Highway Engineering I

Horizontal Curve
Superelevation & Widening

Topic 5 - c

1
 Horizontal Curve

Vehicle moving around a horizontal circular curve is subjected

to two main forces:
1. Inward centripetal force: (due to the frictional effect between
tires and roadway)
2. Outward centrifugal force: (have two effects: tendency to
overturn the vehicle and tendency to skid the vehicle laterally).

2 https://youtu.be/9s1IRJbL2Co
 Horizontal Curve - Superelevation

At high speeds the frictional force is not adequate to

counterbalance the centrifugal force.
Therefore, the road must be inclined toward the center of
the curve to provide an additional force from the component
of the vehicle weight down the slope. This additional force
combined with the inward radial force to counterbalance the
outward radial force.
The inclination of the roadway
toward the center of the horizontal
curve is known as the superelevation.
i.e. the outer edge of the road is
3 raised above the inner edge.
4
 Forces Acting on Car on a Curve
with Superelevation
 Lateral forces on the car - must be safe and comfortable
 Need forces to counteract the effect of the centrifugal force
 Slope the road surface towards the curve center

 Mv2/R = radial/centrifugal force,

 M= vehicle mass, kg;
 g= gravitational acceleration, m/s2;
 R= radius, m;
 v = speed, m/s;
 N= Normal reaction force,
 Ff = Frictional force =N*f where f= lateral friction coefficient

5
 Forces Acting on Car on a Curve
with Superelevation
(Mv2/R)cos Ө
Ө Centripetal force component
Mv2/R acting parallel to surface
Outward
centrifugal Force
Ө e=superelevation = tanӨ
N Ff
Ө
Mg
Fg
M = vehicle mass
Forces contributing to the centripetal force f = lateral friction coefficient
(Mv2/R) Cos Ө = Fg + Ff ……………….(1) N= normal force
Fg = Mg Sin Ө ………………...(2) g= gravitational acceleration
Ff = f * N, N ~ Mg Cos Ө R= radius of curve
v= speed, m/s
Ff = f * Mg CosӨ …………………(3) Fg= gravity force
6 (Mv2/R) Cos Ө = Mg Sin Ө + f* Mg Cos Ө Ff = lateral friction force
 Minimum Curve Radius

V2 R = radius, m
Rmin  V= Operating speed, km/h
127(e max  f ) e = superelevation, m/m
f = sideway friction factor

Maximum values for e

7
 Sideway Friction Factor

The coefficient of side friction is a function of several variables,

including the pavement type, the vehicle speed, and the type and
condition of the tires.

fs
f

V2 V*t V2
Rmin  SSD  
8 127(e max  f ) 3.6 254 f
 Rmin, emax and f

• In practice, it is usual to adopt radii greater than those

calculated from the formula, to reduce superelevation and
side friction below their maximum values.
• Use of maximum superelevation needs to be considered
when the radius of a curve is approaching the minimum for
section operating speed (usually in steep terrain).
• Minimum superelevation: At low and intermediate ranges of
operating speeds (below about 100 km/h), it is desirable to
superelevate all curves at least to a value equal to 3%.

9
 Superelevation Development for a Simple
Circular Curve

 Superelevation development occurs along the

curve from TP up to 30%-40% of the curve
length, both sides.
 This leave 40-20% of
curve length with full
superelevation.

10
 Superelevation Development for a
Simple Circular Curve

Lsd

TP

Lsd = length of superelevation development, m

11
 Composite Curves
Circular curve + 2 transition (spiral) curves

 SSD= start of superelevation

development IP
 TS = Tangent- Spiral
 SC= Spiral - Circular curve
 CS= Circular curve- Spiral
 ST= Spiral- Tangent
 ESD = End of superelevation
development
 Lsd = Length of superelevation
development
 Lsp = Length of transition/spiral
 Arc = length of circular curve
 Est = normal crossfall
 Level = zero crossfall
 Ecu = full superelevation
12
 Superelevation Development

Tangent Runout Length: The length

required to transit the outside lane of the
roadway from a normal crowned section to
a point where the outside lane have zero
(flat) cross slope (0%).

Superelevation Runoff Length: The length

of highway section that is required to
achieve a full superelevated section from a
flat section.

Rotation about the centerline

13
 Attainment of Superelevation Methods

Cross-Section Rotation (Axis of Rotation):

1. Rotation about the centerline
2. Rotation about the inside edge
3. Rotation about the outside edge

Cross-Section Rotation
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 Superelevation Development

TS SC

Rotation about the centerline

15
 Rotation about the Centerline
Lsd

SSD TS SC

+ve Outer edge

O4
O2 O3
eW
nw
0 nW nw eW
CL
O1, I1 I2 I3
-ve I4
Inner edge

Profile for rotation about centreline

16
 Rotation about the Centerline

O4 CL

O3 ew
nw
g= 0%
O2
n.c
nw
O1
I1, I2, I3
ew

e
I4
W W

17 Cross- sections for rotation about centreline

 Rotation about the Inside Edge
Lsd

SSD TS SC Outer edge

+ve
2eW CL
nw eW
0 nW nw

-ve
Inner edge

Profile for rotation about inside edge

18
 Rotation about the Inside Edge

O4

CL

2ew
O3
ew
g= 0%
O2 n.c
nw
e
O1
I1, I2, I3, I4

W W

19 Cross- sections for rotation about inside edge

 Rotation about the Outside Edge
Lsd

SSD TS SC

+ve

Outer edge
0 nW nw

eW
-ve
CL
2eW

Inner edge

Profile for rotation about outside edge

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 Rotation about the Outside Edge

