School of Engineering

Assignment Title

Greenshields and Greenbergs Model
Name : Waseem Akram
Lecture : Miss Thillai
Subject : Traffic Engineering
Matric Number : 092-90-4968
Program : BCE
Date : 10 August 2010
Marks:




Greenshields Model (1935)
Introduction:
To figure out the exact relationship between the traffic parameters, a great deal of research has been done
over the past several decades. The results of these researches yielded many mathematical models. Some
important models among them will be discussed.
Speed-Flow Model:
Macroscopic stream models represent how the behavior of one parameter of traffic flow changes with
respect to another. Most important among them is the relation between speed and density. The first and
most simple relation between them is proposed by Greenshield. Greenshield assumed a linear speed-
density relationship as illustrated in figure to derive the model. The equation for this relationship is shown
below.

Relation between speed and density
Description

v = mean speed


k = density
v
f
= free flow speed
k
j
= jam density
When density becomes zero, speed approaches free flow speed

Relation between speed and flow


Relation between flow and density



- Boundary conditions
Maximum flow
Density corresponding to max. flow
Speed corresponding to max. flow
Model parameters
Jam density
Free flow speed



Density corresponding to max. flow
We have

Differentiating

Maximum flow

Speed corresponding to max. flow

Calibration

Determination of model parameters
o Free flow speed (v
f
)
o Jam density (k
j
)
where x is density and y denotes speed



Example
Calibrate Greenshields model using the data give in the table
Find the maximum flow
Find the density corresponding to a speed of 30 km/hr
No K v
1 171 5
2 129 15
3 20 40
4 70 25

Solution
Denoting y = v and x = k, The solution is tabulated as shown below.
x(k) y(v)
( ) ( ) ( )( )
( )
171 5 73.5 -16.3 -1198.1 5402.3
129 15 31.5 -6.3 -198.5 992.3
20 40 -77.5 18.7 -1449.3 6006.3
70 25 -27.5 3.7 -101.8 756.3
390 85 -2947.7 13157.2
= 97.5, = 21.3. From
, b = = -0.2 = 21.3 + 0.2 97.5 = 40.8 So the linear regression
equation will be,



Here = 40.8 and = 0.2 This implies, = 204 veh/km The basic parameters of
Greenshield's model are free flow speed and jam density and they are obtained as 40.8 kmph and
204 veh/km respectively. To find maximum flow, i.e., = 2080.8 veh/hr
Density corresponding to the speed 30 km/hr can be found out by substituting . i.e, 30
= 40.8 - 0.2 k Therefore, k = = 54 veh/km Answer


Greenbergs Model (1959)
In order to use this model for any traffic stream, one should get the boundary values, especially
free ow speed (vf ) and jam density (kj ). This has to be obtained by field survey and this is
called calibration process. Although it is difficult to determine exact free flow speed and jam
density directly from the field, approximate values can be obtained from a number of speed and
density observations and then fitting a linear equation between them. Let the linear equation be
y = a+bx such that y is density k and x denotes the speed v.

For example the Greenbergs model
o
l f
x L
a
u
a
u
ut S + + + =
2 2
2 2

can be used in general when a
f
is the following vehicle deceleration, a
l
is the lead vehicle
deceleration, u is the speed,, L is the length of vehicle and x
o
is the safety margin between
vehicles. By letting a
l
= , a
f
= 6.0; a
l
= 6.0, a
f
= 6.0; a
l
= 6.0, a
f
= 2.0 and AASHTO stopping
with brick wall the following results can be obtained
Actually it can be shown that the Greenberg model and the car following model can be shown to
result in s similar relationship


0
ln( )
j
k
u u
k
=

Or

0
1
u
u
j
k e
k
=

Using u
o
=23 and k
j
= 185 the volume at various speed can be computed (Value from Traffic
Flow Fundamentals by Adolf May)

speed concentration Spacing Volume
0 185 28.54054 0
10 119.7699975 44.0845 440.845
20 77.53974221 68.09411 1361.882
30 50.19964721 105.18 3155.401
40 32.49952228 162.4639 6498.557
50 21.04036597 250.9462 12547.31
60 13.62164638 387.6183 23257.1

