CURVES AND EARTHWORKS

GEE142
Instructor: ENGR. CHRISTAN FRANCIS Q. NAYRE
TOPICS

ROUTE SURVEYING
A. Horizontal Curves
a) Simple Curve
b) Compound Curves
c) Reverse Curves
d) Spiral Transition Curves
- Preliminary Examination
TOPICS

ROUTE SURVEYING
B. Vertical Curves
a) Symmetrical Parabolic Curves
b) Unsymmetrical Parabolic Curves
- Midterm Examination
TOPICS

EARTHWORKS
A. Volume Approximation
B. Borrow-Pit Method
C. Mass-Haul Diagram
- Final Examination
GRADING SYSTEM

TYPE OF ASSESSMENT PERCENTAGE

EXAMINATIONS (55%)
A. PRELIMINARY 20%
B. MIDTERM 20%
C. FINAL 15%
QUIZZES 15%
ASSIGNMENTS/SEATWORKS 10%
PROJECT 20%
TOTAL 100%
PASSING GRADE 60%
LECTURE 1: HORIZONTAL CURVES

TOPIC OUTLINE:
1. ROUTE SURVEYING
2. TYPES OF CURVE
3. SIMPLE CURVE
4. COMPOUND CURVE
5. REVERSE CURVE
6. TRANSITION CURVE
ROUTE SURVEYING

Purpose and Importance:

- Route surveying is comprised of all survey operations
required for design and construction of engineering works
such as highways, pipelines, canals, or railroads.
(keithwspenser.net)
- A route survey is a specialized type of land surveying
focused on determining the best path for new
transportation or utility routes.
(scholleslandsurveying.com)
ROUTE SURVEYING

Purpose and Importance:

• Route surveys help identify potential hazards and obstacles
that could disrupt the flow of traffic or cause an accident.
• They also help establish safe routes and provide valuable
information about weather conditions and construction projects.
TYPES OF CURVE

Curve are designed to provide smooth transition or

gradual change in direction thus reducing the effect of
inertia forces. In highway design, curves are deliberately
provided even on a straight route to break the monotony
in driving which may cause serious accidents.
 TYPES OF CURVE

1. HORIZONTAL CURVE
These curves are on a horizontal plane
viewed from the top.
Types:
a. Simple Curve
b. Compound Curve
c. Reverse Curve
d. Spiral/Transition Curve (Clothoids)
 TYPES OF CURVE

2. VERTICAL CURVES
These curves are used to
provide smooth transition or
gradual change in direction
which takes place in a
vertical plane due to grade
changes.
Types:
a. Symmetrical
b. Unsymmetrical
 P.I.
SIMPLE CURVE
E
x T
i
P.C. = point of curvature M
P.I. = Point of Intersection P. C/2 Q C/2 P.T
P.T. = Point tangency .
𝜃 C.
i = deflection angle =
2
𝜃 = Central angle
R = Radius of Curvature
R-
T = Tangent distance R M R
M = Middle ordinate
E = External distance
x = offset distance θ I/
C = Length of chord I 2
𝐿𝑐 = Length of curve
O
SIMPLE CURVE

DEGREE OF CURVE
- A value that measures the sharpness of the circular curve. It is based on
the (2) basis:
a. Arc Basis – Assumes that each degree (of central angle) subtends an arc
of 20 meters (or 1 station, 100 ft in the English system)

b. Chord Basis – Assumes that each degree (of central angle) subtends a
chord of 20 meters (or 1 station, 100 ft in the English system)
SIMPLE CURVE

1. A simple curve has a central angle of 36 degrees and a degree of

the curve of 6 degrees.
a. Find the nearest distance from the midpoint of the curve to the
point of the intersection of the tangents.
b. Compute distance from the midpoint of the curve to the
midpoint of the long chord joining the point of curvature and
point of tangency.
SIMPLE CURVE

2. A simple curve has an angle of intersection of 45 degrees, and

radius of 200m. The point of intersection is at STA 2+982.84.
a. Compute the stationing of P.T.
b. Compute the deflection angle of STA 2+937.7 from PC.
c. Compute the right angle offset from STA 2+937.7 on the curve to
tangent through PC.
d. Compute the degree of curve using chord basis.
SIMPLE CURVE

