University of Kerbala

College of Eng.
Department of Civil Eng.

Highway Engineering

HIGHWAY LOCATION OR HIGHWAY ALIGNMENT

The position or the layout of the center line of the highway or the ground is
called the alignment.
1. The horizontal alignment includes: straight path
horizontal deviation
curves
2. The vertical alignment includes: Gradients
Vertical curves
The new road should be aligned very carefully.
Improper alignment would mean either:-

Capital loss initially

in construction.

or

recurring loss in cost

of maintenance of vehicle operation

or both
Once the road is aligned & constructed. It becomes very difficult,
sometimes impossible; to change it later because of the exorbitant cost
of the abutting land which had developed along the new road.

Requirements of the Highway Alignment

The basic requirements of an ideal alignment between two terminal
stations are that it should be:a) Short :
A straight alignment would be the shortest.
Practical consideration may cause deviations from the shortest path
such as intermediate obstructions & topography.
b) Easy:
To construct.
Maintain the road with minimum problems.
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University of Kerbala
College of Eng.
Department of Civil Eng.

Highway Engineering

For the operation of the vehicles (easy gradients & curves).

c) Safe:
For the construction and maintenances (stability of natural hill slopes,
embankment & cut slopes & foundation of embankment).
For the traffic operation (safe geometric features).
d) Economical:
The road alignment could be considered economical only if the total
cost lowest.
Total cost includes:
Initial cost.
Maintenance cost.
Operation cost.
The alignment should be such that it would offer maximum utility by
serving maximum population products.

Factors controlling alignment

Factors which control the highway alignment in general may be listed as:
a) Obligatory points.
b) Traffic.
c) Geometric design.
d) Economics.
e) Other consideration.
In hill roads, additional care has to be given for:
1. Stability.
2. Drainage.
3. Geometric standards of hill roads.
4. Resisting length.

a. Obligatory points: Points through which the alignment has to pass. These points may
cause the alignment to often deviate from the shortest or easiest path
e.g. bridge site intermediate town or a mountain pass.
Points through which the alignment should not pass. These points
which should be avoided while aligning a road include:1. Religious places such as mosque & church.
2. Very costing structures.
3. Unsuitable lauds such as marsh, peaty water, lagged areas, lake,
pond or valley.

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University of Kerbala
College of Eng.
Department of Civil Eng.

Highway Engineering

b. Traffic:Origin & destination study should be carried out & the desired line be
drawn showing the trend of traffic flow. Traffic flow patterns & future
trends are also required.

c. Geometric design:Factors such as gradient, radius of curve and sight distance also would
govern the final alignment of the highway.

d. Economy: The alignment based on the above factors should be also economical.
-Initial cost, maintenance & vehicle operation should be taken into
account
e.g. avoid high embankment and deep cutting and balance cutting and
filling Decrease the initial cost.
Annual cost (H):- Yearly amount required amortizing the total cost plus
interest.
H C1.K1 C2 .K 2 .......... M
(1)
H C.K M .(2)

where:C = Construction cost of each item (I.D./year).

K = Corresponding recovery factor.
r 1 r
K
1 r n 1
n

.(3)

Where
r = 6%
n = 40 or 20 years.
M = Annual maintenance cost (I.D./year).
a) User Cost
i. Running (fuel, tires,.etc.).
ii. Time value.
iii. Discomfort.
iv. Accidents.
User cost (R)

365.A.L.u .(4)

A = Future ADT (Annual Average Daily Traffic).

L = Length (km).

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University of Kerbala
College of Eng.
Department of Civil Eng.

Highway Engineering

u = Combined unit user cost (

R

I.D.
).
vehicle.km

day vehicle
I .D.
I .D.
.
.km.

year day
vehicle.km year

B
1.0
C

.(5)

R1 R2
1.0 .(6)
H 2 H1
R R3
B C 1
1.0 .(7)
H 3 H1

B C

Another method:Rate of return method =

S M
100 rate of interest (r = 6%).(8)
C

S = Saving.
M = Maintenance.
C = Cost.

e. Other considerations Drainage consideration.

