Classification of roads

1
 Classification of roads

Depending upon

Type of carriage way/ road

Weather Surface providing
pavement

2
Classification based on dependence
of weather

All weather road(pic.1) Fair weather road(pic.2)

3
Classification based on dependence
of weather

Fair weather road(pic.3) Fair weather road(pic.4)

4
Classification based on type of
carriage way/ road pavement

Paved roads (pic.5) Paved roads with WBM as

top course (pic.6)

5
WBM section

Pic. 7
6
Classification based on type of
carriage way/ road pavement

Unpaved roads (pic.8) Unpaved roads (pic.9)

7
Classification based on surfacing
provided

Surface roads (pic.10) Un-surfaced roads (pic.11)

8
Methods of classification
of roads

9
 Methods of classification

Basis of Classification

Load transported or
Traffic volume Location and function
tonnage

10
Classification based on location and
function (given in Nagpur road plan)

National State
highways Highways

Major District Other District

11
 National Highway

Running through Major ports , foreign

highways, capitals of large
length and breadth states, industrial centers
of India and tourist centers

Also includes roads for

strategic movements
for defense of India

Should give e.g. Delhi-Ambala-

uninterrupted 12
Amritsar highway is
 State Highways
Serves as main Connects up with
arteries for traffic to
and from district
NH of adjacent
roads states

Connects to district
headquarters
within state

NH and SH have
Connects Important 13
almost same design
 Major district roads

Roads within a district

Serving areas of
production and market 14
 Other district roads

Serve rural roads of

production

Provide rural areas an

outlet to market 15
 Village roads

Connecting villages or
group of villages and to
nearest road of higher
order.

Replica of farm tracks

16
 Modified Classification of road
system by 3rd 20 year road plan
Keeping in view: Primary Secondary
1.Purpose of transport planning system system
2.Functional identification
3.Earmarking administrative Tertiary system
jurisdictions or rural roads
4.Assigning priorities on roads
Roads are reclassified in to
three systems
17
 Modified Classification of road
system by 3rd 20 year road plan
Tertiary System/ rural
Primary system Secondary System roads

Express National State Major Other Village

ways Highways highways district roads district roads Roads

18
 Expressways

Separate class of highways with superior facilities

Superior design specifications

Meant as through routes having high volume of traffic

19
 Expressways
Expressways are provided with divided carriage ways.

Controlled access

Grade separation at cross roads and fencing

20
 Expressways

Permit fast moving vehicles

May be owned by Central Government or State Government depending

upon whether express way is State Highway or National Highway

21
Expressway (Delhi-Meerut
Expressway)

Pic. 12
22
Delhi Agra Expressway (Video)

Video Link
23
 Classification of urban roads
Arterial Roads
●
Arterial roads are streets primarily for through traffic on continuous route.

Sub-arterial Roads
●
Have same purpose as of arterial roads but lower level of traffic mobility

Collector streets
●
Collector streets provide access arterial streets and collect and distribute traffic from and to local streets.

Local Streets
●
Provide access to abutting property

24
 Classification of urban roads

Pic. 13
25
Road Patterns

26
Various types of road patterns are as
follows
Radial or star
Rectangular or
and block
block pattern pattern

Radial or star
Radial or star
and circular 27
Rectangular or block pattern

Pic. 14
28
Rectangular or block pattern

Pic. 15
29
Radial or star and block pattern

Pic. 16
30
Radial or star and circular pattern

Pic. 17
31
Radial or star and circular pattern

Pic. 18
32
Radial or star and grid pattern

Pic. 19
33
Radial or star and grid pattern

Pic. 20
34
Hexagonal Pattern

Pic. 21
35
 Highway Planning

Planning Preparation of
surveys plans

Interpretation of
results of
planning surveys

Determination of36
Preparation of
 Planning Surveys

Economic Financial
Studies Studies

Traffic or road Engineering

37
 Economic studies

Total population and Trend of

classified distribution
of the different population
population groups. growth

Agriculture and Industrial and

industrial products
and their listing in agriculture 38
 Financial studies

Standard of living
Sources of of different
income population groups

Resources at local Anticipated

level such as toll development in area
plazas, vehicle and income 39
 Traffic road use studies

Classified traffic volume

per day, annual average O and D
daily traffic, peak and
design hourly traffic. studies