3. A curve of a diversion road has a forward tangent AB with direction due

north and backward tangent BC bearing N 70 E. Point A is at the P.C. whose
stationing is 12+600. The degree of curve is 5 degrees.
a. Compute the long chord of the curve.
b. Compute the stationing of point D on the curve along a line joining the
center of the curve which makes an angle of 40 degrees at E with the
tangent line passing through the P.C.
c. What is the length of the line from D to E.
 P.I. I = I1 + I2
COMPOUND CURVES

• A compound curve is a combination

T2I2 T2
of two or more circular curves with P.C.C
T1 .
P.T.
the center of curvature on the I1 C2
same side of the curve. The point
where the two circular curves C1 C R2
meet is called the Point of
T1 I2
Compound Curvature (P.C.C).
R1 I1
P.C. O
COMPOUND CURVES

4. A compound curve has a common tangent 400 m long. The first

curve passing through the P.C. is a 3-degree curve with a central
angle of 35 degree.
a. Find the length of the second curve if its central angle is
50degree.
b. Find the station of P.T. if the P.I. of the compound curve
(intersection of the tangent passing through P.C. and the tangent
passing through P.T.) is at Sta 10+125.
COMPOUND CURVES

5. The long chord from the P.C. to the P.T. of a compound curve is
250m long and the angles it makes with the tangent passing through
P.C. and the tangent passing through P.T. are 14 and 18 degrees,
respectively. If the common tangent is parallel to the long chord:
a. Find the radius of the first curve
b. Find the radius of the second curve
c. If the stationing of P.C. is 8+950, find the stationing of P.T.
 REVERSE CURVE
O2
• A reverse curve is a
combination of two or more P.C. T1
I1
R2
circular curves with the
C1
center of curvature on the
R1 C2
opposite side of the curve. P.T.
I2 T2

O1
 REVERSE CURVE

O2
4 Types of Reverse Curves:

1. Parallel Tangents, Equal Radii

P.C. T1
I1
R2

2. Parallel Tangents, Unequal Radii C1

3. Non-parallel Tangents, Equal Radii R1 C2

P.T
4. Non-parallel Tangents, Unequal Radii T2
I2

O1
 REVERSE CURVE

Photo credit: Mathalino.com

REVERSE CURVES

6. Given the lines and direction as follows: AB = 57.6 m due East, BC = 91.5 m
N68dE, CD = 102.6 m azimuth 312d. A reverse curve is to connect these three
lines thus forming the center line of a new road.
a. Compute the length of the common radius of the reverse curve.
b. If the road has a total width of 7meters (3.5meters per lane), determine the
total area of road to be paved, in m2.
REVERSE CURVES

6. Given the lines and direction as follows: AB = 57.6 m due East, BC = 91.5 m
N68dE, CD = 102.6 m azimuth 312d. A reverse curve is to connect these three
lines thus forming the center line of a new road.
a. Compute the length of the common radius of the reverse curve.
b. Distance from A to PC
c. Distance from PT to D
d. Length of Curve 1
e. Length of Curve 2
REVERSE CURVES

7. A reversed curve is to connect two tangents which is parallel to each other

and are 200m apart with directions of due east. There is an intermediate
tangent of 200m in between the reversed curve and the horizontal distance of
the P.C. and P.T. measured parallel to the tangents is 800m long. The P.C. of the
reversed curve is at the lower tangent. (Equal Radii, Parallel Tangents)
a. Determine the tangent distance of each curve in meters.
b. Compute the common radius of the reversed curve in meters.
`
SPIRAL TRANSITION CURVE

Also called “Clothoid, Euler Spiral”

- Spiral Transition Curves are designed and located in between the
tangent road and the circular central curve.
- This curve is provided especially for highspeed roads and railways.
- Spiral Transition or Spiral Easement Curves are used to provide
gradual transitions in horizontal curvature. The spiral also
provides gradual introduction of superelevation (raising of outer
edge over time)
GEOMETRY OF
SPIRAL CURVE
𝐿2
Spiral Angle: 𝜙 = radian
2𝐿𝑠 𝑅𝑐

