SUG413-Geometric Highway

Design
Spiral Curve
:Objective
 Spiral Curve Transition
 Length of Spiral
 Compound Curve Transition
 Methods of attaining Superelevation
Spiral Curve Transition:
:General
 Any motor vehicle follows a transition path
as it enters or leaves a circular horizontal
curve.
 Combinations of high speed & sharp
curvature lead to longer transition paths,
which can cause shifts in lateral position &
actual encroachment on other lanes.
 Incorporation of transition curves between
the tangent & the sharp circular curves of
different radii, can keep the vehicle within its
own lane.
The Principal advantages of transition
curves in horizontal alignment are the
:following
 Transition curves minimize encroachment
on adjoining traffic lanes & provide
uniformity in speed. A spiral transition curve
simulates the natural turning path of vehicle.
 The transition curves length provides a
suitable location for the superelevation
runoff.
 Use of spiral transitions provide flexibility
in accomplishing the widening of traveled
way of sharp curves.
 Enhance the appearance of the highway
and helps to avoid breaks at the beginning
and the end of circular curve.
:Length of Spiral

 The radius of curvature at any point on the

spiral varies inversely with distance
measured along the spiral.
 The radius varies from infinity at the
tangent end of the spiral to the radius of
the circular arc at the end that adjoins that
circular arc.
 The following equation, developed in 1909 by Shortt
(25) for graded attainment of the lateral acceleration
on railroad track curves, is the basic expression
used by some highway agencies for computing
minimum length of spiral transition curve.
 The factor C in the previous equation is an
empirical value representing the comfort
and safety levels provided by the spiral
curve. The value of C varies from 0.3 to
0.9 m/s3 [1 to 3 ft/s3] .
 The control for the length of spiral is that
it should equal the length needed for
superelevation runoff.
 Maximum radius for use of
:spiral
 Maximum radius of a spiral is the value that radii
below it are likely to obtain safety and operational
benefits from the use of spiral transition curves
and it is establishment based on a minimum
lateral acceleration rates which vary from 0.4 to
1.3 m/s2 [1.3 to 4.25 ft/s2] .
 It is recommended that the maximum radius for
use of spiral should be based on minimum lateral
acceleration rate 1.3 m/s2 [4.25 ft/s2] for the
reduction in crash potential.
The following table shows the maximum
radius for use of a spiral curve transition
US Customary Metric
Max. Radius (ft) Design Speed(mph) Max. Radius (m) Design Speed(km/h)
114 15 24 20
203 20 54 30
317 25 95 40
456 30 148 50
620 35 213 60
810 40 290 70
1025 45 379 80
1265 50 480 90
1531 55 592 100
1822 60 716 110
2138 65 852 120
2479 70 1000 130
2846 75
3238 80
Note: The safety benefits of spiral curve transitions are likely to be negligible for larger
radii.
:Minimum length of spiral

 Minimum length of spiral based on

consideration of driver comfort and shifts in
lateral position of vehicles.
 Criteria based on driver comfort are intended
to provide a spiral length that allows for
comfortable increase in lateral acceleration
as a vehicle enters the curve.
 The criteria based on lateral shift are
intended to ensure that a spiral curve
is sufficiently long to provide a shift in
a vehicle’s lateral position within its
lane that it consistent with with that
produced by the vehicle’s natural
spiral path.
 Based on the previous two criteria the
minimum spiral length can be
computed as:
 The recommended value for pmin is
0.20m [0.66ft]. And the
recommended value for C is 1.2m/s3
[4.0 ft/s3].
:Maximum length of spiral

 Safety problems occur on long

spiral curves. Such problems occur
when the spiral is so long as to
mislead the driver about the
sharpness of the approaching
curve.
 A conservative maximum length of spiral that
should minimize the safety problems can be
computed as:
A value of 1.0 m [3.3 ft] is
recommended for pmax .
:Desirable Length of Spiral
 The most desirable operating conditions
were noted when the spiral curve length
was approximately equal to the length of
natural spiral path adopted by drivers.
 Difference in these two lengths resulted in
operational problems associated with
large lateral velocities or shifts in lateral
position at the end of the transition curve.
Based on these considerations, the following table shows the
desirable lengths of spiral transition curves. These lengths
.correspond to 2.0 s of travel time at the design speed of roadway
US Customary Metric
Spiral Length (ft) Design Speed Spiral Length (m) Design Speed
(mph) (km/h)
44 15 11 20
59 20 17 30
74 25 22 40
88 30 28 50
103 35 33 60
117 40 39 70
132 45 44 80
147 50 50 90
161 55 56 100
176 60 61 110
191 65 67 120
205 70 72 130
220 75
235 80
 If the desirable spiral curve length shown in
the previous table is less than Ls min the
value of Ls min should be used in the design.
:Length of Superelevation runoff

 It is recommended that the

superelevation runoff be accomplished
over the length of spiral.
 The length of runoff should be used for
minimum lengths of spiral. In this
manner, the length of spiral should be
set equal to the length of runoff.
:Limiting Superelevation rates

 Relative gradient of pavement edge may

exceed the values of maximum relative
gradients (Exhibit 3-27) because of
equating runoff length to spiral length.
 The adjustment factors for number of
lanes rotated (Exhibit 3-28) effectively
allow for a 50% increase in the maximum
relative gradient when three lanes are
rotated
The following table shows the superelevation rates associated with large relative gradient