Accidents, their
Traffic flow
causes and cost40
 Engineering studies

Topographic
Soil surveys
al surveys

Location and Assessment of

classification of various development
41
 Highway Planning

Planning Preparation of
surveys plans

Interpretation of
results of
planning surveys

Determination of42
Preparation of
 Preparation of plans

Plan 1:General area plan

Existing road Agriculture Towns and

Topographic
network and and Industry villages with
features
drainage activities population

43
 Preparation of plans

Plan 3

Shows location of places with quantities of productivity

44
 Highway Planning

Planning Preparation of
surveys plans

Interpretation of
results of
planning surveys

Determination of45
Preparation of
 Highway Planning

Planning Preparation of
surveys plans

Interpretation of
results of
planning surveys

Determination of46
Preparation of
 Preparation of master plan

●
Final road plan for area
Master under study.
●
Area may be a block, district,
Plan state or whole country

47
 Master Plan
Based on 4 plans
prepared in second
step

Improvement of
existing roads is
proposed

New plans with

different possible road
network are proposed

48
 Highway Planning

Planning Preparation of
surveys plans

Interpretation of
results of
planning surveys

Determination 49
Preparation of
 Saturation system

Saturation system based on US

system of highway planning is used
to arrive at best road system out of
various proposals
50
 Saturation system

In this system the optimum road length is calculated for an area, based on the
Also known maximum utility system
concept of obtaining maximum utility per unit length of road.

51
Saturation system

Factors considered for obtaining

the utility per unit length of road
Population
Productivity
served
served
by the
by the
road
network
network

52
Productivity served by road network
Agricultural
Industrial products 
products

53
Steps to be followed to find the road network
having maximum utility per unit length by the
saturation system
1. Population
Units

2. Productivity
Units

3.Utility

54
Population Units
Population less than 500, utility unit
=0.25
501 to 1000, utility unit= 0.50
1001 to 2000, utility unit= 1.00
2001 to 5000, utility unit= 2.00

55
Productivity
Units
The total agricultural & industrial
products served by each road system
should be worked out. The productivity
served may be assigned appropriate
values of utility units per unit weight. 

56
 Utility
Populati
on
Units

Total Utility

Producti
vity
Units

57
 Utility
The total units scored are divided by the total road length of
each system to obtain the utility rate per unit length of road.
 Different road systems considered with different layout and
length would show different values of utility rate per unit
length. The proposal which gives maximum utility per unit
length may be chosen as the final road system with optimum

The total units scored are divided by the total road length of
road length, based on maximum utility by this method.  

each system to obtain the utility rate per unit length of road.
 Different road systems considered with different layout and
length would show different values of utility rate per unit
length. The proposal which gives maximum utility per unit
length may be chosen as the final road system with optimum
road length, based on maximum utility by this method.  

58
 Highway Planning

Planning Preparation of
surveys plans

Interpretation of
results of
planning surveys

Determination of59
Preparation of
 Phasing of road programme
• The road net-work to be constructed and improved in the plan period
is decided while finalizing the master plan of the road development
project. The plan period may be of along term, like that of the 20-year
road plan or of shorter period like five year plans. But whatever be
the plan period, it is necessary to phase the road development
programme from financial considerations. In other words, it is
necessary to fix up the priorities for the construction of each link of
the road net work development programme to decide which link
should be taken up first and which one the next and so on. The
phasing may also be done for each annual budget year by fixing up
the priorities.
60
 Numerical

The area of a certain district in India is 13,400

sq. km and there are 12 towns as per 1981
census. Determine the length of different
categories of roads to be provided in this
district by the year 2001.

61
 Solution

National State
Highway highway

Major District Other District

62
Solution cont…
Length of National highway

=Area/50

=13400/50

268 km

63
 Solution cont…
Length of state highway

a) By area, SH, km =area/25=

13400/25= 536 km

b) By area and number of towns SH, km =

62.5 x No of towns - Area/50=
62.5 x 12 - 13400/50= 482 km

Higher length is to be selected= 536 km

64
 Solution cont…
Length of MDR in district
a) By area, MDR, km =area/12.5=
13400/12.5= 1072 km
b) By number of towns MDR, km =
90 x No of towns=
90 x 12 = 1080 km
Higher length is to be selected= 1080 km
65
 Solution cont…
Total road length = Length of (NH+SH+MDR)
482+536+1080= 1884km

What about length of ODR and VR??

