Debre-Brhan University

College of Engineering

Department of Construction Technology and

Management

Highway Engineering
COTM3201

Chapter One: Introduction to Road planning and Design

&
Chapter Two: Purpose of Road and Route Selection

Abdulmelik A.
2009 E.c
 Introduction to Transport Systems

Definition:- Transport or transportation is the

movement of peoples and goods from one
location to another for some purpose.
It is the translocation of object in a physical
space and time.
Modes of transport
Land (Road and Rail) Air Water Cable Pipeline Space
 Introduction.(contd)

A transportation system consists of three components:

Physical element (Infrastructure, vehicles i.e.
motorized or non-motorized, equipment, and
control and communication)
Human resources for operation of transportation
system
Operations (schedule or private service)
 Introduction.(contd)

qTransportation Engineering is one of a specialty area of

Civil Engineering concerned on:

Planning

Design

Construction

Traffic operations and managements, and

Maintenance of transport systems.

 I. 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 of forecasting future traffic, estimate of impact of

the facility on land use, the environment, and the community and determination

of the benefits and cost that will result if the project is built.
 II. Design
Transportation design involves the specification of all features of the
transportation system so that it will function smoothly, efficiently and in
according with physical laws.

It involves:-

v the selection of dimension for all geometric features, such as

Longitudinal profile

Vertical curve and elevation

v Rout cross-section like, pavement width, shoulders, drainage ditches, and

fencing.

v the design of pavement

v provision for traffic control device, road side area and land escapes.
 III. Construction
Transportation construction is closely related to design and involves

all aspects of the building process:-

Such as:

beginning with clearing the native soil

preparation of the surface

placement of the pavement material, and

preparation of the final rout for use by traffic

 IV. Traffic operation
v Involves the integration of vehicles, driver, pedestrian, and road
characteristics to improve the safety and capacity of the streets
and highways.
Among the elements of concern are:-
traffic accident analyses
parking
Loading and Un loading
design of terminal facilities
markings
traffic sign and signals
speed regulation
 V. Maintenance
q Involves all the work necessary to ensure the system is
kept in proper working order.

Such as:

pavement patching and Over lay( highway)

Redesign of existing structure and etc

 Road transport

A road is an identifiable route, way or path

between two or more places.

It is a flexible and versatile (flexible because it

offers point to point service between any origin-
destination; versatile because it can transport
products of varying size and weight - container)

It provides fast and reliable service

Road transport..(contd)

Addis-Adama expressway
 Road transport.(contd)
Advantages of Road transport
It is a relatively cheaper mode of transport as compared
to other modes.
Perishable goods can be transported at a faster speed by
road carriers over a short distance.
It is a flexible mode of transport as loading and unloading
is possible at any destination. It provides door-to-door
service.
It helps people to travel and carry goods from one place
to another, in places which are not connected by other
means of transport like hilly areas.
 Road transport.(contd)
Limitations of Road transport
Due to limited carrying capacity road transport is not
economical for long distance transportation of goods.
Transportation of heavy goods or goods in bulk by
road involves high cost. [25,000 ton on ship 695 Veh
36 ton]
It is affected by adverse weather conditions. Floods,
rain, landslide, etc., sometimes create obstructions to
road transport.
 Road Design
In general term highway development
involves the following three basic
engineering design aspects:
Geometric Design
Drainage design
Pavement Design
 Road Design
Geometric design is the process whereby the layout of
the road through the terrain is designed to meet the
needs of the road users.
O The principal geometric features are:
the road cross-section

horizontal and

vertical alignment
Geometric design starts with the selecting of route
 Route Selection
The origin destination survey
and estimated traffic volume
studies first conducted to justify
that two points needs to be
connected. [this is part of
Transport planning]
Once the decision is reached to
connect two points through a
road, then the selection of the
roadway alignment is begin to
ensure the most economical,
 Route Selection
General Procedures for selection of alignment
1. Examination of Natural and Manmade features
Selection of alignment should be done by relating
Topographic features, Human habitation,
environmental features of the area under
consideration to the geometric design control

The main information sources include;

Topographic maps (contour maps)
Areal Photographs
Geological and soil maps
Ground survey and site visit
 Route Selection
The main uses of the Topographic, geological
maps and land use maps include;
To identify unsuitable ground condition like wet land, rock
outcrop, areas subjected to flash flood or avalanche etc.
To examine Contour lines
and obtain an initial estimate
of gradient on undulating or
mountainous parts;
delineate steeper slopes
 Route Selection
Define streams, rivers etc. for possible need of bridge
or other expensive structural works
List other features of interest not to be crossed by the
road. For instance:-
Environmentally sensitive area [parks, zoo, etc.]
Cultural and historical heritages [cemetery, etc..]
Habitations
Identify areas of interest to be connected [market
places etc.]
Prepare different overlays with different
alternative/potential routes
 Route Selection
2. Identification of technically feasible alternative
alignments
Technically feasible route is the one with
minimum construction and maintenance problem
and such that the design controls and policy on
Geometric design standards are adhered to.
A route may be Technically feasible but not
economically justifiable and environmentally
acceptable.
3. Preliminary Environmental and Economic analysis and
Evaluation
a preliminary cost-benefit analysis and environmental
analysis is conducted before detail design is done
 Route Selection
Guideline for selection of Technically feasible route
i. Run the alignment on as high ground [ridge line] as
possible. [for drainage, reducing cut, etc.]
ii. Run alignments on soils that provide better sub
subgrade support, consecutively reduce pavement
thickness.
iii. Run alignment that satisfies the required design
standard
iv. Consider the proximity of the road to road
construction materials
 Route Selection
v. Avoid marshy area and water logged areas, weak sub-
grade and expansive soil areas as much as possible
vi. Run alignment as short as possible
vii. Avoid river crossings as much as possible and if it is a
must chose the narrower bank and perpendicularly
viii.Avoid alignment with sharp curve, areas of poor
visibility, steeper slope, etc. so that the safety
requirements will be insured
ix. Make special considerations at intersections with
other
 Route Selection
Selection of preferred Alignment
Out of different potential alignments, the best route is selected
based on its:
1. Economic feasibility [ construction, maintenance and
operation cost Vs. Economic benefit]
2. Environmental feasibility [ based on different
Environmental Impact assessment criteria's]
3. Safety [ ensured by adherence to the geometric design
standards and policies]
Approaches typically involves compromise between the user
cost and construction cost while seeking a route that result in
least impact to Environment.
 Route Selection
.the basic task is to predict the total life cycle cost
construction, maintenance and road users cost as a function of
the road design, maintenance standards.
Example:
Route Selection
 Route Selection
In the above example:
Option I :
higher user cost [longer travel time, operating
cost(fuels, spare parts) ] due to its length
Lesser construction cost
Option II
Higher construction cost due to tunneling
Lesser user cost
The preferred alignment is the one with the least cost
benefit ration or the one with least monetary cost and
acceptable non monetary cost
 Route Selection
Evaluation of Alternatives
 Route Selection
EVALUATION SUMMARY TABLE
 Reading Assignment
1. Historical Perspective of Road
2. Geometric Design Considerations
Thank You
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