PRINCIPLES OF

TRANSPORTATION
ENGINEERING
GROUP 1
 TOPIC 1
Introduction to Transportation
Planning and Engineering
INTRODUCTION
Transportation is essential for a nation’s development and growth. In both the public and
private sector, opportunities for engineering careers in transportation are exciting and
rewarding. Elements are constantly being added to the world’s highway, rail, airport, and
mass transit systems, and new techniques are being applied for operating and
maintaining the systems safely and economically. Many organizations and agencies exist
to plan, design, build, operate, and maintain the nation’s transportation system
 WHAT IS TRANSPORTATION ENGINERERING?
Transportation engineering is a branch of civil engineering
that planning, designing, operating, and maintaining
transportation systems to help build smart, safe, and livable
communities.
 The Profession of
Transportation
For as long as the human race has existed, transportation
has played a significant role by facilitating trade, commerce,
conquest, and social interaction, while consuming a
considerable portion of time and resources. The primary
need for transportation has been economic, involving
personal travel in search of food or work, travel for the
exchange of goods and commodities, exploration, personal
fulfillment, and the improvement of a society or a nation. The
movements of people and goods, which is the basis of
transportation, always has been undertaken to accomplish
those basic objectives or tasks that require transfer from one
location to another.
 IMPORTANCE OF
TRANSPORTATION
Tapping natural resources and markets and maintaining a
competitive edge over other regions and nations are linked closely
to the quality of the transportation system. The speed, cost, and
capacity of available transportation have a significant impact on the
economic vitality of an area and the ability to make maximum use of
its natural resources. Examination of most developed and
industrialized societies indicates that they have been noted for high-
quality transportation systems and services. Nations with well-
developed maritime systems (such as the British Empire in the
1900s) once ruled vast colonies located around the globe
In more modern times, countries with advanced
transportation systems—such as in the United
States, Canada, Asia, and Europe—are leaders
in industry and commerce. Without the ability to
transport manufactured goods and raw
materials and without technical know-how, a
country is unable to maximize the comparative
advantage it may have in the form of natural or
human resources. Countries that lack an
abundance of natural resources rely heavily on
transportation in order to import raw materials
and export manufactured products.
TRANSPORTATION
AND ECONOMIC
GROWTH
Good transportation, in and of itself, will not
assure success in the marketplace, as the
availability of transportation is a necessary but
insufficient condition for economic growth.
However, the absence of supportive
transportation services will serve to limit or
hinder the potential for a nation or region to
achieve its economic potential. Thus, if a society
expects to develop and grow, it must have a
strong internal transportation system consisting
of good roads, rail systems, as well as excellent
linkages to the rest of the world by sea and air
Thus, transportation demand is a byproduct derived from the needs and desires of
people to travel or to transfer their goods from one place to another. It is a necessary
condition for human interaction and economic competitiveness. The availability of
transportation facilities can strongly influence the growth and development of a region or
nation. Good transportation permits the specialization of industry or commerce, reduces
costs for raw materials or manufactured goods, and increases competition between
regions, thus resulting in reduced prices and greater choices for the consumer
 SOCIAL COSTS
AND BENEFITS OF
TRANSPORTATION
The improvement of a region’s economic position by virtue of
improved transportation does not come without costs. Building vast
transportation systems requires enormous resources of energy,
material, and land. In major cities, transportation can consume as
much as half of all the land area. An aerial view of any major
metropolis will reveal vast acreage used for railroad terminals,
airports, parking lots, and freeways.
Transportation has other negative effects as well. Travel is not without
danger; every mode of transportation brings to mind some major disaster—
be it the sinking of the Titanic, the explosion of the zeppelin Hindenburg, the
infrequent but dramatic passenger air crashes, and highway accidents that
each year claim about 40,000 lives in the United States. In addition,
transportation can create noise, spoil the natural beauty of an area, change
the environment, pollute air and water, and consume energy resources.
Society has indicated a willingness to accept
some risk and changes to the natural
environment in order to gain the advantages
that result from constructing new
transportation systems. Society also values
many social benefits brought about by good
transportation. Providing medical and other
services to rural areas and enabling
introduction people to socialize who live some
distance apart are just a few examples of the
benefits that transportation provides. A major
task for the modern transportation engineer is
to balance society’s need for fast and efficient
transportation with the costs involved.
Thus, the most efficient and cost-
effective system is created, while
assuring that the environment is not
compromised or destroyed. In carrying
out this task, the transportation
engineer must work closely with the
public and elected officials and needs
to be aware of modern engineering
practices to ensure that the highest
quality transportation systems are built
consistent with available funds and
accepted social policy.
 MODES
OF
TRANSPORTATION
 MODES OF TRANSPORTATION

• Roadways or Highways
-roadways are the means of transportation in land.
Roadways are also known by highways.

• Railways
-the steel tracks laid on the ground, over which the
trains move is known as railways.
 MODES OF TRANSPORTATION

• Airways
-in the airways, aircrafts and helicopters are used.