CL

n.c
g= 0% nw
O1, O2, O3, O4 I1
I2
I3 2ew

ew
e
I4
W W

Cross- sections for rotation about outside edge

21
 Relative Grade Diagram
For the whole curve (circular and two transition curves)

Station, m

Outer edge
Inner edge

22
 Relative Grade Diagram- 2 lane 2 way road
Outer edge relative to road centreline (axis of rotation)

Lsd

+ve SSD SC
TS

eW
0 nW CL

-ve
0 e
n
n n eW
nW nW e
nW
eW

W W W W
W W

SSD TS SC
Centreline (axis of rotation) Outer pavement edge Inner pavement edge
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 Relative Grade Diagram-2 lane 2 way road
Inner edge levels relative to road centreline

SSD TS SC
+ve

0 nW nW CL
eW

-ve

e
n
n n eW
nW e
nW nW n
eW
nW
W W
W W W W

SSD &TS Point where inner

edge starts to rotate SC
24 Centreline (axis of rotation) Outer pavement edge Inner pavement edge
 Relative Grade Diagram-2 lane 2 way road

Lsd

SSD TS SC

+ve Outer edge

eW eW
nw
0 nW nw nW
CL
eW

-ve EW+nW
Inner edge

RG %= slope of this line= [(eW + nW) / Lsd] *100%

(Transitional slope)
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 Superelevation - Axis of Rotation

Super-elevation is developed by rotating each half of

the cross-section (pavement and shoulders) about
an axis:
 on undivided roads, rotation about the carriageway
centerline
 Divided roads, about the median edge of each
carriageway (If median is narrow, the centreline is used).

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 Superelevation Development
Undivided Road

Axis of Rotation

27
 Superelevation Development
Divided Road

Axis of Rotation
Axis of Rotation

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 Diagram for a Divided
Road Cwy 1 Cwy 2

Lsd Cwy 1
sc
SSD
TS
nW EW
Median edge 1
nW

nW nW Median edge 2
nW EW

Cwy 2

Cwy 1, 0 Cwy 1, +n Cwy 1, +E

Cwy 1, -n
Cwy 2, +E
Cwy 2, +n Cwy 2, +n Cwy 2, +n

SSD
TS rotation of Cwy 2 SC
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 What’s wrong with these curves?

30
 Widening on Horizontal Curves

The travelled way on horizontal curves is sometimes widened

to make operating conditions on the curve similar to those on
tangents.
Widening is needed for the following
reasons:
1. The driver experience difficulties
in steering around the curve.
2. The vehicle occupies a greater
width as the rear wheel don’t
track the front wheel.
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 Widening on Horizontal Curves

32
 Widening on Horizontal Curves

W= Wps+ Wm

W = total widening, m
V
Wps  Wps = widening for psychological reasons
9.5 R Wm = widening for mechanical reasons
V = design speed, km/hr
n l2
Wm  R = curve radius, m
2R n= number of lanes
l = wheel base, m
(3.4m for passenger cars, 6.1m for single unit
truck, 15m for heavy trucks).
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 Example (1)

R= 100m, design speed = 50km/hr, fs= 0.15

a- find the rate of superelevation
b- find the coefficient of friction if superelevation is not utilized
Solution:
V2
1- R 
127 (e  f )
(50) 2
100  e = 0.05
127 (e  0.15)

2- When e=0 then

(50) 2
100  fs = 0.197
127 (0  f )
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 Example (2)

Find the necessary widening for a horizontal curve having R=

100m, wheel base= 6.1m, pavement width =7m, V= 70 kph.

Solution:
W= Wm + Wps

n l2 V 2 (6.1) 2
70
W     0.37  0.74  1.11m
2 R 9.5 R 2 *100 9.5 100

If the radius R= 50m , then the widening will be = 1.8m (this means that
more widening is required).
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 Example (3)

Two lane road, V=100 km/hr, R=250 m, fs=0.21, width of the pavement at
the horizontal curve=8 m. By how much the outer edge of the pavement is to
be raised with respect to the centerline, if the pavement is rotated with
respect to centerline.
Solution: V 2
Rmin 
127 (e max f )

(100) 2
250  e max  10%
127(e max  0.21)

eW  0.10 * (8 / 2)  0.4 m
eW

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 Example (4)

V=100km/hr, R=250m, fs=0.21, width=8m, normal cross-fall (n)=1%,

tangent runout= 20m, elevation and station of start of superelevation
development (SSD) point are 98.5m and 100+00, respectively.
Find the length of spiral curve (tangent runoff), transitional slope, and
elevations and stations of outside and inside edges at SC when the pavement
is rotated with respect to centerline.
2
Solution: R  V
e  10%
max
127 (e max f )
min

eW  0.10 * (8 / 2)  0.4 m
nw  0.01* (8 / 2)  0.04 m
eW

nw

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 Example (4)

20 0.04
 X = 180m , Ls = 20 +180= 200m
20  X 0.40

Lsd = 20+200= 220m

Transition slope = [(eW + nW) / Lsd] *100%
= [(0.4 + 0.04) / 220] *100% = 1/500
Elev. outside edge at SC = 98.5 + 0.4= 98.9m
Elev. inside edge at SC = 98.5 - 0.4= 98.1m
St. outside edge at SC = 10000+ 220= 102+20
SC
SS TS
St. inside edge at SC = 10000+ 220= 102+20 20
20
1 0.40
Y

0.04

38 x