Spring 2017/2018 Lecture 2
CVLE 464
Highway Engineering
Dr. Youssef Attalah and Dr. Hussein Kassem
Road Components
Understanding Road Components
➢ Although roads vary in their configuration and design, they have common
elements that affect their functionality and durability. Roads must create a flat
surface for vehicle travel on sloped land.
➢ To do this, part of hillslope is cut away (the cut slope) and removed soil are
placed below (the fill slope) and compacted to create a flat bench or traveled
way. This is called cut-and-fill construction.
➢ A balanced cut-and-fill project uses all the cut material to generate the fill.
➢ In full-bench construction, the cut is made wide enough to accommodate the
entire traveled way.
Road Components
Highway Functional Classifications
➢ It is the process by which streets and highways are grouped into classes, or
systems, according to the character of traffic service that they are intended to
provide.
➢ There are three highway functional classifications: arterial, collector, and local
roads.
➢ All streets and highways are grouped into one of these classes, depending on the
character of the traffic (i.e., local or long distance) and the degree of land access
that they allow.
Functional
Services Provided
System
Provides the highest level of service at the greatest speed for the longest
Arterial
uninterrupted distance, with some degree of access control.
Provides a less highly developed level of service at a lower speed for shorter
Collector distances by collecting traffic from local roads and connecting them with
arterials.
Consists of all roads not defined as arterials or collectors; primarily provides
Local access to land with little or no through movement
Highway Functional Classifications
Highway Functional Classifications
The Role of Functional Classifications in Design Process
➢ The first step in the design process is to define the function that the facility is to
serve.
➢ The level of service required to fulfill this function for the anticipated volume
and composition of traffic provides a rational and cost-effective basis for the
selection of design speed and geometric criteria within the range of values
available to the designer (for the specified functional classification).
➢ The use of functional classification as a design type should appropriately
integrate the highway planning and design process.
Roadway Classification
Road
C la s s ific a tio n
R u ral R o ad s U rb an R o ad s
(Ag ricu ltu ral, (C ity streets)
d esert,… )
A n o th e r
C la s s if ic a t io n
2 -L a n e M u lt i- L a n e
R oads R oads
Typical Cross Section for Multi-Lane Highways
Typical Cross Section for Multilane Highways (half section)
Example of cross-sectional elements for a rural 2-lane road
Example of cross-sectional elements for a rural multi-lane road
Road Surface Slopes
Road Surface Slopes
Example of cross-sectional elements for an urban street
with pedestrian and bicycle facilities
Typical Highway Cross Sections
What is a pavement?
Functions of the pavement:
- Helps guide the driver and delineate the roadway by
giving a virtual perspective of the horizontal and
vertical alignments of the traveled path.
- The pavement gives the driver information about the
driving task and the steering control of the vehicle
- Support vehicle loads
