Highway Engineering

BASIC CHARACTERISTIC ROAD SYSTEMS

C3010 / UNIT 12

UNIT 12

BASIC CHARACTERISTICS OF A ROAD SYSTEM ( Part 2 )

OBJECTIVES
General Objective
To understand the basic characteristic of a road system.

Specific Objectives
At the end of the unit you should be able to: describe the traffic characteristics. identify the term of volume flow. describe the speed, traffic volume and density.

Highway Engineering

BASIC CHARACTERISTIC ROAD SYSTEMS

C3010 / UNIT 12

INPUT TRAFFIC CHARACTERISTICS

12.0

INTRODUCTION A knowledge of traffic characteristic is useful to the highway engineer in

developing highway and transportation plan, performing economic analyses establishing geometric design criteria, selecting and implementing traffic control measures, and evaluating the performance of transportation facilities. Dozens of measures have been employed to describe the quality and quantity of traffic flow. 12.0.1 TRAFFIC VALUME Traffic volume is defined as the number of vehicles that pass a point along a roadway or traffic lane per unit of time. A measure of the quantity of traffic flow, volume is commonly measured in units of vehicles per day, vehicle per hour. 12.0.2 SPEED Speed of travel is a simple and widely used measuring the quality of traffic flow. Basically, speed is the total distance traversed divided by the time of travel.

Highway Engineering

BASIC CHARACTERISTIC ROAD SYSTEMS

C3010 / UNIT 12

12.0.3 DENSITY Traffic density also referred to as traffic concentration, is defined as the average number of vehicle occupying a unit length of roadway at a given instant.

12.1

TERM OF VOLUME FLOW

The first basic characteristic of traffic is volume. Traffic volume study were made to get accurate information about quantity vehicle movement characteristic and pedestrian in an area, in a specific places in connection. Volumes can be definition as a number of cars which post at a certain point, a short road section in a certain time. If N were a number of vehicle crossing a line at a road in a duration of time; T, so the volume traffic is q = N/T The unit of volume is vehicle/hour. The unit of time duration that were made not necessary on hour or consistent to an hour. In a certain case, like peak time study, time duration that were taken is 15 minute. So the volume unit is vehicle/15 minute. Besides the general definition of volume that was discussed earlier, there was more phase of volume that were used for a specific road design.

Highway Engineering

BASIC CHARACTERISTIC ROAD SYSTEMS

C3010 / UNIT 12

12.1.1 ANNUAL AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC. (AADT) To obtain the average traffic per day, count the number of vehicles over the duration of more than a day. Then divided the total number of vehicles by number of days. 12.1.2 DAILY AVERAGE TRAFFIC

Daily average is a unit of vehicles per day and is calculated as the time duration is more a day and than a year traffic divided by the number of days in that period of time. 12.1.3 PEAK HOUR VOLUME 1) Geometric design considering numbers and width of with of lane, intersection design, and other road characteristic. 2) Determine insufficient payload of the road. 3) To plan and determining the location of the traffic control such as traffic light, traffic sign and others. 4) To design a traffic operation program. 5) Planning and enforcing law.

12.1.4 VOLUME HOUR DESIGN. The traffic flow is a dynamic phenomenon. The traffic characteristic and the traffic flow always changes from time to time. Thus, an average value should be obtained in designing purpose. For geometrical design, traffic volume is calculated base on every hour. This volume is called

Highway Engineering

BASIC CHARACTERISTIC ROAD SYSTEMS

C3010 / UNIT 12

volume per hour. For the purpose of design, the volume per hour should be as close as possible value of the volume peak hour. The highest volume per hour will not be used in road designing because it will result in over design. The identify volume per hour is known volume per hour design. One criterion to determine the volume per hour design is congested rate that were allowed in peak hour.

