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The information listed in this lecture is mainly taken from the Policy on Geometric Design of
Highways and Streets (AASHTO, 2011), Iraqi Highway Design Manual (SORB, 2005) and
Traffic and Highway Engineering (Garber and Hoel, 2009).
Widening is needed on certain curves for one of the following reasons: (1) the
design vehicle (especially larger ones) occupies a greater width because the rear
wheels do not follow precisely the same path as the front wheels (offtracking) when
the vehicle traverses a horizontal curve or makes a turn, or (2) drivers experience
difficulty in steering their vehicles in the centre of the lane.
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-- w = Wc - Wn
w = widening of travelled way on curve, m;
Wc = width of travelled way on curve, m;
Wn = width of travelled way on tangent, m
The
travelled
way
width
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--Wc = N(U + C) + (N - 1) FA + Z
where:
N = number of lanes (per direction for divided Hwy.);
U = track width of design vehicle (out-to-out tires), m;
C = lateral clearance, m;
FA = width of front overhang of inner-lane vehicle, m;
Z = extra width allowance, m
As shown in the formula above, the travelled way width needed on a curve (Wc) has
several components related to operation on curves, including: the track width of
each vehicle meeting or passing, U; the lateral clearance for each vehicle, C; width of
front overhang of the vehicle occupying the inner lane or lanes, FA; and a width
allowance for the difficulty of driving on curves, Z.
To determine width Wc, it is necessary to select an appropriate design vehicle. The
design vehicle should usually be a truck because offtracking is much greater for
trucks than for passenger cars. The WB-15 design vehicle is considered
representative for two-lane open-highway conditions.
The track width (U) for a vehicle following a curve or making a turn, also known as
the swept path width, is the sum of the track width on tangent (u) (2.44 or 2.59 m
depending on the design vehicle) and the amount of offtracking.
U = u + R -
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The offtracking depends on the radius of the curve or turn, the number and location
of articulation points, and the lengths of the wheelbases between axles. The track
width on a curve (U) is calculated using the equation:
The lateral clearance allowance, C, provides for the clearance between the edge of
the travelled way and nearest wheel path and for the body clearance between
vehicles passing or meeting. Lateral clearance per vehicle is assumed to be 0.6, 0.75,
and 0.9 m for tangent lane widths Wn, equal to 6.0, 6.6, and 7.2 m respectively.
The width of the front overhang (FA) is the radial distance between the outer edge of
the tire path of the outer front wheel and the path of the outer front edge of the
vehicle body. For curves and turning roadways, FA depends on the radius of the
curve R, the extent of the front overhang of the design vehicle A, and the wheelbase
of the unit itself L. In the case of tractor-trailer combinations, only the wheelbase of
the tractor unit is used.
FA = + ( + ) - R
The extra width allowance (Z) is an additional radial width of pavement to allow for
the difficulty of manoeuvring on a curve and the variation in driver operation. This
additional width is an empirical value that varies with the speed of traffic and the
radius of the curve. The additional width allowance is expressed as:
Z = 0.1 ( V/ )
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Highway Eng.
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C- Application of Widening.
1- On simple (unspiraled) curves, widening should be applied on the inside edge of
the travelled way only. On curves designed with spirals, widening may be applied on
the inside edge or divided equally on either side of the centreline. In either case, the
final marked centreline and any central longitudinal joint should be placed midway
between the edges of the widened travelled way.
2- Curve widening should transition gradually over a length sufficient to make the
whole of the travelled way fully usable. Preferably, widening should transition over
the superelevation runoff length, but shorter lengths are sometimes used. Changes
in width normally should be effected over a distance of 30 to 60 m.
It is suggested that a minimum
widening of 0.6 m be used
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