Model for Sight Distance Calculation and Three-Dimensional Alignment Evaluation in Divided and Undivided Highways

The assessment of spatial road design and of visibility conditions along the alignment constitutes a procedure of great importance that should begin with preliminary design. This paper describes a tool for evaluating the three-dimensional alignment with the aid of the minimum required stopping (SSD) and passing (PSD) sight distance. The H11 System is a road design software, entirely developed at the National Technical University of Athens(NTUA), that has the capability to generate perspective images from the driver’s successive viewpoints along the road. These perspective views, whose creation is based on the basic principles of Perspective Geometry, allow the designer to detect and localize possible deficiencies of the spatial design, with respect to road safety and esthetics. Moreover, by picturing a vehicle in front of the driver at the SSD and a vehicle at the opposite traffic flow at the PSD –if it’s about a two-lane, two-way highway-, they allow him to visually and directly check the availability of the two sight distances, providing him with an additional, quantitative aid to the procedure of the assessment of the road consistency and safety. The SSD and the PSD are calculated from the software for every station along the roadway, by means of the mathematical models used in current design practices. This tool is, nowadays, used for educational purposes in undergraduate classes at the Department of Transportation Engineering of School of Civil Engineers at the NTUA. Some Highway Design Agencies and Consultant firms use it as well.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/conferences/2011/RSS/2/Mertzanis,F.pdf
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• Supplemental Notes:
  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
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  Transportation Research Board

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• Authors:
  • Mertzanis, Fotis S
  • Hatzi, Viviana J
• Conference:
  • 3rd International Conference on Road Safety and Simulation
  • Location: Indianapolis Indiana, United States
  • Date: 2011-9-14 to 2011-9-16
• Publication Date: 2011

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 16p
• Monograph Title: 3rd International Conference on Road Safety and Simulation

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alignment; Divided highways; Highway design; Passing; Sight distance; Stopping sight distance; Traffic flow; Two lane highways
• Geographic Terms: Athens (Greece)
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I20: Design and Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01504355
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Jan 24 2014 2:29PM