. It is the beginning of curve.
PT  = Point of tangency. It is the end of curve.
PI  = Point of intersection of the tangents. Also called vertex
T  = Length of tangent from PC  to PI  and from PI  to PT . It is known as subtangent.
R  = Radius of simple curve, or simply radius.
L  = Length of chord from PC  to PT . Point Q  as shown below is the midpoint of L .
L c  = Length of curve from PC  to PT . Point M  in the the figure is the midpoint of L c .
E  = External distance, the nearest distance from PI  to the curve.
m  = Middle ordinate, the distance from midpoint of curve to midpoint of chord.
I  = Deflection angle (also called angle of intersection  and central angle ). 
It is the angle of intersection of the tangents. The angle subtended by PC and PT at O is
also equal to I, where O is the center of the circular curve from the above figure.
x  = offset distance from tangent to the curve. Note: x  is perpendicular to T .
θ  = offset angle subtended at PC  between PI  and any point in the curve
D  = Degree of curve. It is the central angle subtended by a length of curve equal to one station. 
In English system, one station is equal to 100 ft and in SI, one station is equal to 20 m.
Sub chord = chord distance between two adjacent full stations.

Sharpness of circular curve

The smaller is the degree of curve, the flatter is the curve and vice versa. 
The sharpness of simple curve is also determined by radius R. Large radius are flat whereas
small radius are sharp.
Length of tangent, T
External Distance
Degree of the curve
Arc Basis
In arc definition, the degree of curve is the central angle
subtended by one station of circular arc.
This definition is used in highways. Using ratio and proportion,
Formula

Chord Basis
Chord definition is used in railway design. The degree of curve
is the central angle subtended by one station length of chord.
From the dotted right triangle below,

Compiled by:
Margie Lou A. Azarcon, CE, S0-2

sources
https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Fundamentals_of_Transportation/Horizontal_Curves
https://theconstructor.org/transportation/types-curves-highway-alignment/21242/
https://www.aboutcivil.org/curves-types-horizontal-vertical.html
http://jwilson.coe.uga.edu/emt725/ReviewCir/ReviewCir.htm
https://www.mathalino.com/reviewer/surveying-and-transportation-engineering/simple-curves-or-circular-curves