Political consideration.
Monotony.
e.g. straight road of very long stretch may be monotonous for driving.
Hence after a few kilometers of straight road it may be desirable to have a
slight bend.

SURVEY AND PLANS

In the relocation or reconstruction of existing highway & the establishment
of new ones, surveys are required for the development of project plans & the
estimate of cost.
The work of the highway location may include a desk study, a
reconnaissance survey, a preliminary survey & a final location survey.

Available Techniques of survey:

Highway survey may be accomplished either by conventional ground
survey methods or by remote sensing techniques.
Arial photography is the most commonly employed remote sensing
procedure in highway location studies.
Arial photography provides the highway location team with both
qualitative & quantitative information.

4|1 L2-highway location or highway alignment--------2013/2014

University of Kerbala
College of Eng.
Department of Civil Eng.

Highway Engineering

By the direct study of photographs, trained professional may gleam a

great deal of information about land form soil & drainage & the
character of land use.
While traditional technique are still used on projects of medium small
size, the use of photogrametric surveys a large work is almost universal
& it is becoming more frequent on smaller projects.

Highway Location Process Involves the Following:1. Desk Study of Area:

The first step in highway & design is to procure all available pertinent data;
these data may be in form of maps, aerial photography, charts or graphs.
When all available data have been assembled, detailed analysis should
reveal much information pertinent to the proposed project.
After an exhaustive study of aerial photographs, topographs, maps,
drainage naps, soil maps & the other data is made in the office, a series of
proposed locations may be selected for a field or photogrametric
investigation.

2. Reconnaissance Survey:
For many projects the data on available maps & photographs will be out of
date or incomplete.
The function of the survey is to provide sufficient information on the
topography & culture of the area to enable the selection of one or more
preliminary route locations.
Control points between the two terminal points on the route are
determined.
Then a base map is produced with a suitable scale.
From the base maps & photos interpretation of the surveyed area, likely
routes can be designated.
A location team should examine potential routes on the basis of the
following requirements:
1)
2)
3)
4)

Traffic service for population & industrial area.

Directness of routes.
Suitability of terrain encountered.
Adequacy and economy of crossing of water courses & other
transportation routes.
5) Extent of adverse social, environmental & ecological effects
During this phase of the location process, the range of all alternative
routes is narrowed & a small numbers of routes are selected for future
study.
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University of Kerbala
College of Eng.
Department of Civil Eng.

Highway Engineering

3. Selection of preliminary centerline:

Possible alternatives alignments are plotted on the base map & from these
alignments, with preliminary grade lines, the alternatives are compared for
suitability.
Design capacity, safety, road user cost, construction cost and
maintenance cost are examined.
The effects of the roadways on the environment & the ecology should be
carefully considered.
Opportunities to provide scenic vistas & an aesthetic enhancement of the
area should not be overlooked.
Based on the results of objective analysis, a preliminary alignment is
chosen.

4. Mapping for final design:

Future photogrametric mapping is necessary.
The selected preliminary alignment is used as a guide for the strip area to
be mapped.
A base line is established on paper & by monuments on the ground.
The aerial photographs are taken with markers on the ground to line in the
base line.
The aerial photographs are used to produce base maps along a
preliminary alignment.
This survey will produce topographic base maps & information concerning
property & ability location that will enable the engineer to proceed with the
design of final alignment.

5. Design of The Final Alignment:

It is a trial & error process by which the most suitable alignment is
obtained.
The highway is fitted by hand to the topography & land use until the
engineer is satisfied that no better fitting can be achieved.

6. Final Location Survey:

Conventionally, the method of establishing the final location in the field has
been done by direct chaining along the tangents first setting the points of
intersection of the tangent lines & the closing out of the horizontal curve
between the tangents.

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