US Customary Metric
Number of lanes rotated Design Number of lanes rotated Design
Speed Speed
3 2 1 (mph) 3 2 1 (km/h)

1.5 2.2 4.3 15 1.3 1.9 3.7 20

1.9 2.8 5.5 20 1.7 2.6 5.2 30
2.2 3.3 6.5 25 2.2 3.2 6.5 40
2.5 3.7 7.3 30 2.5 3.8 7.5 50
2.7 4.0 8.0 35 2.8 4.2 8.3 60
2.9 4.3 8.5 40 3.0 4.5 8.9 70
3.0 4.5 8.9 45 3.1 4.6 9.3 80
3.1 4.6 9.2 50 3.3 4.9 9.8 90
3.2 4.8 9.5 55 3.4 5.1 10.2 100
3.3 5.0 9.9 60 3.5 5.2 10.4 110
3.4 5.2 10.3 65 3.5 5.3 10.6 120
3.5 5.2 10.3 70 3.5 5.3 10.6 130
3.5 5.3 10.5 75
3.5 5.3 10.5 80
Note: Based on desirable length of spiral curve transition from Exhibit 3-34
 If the values of superelevatin rates in the
previous table exceeded, special
consideration should be given to
transition’s appearance & the abruptness
of its edge-of-pavement profile.
 Length of tangent runout
The following equation can be used to
:compute the tangent runout length
The tangent runout lengths obtained from
previous equation are presented in the
:following table
 US Customary Metric
Tangent runout length (m) Tangent runout length (m)
Superelevation rate Design Superelevation rate Design
Speed Speed
10 8 6 4 2 10 8 6 4 2
)mph( )km/h(
- - - - 44 15 - - - - 11 20
- - - 30 59 20 - - - 8 17 30
- - 25 37 74 25 - - 7 11 22 40
- - 29 44 88 30 - - 9 14 28 50
- 26 34 52 103 35 - 8 11 17 33 60
- 29 39 59 117 40 - 10 13 19 39 70
- 33 44 66 132 45 - 11 15 22 44 80
- 37 49 74 147 50 10 13 17 25 50 90
- 40 54 81 161 55 11 14 19 28 56 100
- 44 59 88 176 60 12 15 20 31 61 110
38 48 64 96 191 65 13 17 22 33 67 120
41 51 68 103 205 70 14 18 24 36 72 130
44 55 73 110 220 75
47 59 78 118 235 80
.Notes: 1- Based on 2.0% normal cross slope
Superelevation rates above 10% and cells with “-” coincide with a pavement edge grade that -2
exceeds the maximum relative gradient in Exhibit(3-27) by 50% or more. These limits apply to
roads where one lane is rotated; lower limits apply when more lanes are rotated see Exhibit (3-
.28)
:Compound Curve Transitions
 Compound curve transitions are
considered for application to low speed
turning roadway at intersections.

 Tangent-to-curve or spiral curve transition

designs are more commonly used on
street and highway curves.
:Methods of Attaining Superelevation

 Four methods are used to transition the

pavement to superelevated cross section,
these methods include:
1- Revolving a traveled way with normal cross
slopes about the centerline
profile. This method is most widely used because
the change in the elevation of the pavement edge
with less distortion.
2- Revolving a traveled way with normal cross
slopes about the inside-edge profile.
3- Revolving a traveled way with normal cross
section about the outside-edge profile.
4- Revolving a straight cross-slope traveled
way about the outside-edge profile. This
method is often used for two-lane one-way
roadways.
 Spiral data
n PI at 1 + 086.271
n V = 100 kmh
n R = 600 m
n C = 1.2m/s2
n ∆ = 180 12” 12’
n Two lane road
Spiral curve question

n PI at 1 + 056.251
n V = 80 km/h
n R = 320 m
n C = 1.2m/s2
n ∆ = 590 02” 15’
n Two lane road
n Given the coordinate on the PI are 238332.233 m E
and 133822.338 m N, incoming tangent bearing is
250 02’ 02”, chainage interval is 25 m. Calculate
coordinates on each chainage.
Question
A horizontal curve on a two-lane highway, with 
7.5 meters lanes, is to be designed. The design
speed is 120 km/h and lateral acceleration at
1.2 m/s 3, PI at 10 + 086.271with 122888 mE
and 336333 mN coordinates, a radius of 600
meters and the ∆ (central angle of 34 00 00”.
Compute the coordinates for all the point along
the spiral and circular curve if the chainage
interval is 25 m . Given the in coming tangent
.bearing is 223 14 25
Question
A horizontal curve on a two-lane highway, with 
unequal spiral curve is to be designed. The Ls1=
55m and Ls2 =755m, PI8 at 13 + 226.371, a
radius of 700 meters and the ∆ (central angle of
38 000”. Draw the diagram of the curve and
compute the coordinates on TS, SC, CS and ST
of the curve. Given the coordinate on the PI8 are
2138332.233 m E and 116822.338 m N, incoming
.”tangent bearing is 20 16’ 32
1. Calculate the spiral length (Ls) (0.0214V3)/(RC)
2. Spiral angle ∆s = (90/3.14) X (Ls / R)
3. Shift = (Ls)2 / 24R
4. T Spiral Ts = (R + s) Tan(∆/2) + (Ls) / 2
5. Circular angle ∆c = ∆ - 2∆s
6. Circular length Lc
7. Circular deflection angle
8. Θs = ∆s /3
9. Individual Spiral deflection angle =
li2 (θs X 60) / (Ls)2 (In minutes)