12.1.5 VOLUME HOUR DESIGN RATIO

In the proceeding sections of this chapter, consideration was given to some predetermined, congested, or peak hour, and the temporal nonuniformity of traffic flow over this hour was accounted for by using the peak hour factor. However, there is a larger question that looms: How is the peak hour determined for either highway design (i.e., determining the number of lanes required, and so on) or congestion analysis? This question is complicated by two concerns. First, there is considerable variability in traffic volumes by time of day, day of week, time of year, and type of highway. Current design practice in the United States generally uses a peak hour between the 10th 50th highest volume hour of the year, depending on the type and location of the road ( e.g., urban freeway, rural multilane highway, and so on ), local traffic data, and engineering judgment. Perhaps the most common hourly volume used for roadway design in the 30th highest hourly volume of the year. In practice, the K factor is used to

Highway Engineering

BASIC CHARACTERISTIC ROAD SYSTEMS

C3010 / UNIT 12

convert average annual daily traffic (AADT ) to the 30th highest annual hourly volume. K = DHV AADT 12.1.6 PEAK TIME FACTORS. In determining the level of service of a highway segment, a few key definitions and associated notations must be well understood. Hourly volume is the actual hourly demand volume for the highway in vehicle per hour, given the symbol V. Generally, the highest 24-hour hourly volume ( i.e., peak hour volume ) is used for V in traffic analysis computations. Peak Hour Factor accounts for the non-uniformity of traffic flow over the peak hour. It is denoted PHF and is typically defined as the ratio of the hourly volume ( V ) to the maximum 15 min rate of flow ( V15 ) expanded to an hourly volume. Therefore,

PHF =

v v15 x 4

Equation obove indicates that the further the PHF is from unity, the more peaked or non-uniform the flow. For example, consider two roads both of which have a peak-hour volume, v, of 2000 veh/hr. However, the first road has 1000 vehicles arriving in the highest 15-mm interval and the

Highway Engineering

BASIC CHARACTERISTIC ROAD SYSTEMS

C3010 / UNIT 12

second road has 600 vehicles arriving in the highest 15-mm interval. Clearly, the first road has a more non-uniform flow, and this is substantiated by the fact that is PHF of 0.5 (i.e,2000/(1000 X 4 )) is further from unity than the second roads PHF OF ( i.e, 2000/(600 X 4).

12.2 TRAFFIC VOLUME CHARACTERISTIC A knowledge of traffic characteristic is useful to highway engineer in developing highway and transportation plans, performing economic analyses, establishing geometric design criteria, selecting and implementing traffic control measures, and evaluating the performance of transportation facilities. Dozens of measures have been employed to describe the quality and quantity of traffic flow. In this unit, information is presented on those flow characteristics that fundamentally bear on the planning, design, and operation of highway section on highway capacity, we will consider ways of estimating the ability of various highway facilities to accommodate traffic flow.

12.2.1 TRAFFIC VOLUME FLOW CHANGGING - DAILY The flow in each hour has been expressed as a percentage of the daily flow since this most convenient way of studying such patterns and permits easy comparison. Weekdays, Saturdays and Sunday usually have distinctive patterns but, comparing day with day, patterns for routes of a similar nature often show a marked similarity, which is useful in enabling predictions to be made. Especially significant in the design of roads and control of traffic is the peak hours volume, which is usually 8-10% of total daily flow or 2-2 1/2

Highway Engineering

BASIC CHARACTERISTIC ROAD SYSTEMS

C3010 / UNIT 12

times the average hourly volume. There are a morning and an evening peak with the latter generally predominant. These include many work trips, which are relatively, stable in time and fairly insensitive to charge from day to day and weather and other travel conditions. 12.2.2 TRAFFIC VOLUME FLOW CHANGGING - WEEKLY Variations are shown, which given a typical weekly flow pattern with volumes expressed as a percentage of the total flow for the week. Traffic flow for the weekly, Monday to Friday, remains fairly contents, but weekend flows are more variable and depend to a large extent on season and weather. On the average weekend, flows in the center of a large city will be considerably lower than for weekdays, but main routes out of city. 12.2.3 TRAFFIC VOLUME FLOW CHANGING - SEASONAL VARIATIONS Volumes, in general are above in the more pleasant motoring months of summer, but this is more pronounced in rural urban areas. This monthly average flow is usually at a maximum for most rural roads in August and at its lowest in January. A number of central urban areas show a dip in midsummer flows but remain fairly consistent during the remainder of the year. Seasonal patterns for a given type of route are the most consistent of all the variation patterns and represent the economic and social conditions of the traffic are served. It is only this condition change, usually by a gradual process, than the patterns change.

