Tribhuvan University, Institute of Engineering, Pulchowk Campus
Tutorial for Transportation Engineering I/2078
Sight distance
1. Calculate the safe stopping sight distance for design speed of 60 kmph for a) two way traffic on a two lane road b)
two way traffic on a single lane road. Assume coefficient of friction 0.38 and reaction time as 2.5 seconds.
2. Calculate the stopping sight distance on a highway at a descending gradient of 4% for a design speed of 60 kmph.
Assume reaction time of driver= 2.5 sec and coefficient of friction between tyre and road surface = 0.4
3. Compute the minimum sight distance required to avoid a head on collision of two busses approaching from the
opposite directions. The speed of both the buses is 70 kmph. Assume a total perception and brake reaction time of
2.5 seconds. Coefficient of friction is 0.4 and brake efficiency is 50%.
4. Calculate the minimum sight distance required to avoid head on collision with a car approaching from the
opposite direction if both the cars are speeding at 60 kmph. Use a total perception and brake reaction time of 2
sec, coefficient of longitudinal friction 0.40 and brake efficiency 50%. The section of the road under consideration
has a grade 10%.
5. calculate the minimum stopping distance for a design speed of 50 kmph for
a. two way traffic in a two lane road
b. two way traffic in a single lane road
c. One way traffic in a two lane road. Assume all data suitably
6. Calculate the values of (i) head light sight distance and (ii) intermediate sight distance for a highway with a design
speed of 80 kmph. Assume suitable data if necessary.
Overtaking sight distance
1. A vehicle moving at a speed of 90 kmph decided to overtake another slow moving vehicle. Calculate safe
overtaking sight distance. Consider
a) two lane road with two way traffic
b) Two lanes with one way traffic. Assume all data suitably. (acceleration = 2.5 km/hr/sec)
2. The speeds of overtaking and overtaken vehicles are respectively 80 kmph and 45 kmph. If the acceleration of the
overtaking vehicle is 3 kmphps, determine the overtaking sight distance for (a) one way traffic (b) two way traffic.
Also calculate the length of the overtaking zone.
3. Find the safe overtaking sight distance for a highway having a design speed of 100kmph. Assume all date suitably.
(acceleration rate: 1.6 kmphps)
Setback distance
1. A four lane divided highway has a curve 1000m long and a radius of 550m. the safe stopping sight distance of 250 m.
Calculate the minimum set back distance from the inner edge of a building to ensure safe visibility. The pavement
width per lane is 3.5m
2. The radius of centre line of circular curve is 650m and the sight distance required is 400m. The length of curve is
300m. Find out the set back from an obstruction to the centre line.
3. A sight obstruction is located at a distance of 6m from the center of the inside lane of a highway that prescribes a
circular curve. If the degree of curve for the center line of the inside lane is 15 degree, calculate (a) the curve’s radius
and (b) the available horizontal sight distance
4. Calculate the set back distance from the inner edge of the curve in a four lane divided carriageway, the length of the
curve being 1500 m, the stopping sight distance 250 m, the lane width being 3.5 m and the radius of the curve being
400m
5. The stopping sight distance required for a highway is 80m. Find the required setback distance from center line of a
circular curve of radius 300m assuming the length of the curve is greater than the sight distance.
6. The overtaking sight distance required on a highway is 250m. Find the required clearance of obstruction from center
line of a circular curve of radius 350m and length 180m. Assume two lane highway with d=1.9m
Transition curve
1. The radius of a circular curve of two lane highway with a design speed of 70 kmph is 220 m. Assuming extra
widening is not necessary, calculate the length of the transition curve and shift of the curve. Assume other
necessary data approximately.
2. A transition curve is provided to connect a circular curve with a straight section of a road. If the design speed on
the road is 100 kmph and radius of the circular section is 250m, determine the length of transition curve for
comfort and for introducing super elevation at your suitably selected desirable rate. The width of the pavement at
straight section is 7.0m and length of wheel base of the design vehicle is 6.0m
1
Tribhuvan University, Institute of Engineering, Pulchowk Campus
Tutorial for Transportation Engineering I/2078
3. Calculate the length of transition curve and required shift if the design speed 60 kmph, the radius of the circular
curve is 220m. An allowable rate of change of centrifugal is 60 cm/sec 3. Allowable rate of change of super
elevation is 1 in 120. The pavement width including extra widening is 7.2m.
4. A national highway passing through rolling terrain in heavy rainfall area has a horizontal curve of radius 450 m.
design the length of transition curve assuming suitable data. Design speed is 80 kmph.
5. A simple highway curve is planned to connect two horizontal tangents that intersect at station 2500+00.00 at an
external angle of 52 degree. For a design speed of 80 kmph and a curve radius of about 1.25 times the minimum
allowable, calculate (a) the design rate of superelevation and (b) the required length of superelevation runoff.
Assume a four lane undivided highway and 3.5 m lanes.
6. A national highway passing through a flat terrain has a horizontal curve of radius equal to the ruling minimum
radius. If the design speed is 100 kmph, calculate the absolute minimum sight distance, superelevation,
extrawidening and length of transition curve. Assume necessary data suitably.
7. A highway with 2 lanes, each 3.5 m wide has 0.4 m of extra width at horizontal curve of radius R = 150 m. Design
the length of transition curve if the speed is 65 kmph. Desired rate of introduction of super elevation is 1 in 80.
8. While aligning a road in a built up area with mixed traffic, it is necessary to provide a horizontal curve of minimum
radius R = 320 m. Design the following geometric features assuming the following given data or else suitable.
Design speed = 65 kmph, length of wheel base = 6.1 m, pavement width = 10.5 m
a) Super elevation
b) Extra widening
c) Transition curve
Circular spiral combined curve
1. A road bend that deflects 70° is to be designed for a maximum speed of 80 kmph, a maximum centrifugal ratio of
1 and a maximum rate of change of centrifugal acceleration of 0.45 m/sec3. The curve consists of circular arc
4
combined with two cubic parabolas. Calculate:
a) the radius of the circular curve
b) the requisite length of transition
c) the total length of the composite curve
d) the chainage of the beginning and end of transition curve if the chainage of P.I. is 4075 m
2. The angle of intersection between two straight is 140°. The spiral angle for each transition curve is 5°. If the radius
of the main curve is 400 m, calculate the length of the transition curve and the length for the circular curve.
3. On a national highway in rolling terrain, two straight section intersect at chainage of (78+34) chains in 20 m units
with a deflection angle 40°30’ (right). It is proposed to layout a circular curve of 10 chains radius with transition
curve 1.5 chains long at each end. Calculate the chainage at the beginning of first transition curve, circular curve
and the second transition curve.
4. A national highway curve of 625 m radius is to be set out to connect two straights. The maximum speed of the
moving vehicles on this curve is restricted to 90 kmph. Transition curve are to be introduced at each end of the
curve. Calculate
a) A suitable length of transition curve
b) The necessary shift of the circular curve
c) The chainage at the beginning and end of the curve
Given that, Angle of intersection = 130°24’
Rate of change of acceleration = 0.25 m/sec3
Chainage at the point of intersection = 1092.5 m