Deflection angle: 𝑖 =
𝜙 B Start of simple P
3 Any point curve
dϕ along the
𝐿3
Offset distance: 𝑥 = spiral
6𝑅𝑐 𝐿𝑠

Distance of x from T. S. :
dL
𝐿5 i R
𝑦=𝐿−
40𝑅𝑐2 𝐿2𝑠 dϕ
A
Start of spiral
curve

R
GEOMETRY OF
SPIRAL CURVE
C
Spiral Angle: 𝜙 =
𝐿2
2𝐿𝑠 𝑅𝑐
radian x
Deflection angle: 𝑖 =
𝜙 B Start of simple P
3 Any point curve
y ϕ along the
𝐿3
Offset distance: 𝑥 =
6𝑅𝑐 𝐿𝑠 D spiral

Distance of x from T. S. :
L
𝐿5 i Rc
𝑦=𝐿−
40𝑅𝑐2 𝐿2𝑠
A Rc
Start of spiral
curve

R
SHORT AND LONG
TANGENT
x = xc
𝑥𝑐
Short Tangent: 𝑇𝑆 = ϕ = ϕS
𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜙𝑐

Long Tangent: 𝐿𝑇 = 𝑦𝑐 − 𝑆𝑇 cos 𝜙𝑐 y = yc ST Spiral to

Circular
𝐿2𝑠 Curve
𝑥𝑐 =
6𝑅𝑐 S.C.
𝐿𝑠
LT
𝜙𝑠 =
2𝑅𝑐
L= Ls

T.S.
Tangent to
Spiral
SHORT AND LONG
TANGENT
xc
ϕS
1
𝑥𝑚 = 𝑥𝑐 Spiral to
8
Circular
1 Curve
𝜙𝑀 = 𝜙𝑠
4 xm S.C.
M
𝑥𝑐
𝜌=
4
ϕm xm
ym ≈ Ls/2
𝝆 = 𝑳𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒘
Ls/2
T.S.
Tangent to
Spiral
SPIRAL ANGLE AND SIMPLE CURVE
 SPIRAL ANGLE AND SIMPLE CURVE

𝐼𝑠 = 𝐼𝑐 + 2𝜃𝑠

𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑇𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒 𝑂 − 𝑄 − 𝑃𝐼

𝐿𝑠 𝐼𝑠
𝑇𝑆 = + 𝜌 + 𝑅𝑐 tan
2 2
𝐼𝑠
𝐸𝑆 = 𝜌 + 𝑅𝑐 sec − 𝑅𝑐
2
DESIRABLE OR MINIMUM LENGTH OF SPIRAL

𝐾 3
𝑖𝑓 𝐶 = 2𝑓𝑡/𝑠 3 or 0.6096 𝑚/𝑠 3:
𝐿𝑠 = 3.6
𝐶𝑅𝑐
0.036𝐾 3
𝐿𝑠 − 𝐿𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝐿𝑠 =
𝑅𝑐
𝑅𝑐 − 𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑢𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑣𝑒
𝐾 𝑚
𝑣= − 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑖𝑛
3.6 𝑠
𝐾 − 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑖𝑛 𝑘𝑝ℎ
𝐶 − 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑛𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
IMPACT FACTOR (IF)

𝑣2
𝐼𝐹 =
𝑔𝑅
𝑣2
𝑆𝑢𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛: 𝑒 =
𝑔𝑅
𝑣 = 𝐾 − design speed (in kph)
𝑚
𝑔 = 9.81 2
𝑠
𝐾 2
𝑒 = 3.6
9.81𝑅

0.0079𝐾 2
𝑒=
𝑅
 SPIRAL TRANSITION CURVE

The length of a spiral curve is 100-m with radius of 250 meters at the central curve. The
tangents passing through T.S. and S.T. intersect each other at 60degrees. Determine the
following:
(a) Offset distance from the tangent on the first quarter point of the spiral.
(b) Spiral angle at third quarter point.
(c) Deflection angle at 3rd quarter point from the tangent to the spiral at T.S.
(d) Length of the short tangent of the spiral.
(e) Length of the long tangent of the spiral
(f) Length of throw for spiral curve
(g) Length of spiral tangent
(h) External distance of the spiral
(i) Maximum velocity that a car could pass through the spiral easement curve.