Highway Engineering

BASIC CHARACTERISTIC ROAD SYSTEMS

C3010 / UNIT 12

12.3 CALCULATION FOR TRAFFIC VOLUME The traffic volume in one direction for each section of the route and for each class of vehicle is obtained from the following formula. Q = x + y Ta +Tw Where; Q= X= Y= Vehicles ( of the appropriate class) per minute in the direction of the stream. Number of vehicles (of the same class) met travelling. Number of vehicle ( of the same class) overtaking the test vehicle traveled with the stream. Ta = Journey time, in minute, of the vehicle travelling against the stream. Tw = Journey time, in minutes, of the test vehicle travelling with the stream. The average journey in minutes of the particular class of vehicle in the stream is given by, T = Tw - y q

Highway Engineering

BASIC CHARACTERISTIC ROAD SYSTEMS

C3010 / UNIT 12

ACTIVITY 12

TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING BEFORE YOU CONTINUE WITH THE NEXT INPUT

Question
1. What is the meaning of these items? a. Traffic volume. b. Speed 2. How to determine the traffic volume value using a formula.

Highway Engineering

BASIC CHARACTERISTIC ROAD SYSTEMS

C3010 / UNIT 12

FEEDBACK ON ACTIVITY 12
Answer
1. TRAFFIC VALUME Traffic volume is defined as the number of vehicles that pass a point along a roadway or traffic lane per unit of time. A measure of the quantity of traffic flow, volume is commonly measured in units of vehicles per day, vehicle per hour. SPEED Speed of travel is a simple and widely used measuring the quality of traffic flow. Basically, speed is the total distance traversed divided by the time of travel. 2. Q = x + y

Ta +Tw Where; Q= X= Vehicles ( of the appropriate class) per minute in the direction of the stream. Number of vehicles (of the same class) met travelling.

Highway Engineering

BASIC CHARACTERISTIC ROAD SYSTEMS

C3010 / UNIT 12

Y=

Number of vehicle ( of the same class) overtaking the test vehicle traveled with the stream.

Ta = Journey time, in minute, of the vehicle travelling against the stream. Tw = Journey time, in minutes, of the test vehicle travelling with the stream. The average journey in minutes of the particular class of vehicle in the stream is given by, T = Tw - y q Traffic volume value will be determined with using this formula.

Highway Engineering

BASIC CHARACTERISTIC ROAD SYSTEMS

C3010 / UNIT 12

Question
1. Describe briefly the traffic volume changing daily. 2. Give the definition on these items. a. Hourly volume. b. Peak-hour factor

Highway Engineering

BASIC CHARACTERISTIC ROAD SYSTEMS

C3010 / UNIT 12

Answer
1. TRAFFIC VOLUME FLOW CHANGGING - DAILY The flow in each hour has been expressed as a percentage of the daily flow since this most convenient way of studying such patterns and permits easy comparison. Weekdays, Saturdays and Sunday usually have distinctive patterns but, comparing day with day, patterns for routes of a similar nature often show a marked similarity, which is useful in enabling predictions to be made. Especially significant in the design of roads and control of traffic is the peak hours volume, which is usually 8-10% of total daily flow or 2-2 1/2 times the average hourly volume. There are a morning and an evening peak with the latter generally predominant. These include many work trips, which are relatively, stable in time and fairly insensitive to charge from day to day and weather and other travel conditions. 2. Hourly volume is the actual hourly demand volume for the highway in vehicle per hour, given the symbol V. Generally, the highest

Highway Engineering

BASIC CHARACTERISTIC ROAD SYSTEMS

C3010 / UNIT 12

24-hour hourly volume ( i.e., peak hour volume ) is used for V in traffic analysis computations. Peak Hour Factor accounts for the non-uniformity of traffic flow over the peak hour. It is denoted PHF and is typically defined as the ratio of the hourly volume ( V ) to the maximum 15 min rate of flow ( V15 ) expanded to an hourly volume.