Design Vehicle

Design Vehicle
A design vehicle represents an individual class in a conservative manner. passenger cars (compact, subcompact, light delivery trucks), trucks (single-unit, tractor-semitrailer combinations, trucks with full trailers), buses/recreational vehicles (single-unit, articulated, school buses, motor homes, passenger cars pulling trailers or boats).

Design Vehicle
Design Vehicle largest (slowest, loudest?) vehicle likely to use a facility with considerable frequency Three characteristics that affect almost all aspects of highway design
Physical Operating Environmental

Physical Characteristics
Type (GB defines 20 design vehicle types)
Passenger Car P Buses B Trucks SU, WB RVs Farm tractor

Size
Length Height Weight Width Height of driver s eye (car: 3.5 Center of mass

avg., truck: 7.6

high side)

Minimum Turning Path

Passenger Car

Minimum turning path is defined by the outer trace of the front overhang and the path of the inner rear wheel.

Minimum Turning Path

Double-Trailer Combination

CUT-AND-COVER

TUNNEL RAMP UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Dimensions of Design Vehicle Types

12

Operating Characteristics
Acceleration Deceleration and braking Power/weight ratios Headlights Friction (ball bank)

13

Environmental Characteristics
Noise (noise meter) Exhaust Fuel Efficiency Dust (particulate and VOCs from tires and brakes)

14

Vehicle Performance
Characteristics
acceleration deceleration difficulties in maintaining steady speed

Use
intersections freeway ramps climbing or passing lanes, and turnouts for buses

Vehicle Performance

Exhibit 2-24

Vehicle Performance

Exhibit 2-25

Vehicles on Grades
Passenger cars
The upgrades up to 3% have a slight impact on passenger cars. On steeper grades this effect becomes more pronounced. No special consideration is needed.

Trucks
The effect of grades on truck speeds can be quite strong (Exh. 353, 3-60). The truck with the mass/power ratio 120 kg/kW is selected to represent heavy vehicles (conservative assumption).

Recreational vehicles
Consideration of recreational vehicles on grades can be justified for recreational roads with the low percent of trucks (for example, to consider an additional lane).

Effect of grade on truck performance

Crawling speed

Effect of differential speed on crash rate

Critical Lengths of Grades

Effect of grade on RV performance

22

Maximum Side Friction

Exhibit 3-11

Friction

24