Example of traffic changes from Lane A to Lane B:
When flow conditions change from one state to another there is a wave that develops both in
front of the change and in back of the change. In front of the traffic slows and volume increases.
Upstream the traffic arrives and is slowed to the speed of the moving platoon of traffic. Changes
of this type occur due to traffic incidents such as collisions and /or slow moving traffic entering
the traffic stream. This is best understood by looking at the changes as they occur on a typical
diagram of volume versus concentration. Assume for example that traffic instantaneously
changes from state B to state A where state B is up stream and has a volume of 1200 vph and 40
mph and state A is 2000 vph at 20 mph. The resulting shock wave (the difference between the
speed of the forward moving traffic and the backward moving platoon of traffic is defined by the
equation




2000 1200 800
11.4
100 30 70
A B
AB
A B
q q q
mph
k k k
e
A
= = = = =
A

This is the speed of the forward moving shock wave after the change of state. The backward
moving wave is from state B to a jammed concentration state with 0 speed . The speed of this
backward moving wave is
0 1200 1200
7.1
200 30 170
C B
BC
C B
q q
mph
k k
e

= = = =


Greenberg's logarithmic model:

Greenberg assumed a logarithmic relation between speed and density. He proposed,

Greenberg's logarithmic model


This model has gained very good popularity because this model can be derived analytically.
(This derivation is beyond the scope of this notes). However, main drawbacks of this model is
that as density tends to zero, speed tends to infinity. This shows the inability of the model to
predict the speeds at lower densities




Comparison of the various flow models is shown below:
Macoscopic flow
l= 2.2
m= 1
uf= 50
kf= 250
Equation Composite Greenberg Greenshild Underwood Northwest
kact u q u q u q u q u q
0 50 0 #DIV/0! #DIV/0! 50 0 50 0 50 0
10 48.94939 489.4939 80.4719 804.719 48 480 48.03947 480.3947 49.84026 498.4026
25 46.84521 1171.13 57.56463 1439.116 45 1125 45.24187 1131.047 49.00993 1225.248
50 42.7522 2137.61 40.23595 2011.797 40 2000 40.93654 2046.827 46.15582 2307.791
100 33.34894 3334.894 22.90727 2290.727 30 3000 33.516 3351.6 36.30745 3630.745
150 22.91359 3437.038 12.77064 1915.596 20 3000 27.44058 4116.087 24.33761 3650.642
200 11.7459 2349.18 5.578589 1115.718 10 2000 22.46645 4493.29 13.90187 2780.373
250 0 0 0 0 0 0 18.39397 4598.493 6.766764 1691.691
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
non lin
Greenberg
Greenshild
Under
NW
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
0 2000 4000 6000
non lin
Green
Greenshield
Underwood
NW
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
0 100 200 300
non lin
Greenberg
Greenshiel
d
Underwoo
d
NW
2
(1 ) (1 ) ( 1)
(1 )
ln( )
exp( )
exp( 0.5( ) )
(1 ( ) )
1
0 1
f
j
j
f
f
j
f
j
m m l
f
j
Greenshield
k
u u
k
Greenberg
k
u u
k
Underwood
k
u u
k
Nothwestern
k
u u
k
Composite
k
u u
k
l
m

=
=
=
=
=
>
s s




Conclusions and recommendations
To apply this model details of the road network of the area are needed. The more detailed the information
on the network the more accurate the results will be. However, the more complex the computation will be.
It is important to note that using a more detailed road network means more time is required to set up the
model. The model set up needs to make assumptions concerning how many vehicles depart from each
node, so if a detailed network is used it could be time consuming to set up the model in terms of assigning
vehicles to each node:
- It is relatively quick to set up such a model for small areas;
- It can be simply modified;
- Large areas can be modelled using relatively simple networks;
- A number of different evacuation routes and locations of safe havens can be tested quickly.
The current status of mathematical models for speed-flow concentration relationships is in a state of flux.
The models that dominated for nearly 30 years are incompatible with the data currently being obtained,
but no replacement models have yet been developed

References

i. http://www.civil.iitb.ac.in/tvm/1100_LnTse/119_lntse/plain/plain.html
ii. http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop06006/chapter_4.htm
iii. http://www.mikrotik.com/testdocs/ros/2.9/ip/traffic-flow.pdf
iv. http://www.trafficengland.com/motorwayflow.aspx
v. http://www.webs1.uidaho.edu/niatt_labmanual/Chapters/trafficflowtheory/Introduction/index
.htm
vi. http://www.trafficflowseo.com/
vii. http://www.tft.pdx.edu/
viii. http://searchenterprisewan.techtarget.com/tip/0,289483,sid200_gci1173559,00.html