• Waterways
-this mode of transportation uses oceans, rivers,
canals and lakes for the movement of boats and ships .
COMMON TYPES OF TRANSPORTATION
INFRASTRUCTURES

- ROAD
- RAILWAYS
- BRIDGES AND TUNNELS
- PORTS AND SHIP CANALS
- AIRPORT RUNWAYS
 ROADS

A long, narrow stretch with a

smoothed or paved surface,
made for traveling by motor
vehicle, carriage, etc.,
between two or more points;
street or highway
 RAILWAYS

Is a route between two

places along which trains
travel on steel rails.
Including high speed rail,
subways and elevated
railway such as cable car
 BRIDGES & TUNNELS

A Bridge is a structure to cross

an open space or gap. Bridges
are mostly made for crossing
rivers, valleys, or roads. While a
Tunnel is an underground
passageway, dug through the
surrounding soil/earth/rock and
enclosed except for entrance
and exit, commonly at each
end.
PORTS & SHIP CANALS

A port is a maritime facility

which may comprise one or
more wharves where ships may
dock to load and discharge
passengers and cargo.
Although usually situated on a
sea coast, some ports can be
miles inland, with access to the
sea via river or canal.
PORTS & SHIP CANALS

A ship canal is a canal

especially intended to
accommodate ships used on
the oceans, seas or lakes to
which it is connected, as
opposed to a barge canal
intended to carry barges and
other vessels specifically
designed for river and/or canal
navigation.
 AIRPORT RUNWAYS

A complex of runways
and buildings for the take-
off, landing, and
maintenance of civil
aircraft, with facilities for
passengers.
OTHER TYPES OF TRANSPORTATION
INFRASTRUCTURES

- PIPELINE
- CABLE AND ROPE
- UNMANNED CRAFT
- SPACEFLIGHT
 PIPELINE

Pipelines serve as a crucial mode

of transportation for liquids and
gases, offering efficient and reliable
means to transport commodities
over long distances. They are
widely used for transporting crude
oil, natural gas, refined petroleum
products, and chemicals from
production sites to refineries,
distribution centers, and end
consumers.
 CABLE & ROPE

Cables and ropeways serve as unique and

specialized modes of transportation
primarily for passengers and goods in
challenging terrains or specific urban
settings. Cable cars, gondolas, and aerial
tramways are examples of these systems,
offering efficient transportation solutions
where conventional modes like roads or
railways are impractical or costly to
implement. They are commonly found in
mountainous regions, across rivers, and in
urban areas with steep gradients or limited
space.
UNMANNED AIRCRAFT

Unmanned aircraft, commonly known as

drones, have emerged as innovative tools
in transportation, offering versatile
applications beyond traditional manned
aircraft. Drones are used for various
purposes, including cargo delivery, aerial
surveys, surveillance, and even
passenger transport in some
experimental settings. They provide
efficient last-mile delivery solutions,
especially in remote or hard-to reach
areas, reducing delivery times and costs.
 SPACEFLIGHT

Companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and

NASA are pioneering advancements that
promise to make space travel more
accessible. These developments include
reusable rockets, which significantly reduce
costs, and innovations in spacecraft
technology, enhancing safety and efficiency.
While initially focused on orbital missions
and space tourism, the long-term vision
includes using space flight for rapid global
travel, enabling trips that currently take
hours to be completed in mere minutes.
 SUMMARY
1 Transportation is an essential element in the economic
development of a society. Without good transportation,
a nation or region cannot achieve the maximum use of
its natural resources or the maximum productivity of its
people. Progress in transportation is not without its
costs, both in human lives and environmental damage,
and it is the responsibility of the transportation
engineer working with the public to develop high-
quality transportation consistent with available funds
and social policy and to minimize damage.
 SUMMARY
Transportation is a significant element in our national
life, accounting for about 18 percent of household
expenditure and employing over 10 percent of the

2 workforce. The history of transportation illustrates that

the way people move is affected by technology, cost,
and demand. The past 200 years have seen the
development of several modes of transportation:
waterways, railroads, highway, and air. Each mode
has been dominant during one period of time; several
have been replaced or have lost market share when a
new mode emerged that provided a higher level of
service at a competitive price.
 SUMMARY
The career opportunities in transportation that
engineering students have are exciting. In the past,
transportation engineers planned and built the nation’s
railroads, highways, mass transit systems, airports,
and pipelines. In the coming decades, additional

3 system elements will be required as will efforts toward

maintaining and operating in a safe and economical
manner the vast system that is already in place. New
systems, such as magnetically levitated high-speed
trains or Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), will
also challenge the transportation engineer in the
future.
 SUMMARY
The specialties in transportation engineering are
planning, design, construction, traffic management and
operations, and maintenance. Planning involves the
selection of projects for design and construction;
design involves the specification of all features of the
transportation project; construction involves all aspects
of the building process; traffic management and
operations involves studies to improve capacity and

4 safety; and maintenance involves all work necessary

to ensure that the highway system is kept in proper
working order
 TOPIC 2
Transportation Planning
 TRANSPORTATION
PLANNING
Transportation planning deals with the selection of projects for
design and construction. The transportation planner begins by
defining the problem, gathering and analyzing data, and evaluating
various alternative solutions. Also involved in the process are
forecasts of future traffic; estimates of the impact of the facility on
land use, the environment, and the community; and determination
of the benefits and costs that will result if the project is built. The
transportation planner investigates the physical feasibility of a
project and makes comparisons between various alternatives to
determine which one will accomplish the task at the lowest cost—
consistent with other criteria and constraints.

A transportation planner must be familiar with engineering

economics and other means of evaluating alternative systems, be
knowledgeable in statistics and data gathering techniques, as well
as in computer applications for data analysis and travel forecasting,
and be able to communicate with the public and policy makers.
GROUP 1
THANK YOU!!!
Adrian S. Aguinaga
Rolan Nicole B. Andrada
Clarence Mae S. Capatid
Jay Marc C. Ferrer
Rodje B. Montaño
Sean Aris T. Montelijao
Brendan A. Selloriquez