ROAD CURVE SUPERELEVATION DESIGN: CURRENT PRACTICES AND PROPOSED APPROACH
Horizontal alignment design standards in the United States and Australia have two basic common features: firstly, the absence of a single nationwide maximum superelevation rate and, secondly, designers' freedom in applying above-minimum values for curve radii. Taking into account the proven dependence of operating speed on curve radius, Australian standards introduce the concept of speed environment (characterising highway sections as a whole) to be used alongside the traditional design speed concept (corresponding to individual curves) and incorporate consistency checks as a feedback loop in the design process. In this paper a proposal for simplifying the relationship between radius and superelevation is applied to Australian guidelines for speed environments ranging between 60 km/h and 120 km/h. Consistent application of this proposal, for which specification of nationwide maximum superelevation rates is a precondition, would result in curve radius serving the driver both as a guide for selecting speed and as a signal for the centrifugal acceleration to be expected, thus enhancing horizontal alignment consistency. (a)
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Availability:
- Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/26087078
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Corporate Authors:
ARRB
Melbourne, Victoria Australia -
Authors:
- KANELLAIDIS, G
- Publication Date: 1999-6
Language
- English
Media Info
- Features: References;
- Pagination: p. 27-38
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Serial:
- Road and Transport Research
- Volume: 8
- Issue Number: 2
- Publisher: ARRB
- ISSN: 1037-5783
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Acceleration (Mechanics); Alignment; Design speed; Friction; Highway curves; Highway design; Superelevation
- Geographic Terms: Australia; United States
- ITRD Terms: 5405: Acceleration; 2894: Alignment; 8006: Australia; 2872: Bend (road); 635: Design speed; 5452: Friction; 2855: Highway design; 2850: Superelevation; 8122: USA
- Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00788176
- Record Type: Publication
- Source Agency: ARRB
- Files: ITRD, ATRI
- Created Date: Mar 3 2000 12:00AM