Introduction to Roadway Geometrics

In Introduction to Roadway Geometrics, you'll learn ...

• Determining the appropriate design speed before designing a road
• Choosing and calculating different types of sight distance
• Sizing and positioning horizontal curves
• Sizing and positioning vertical curves

Overview

Credit: 4 PDH

Length: 60 pages

This course will help participants become familiar with the criteria and formulas used to provide drivers enough distance (known as sight distance) to see and safely react to obstructions in the roadway, pass other vehicles, and make decisions in complicated situations. Instruction is provided for the application of sight distance to the design of changes in the roadway alignment by considering the impact of sight distance on the dimensions and length of curves in both the horizontal and vertical alignment of a road. A discussion of roadway banking, known as superelevation, will explain why roads are banked through turns and how to determine the location of and calculate the magnitude of superelevation. Ways to accommodate the existing environment and proper roadway drainage will be explained. Also covered is the design of escape ramps for runaway trucks.

This course is ideal for engineers or planners who are involved with projects involving roads and streets. Introduction to Roadway Geometrics covers each major aspect considered in the process of laying out roads and streets. After taking the course, you will know how to plan and design the shape and course of roads based on project-specific conditions, controls set by regulatory agencies, and in the context of the surrounding environment.

This course includes detailed explanations of how to deal with situations that geometric designers encounter on a regular basis, and is appropriate for both those who know nothing about roadway geometrics and those who want to refresh or further the knowledge they already possess.