66
 Solution cont…
Total length of all category of roads should provide an overall density
of road length equal to 82 km/100 sq km area by 2001

So total road length (NH, SH, MDR, ODR, VR) should be =

(Area x density)
13400 sq km x (82 km/100 sq km)= 10988 km

Length of MDR and Village roads= 10988-1884=9104 km

67
 Solution cont…

1.Primary system of NH = 268 km

2.Secondary system consisting of SH 536 and
MDR = 1080, total length1616 km
3.Tertiary system of Rural Roads consisting of
ODR and VR = 9104 km
4.Total road length=10,988 km
68
 (
Road length according to first 20
year road plan
The total length of the first category for National Highways and State
Highways and Major District Roads in km is given by the formula

A=Agricultural area
B=Non-agricultural area
N=Number of towns and villages with
population range 2001-5000
D=Development allowance of 15 percent of
road length calculated to be provided for
agricultural and Industrial development
during the next 20 years.

T=Number of towns and villages with

population over 5000 R= Existing length of railway track
69
 (
Road length according
] to first
20 year road plan
The total length of second category roads for Other District Road and
Village Roads in km is given by the formula

V = Number of villages with population S = Number of villages with population

500 or less range 2001-5000
Q=Number of villages with population D=Development allowance of 15 % of
range 501-1000 road length calculated to be provided
for agricultural and Industrial
P= Number of villages with population development during the next 20 years.
range 1001-2000

70
References
1. A textbook on “Highway Engineering” by S.K. Khanna and C.E.G Justo, Nem Chand and Bros. Publishers, Roorkee, U.K.,
India. (ISBN 978-81-85240-63-3) (Ninth edition, year 2011) (for information)
2. (Pic.1)
https://www.hindustantimes.com/dehradun/magic-of-modern-technology-to-render-chardham-road-safe/story-rJxJnbbF
bDYrNqePUPYxuO.html
3. (Pic. 2) https://mapio.net/pic/p-69660618/
4. (Pic. 3) https://www.shutterstock.com/video/clip-7755406-sign-fair-weather-road-snow-car-passes
5. (Pic. 4)
https://kashmirexclusive.com/2019/01/31/national-highway-subject-to-fair-weather-only-stranded-vehicles-to-be-allowe
d-to-move/
6. (Pic. 5) https://barefootservicesbelize.com/the-roads-and-highways-in-belize/
7. (Pic. 6) https://www.civillead.com/2019/06/what-is-wbm-road.html
8. (Pic. 7) https://www.ques10.com/p/48432/construction-of-wbm-road-1/
9. (Pic. 8) https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Dirt_road
10. (Pic. 9)
https://www.123rf.com/photo_85156203_damage-unpaved-roads-gravel-roads-laterite-roads-on-a-foggy-day-beside-the
-hill-.html 71
References
11. (Pic.10) https://www.masterbuilder.co.in/innovation-in-road-construction-technologies/
12. (Pic.11) https://provideofactory.com/videos/unsurfaced-roads
13. (Pic.12)
https://auto.ndtv.com/news/indias-first-14-lane-delhi-meerut-expressway-and-eastern-peripheral-expressway-inaugurat
ed-1858264
14.Video link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0-Lam62k6Y
15. (Pic.13) https://slideplayer.com/slide/253051/
16.(Pic.14) https://www.slideshare.net/balamurugesan2/road-patten
17.(Pic.15) https://medium.com/@rohitgurjar009/various-road-patterns-1-3-d47841e1fd33
18.(Pic.16) https://www.slideshare.net/balamurugesan2/road-patten
19.(Pic.17) A textbook on “Highway Engineering” by S.K. Khanna and C.E.G Justo, Nem Chand and Bros. Publishers,
Roorkee, U.K., India. (ISBN 978-81-85240-63-3) page25 (Ninth edition, year 2011)
20.(Pic.18) https://medium.com/@rohitgurjar009/various-road-patterns-1-3-d47841e1fd33
21.(Pic.19) A textbook on “Highway Engineering” by S.K. Khanna and C.E.G Justo, Nem Chand and Bros. Publishers,
Roorkee, U.K., India. (ISBN 978-81-85240-63-3) page25 (Ninth edition, year 2011)
22.(Pic.20)
23.(Pic.21) A textbook on “Highway Engineering” by S.K. Khanna and C.E.G Justo, Nem Chand and Bros. Publishers,
Roorkee, U.K., India. (ISBN 978-81-85240-63-3) page26 (Ninth edition, year 2011)

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