HORIZONTAL CURVE

Learning outcomes:
Students will be able to
accurately identify, sketch, and
analyze the properties of simple
curves, including linear,
quadratic, and circular forms,
while applying these concepts to
solve basic geometric problems.
Curve ranging
In the design of roads, railways, or
canals, curves are designed to provide
smooth transition or gradual change in
direction thus reducing the effect of inertia
forces. High speed vehicles are susceptible to
huge amount of centrifugal force which may
cause them to skid or overturn. Providing a
transition will lessen this force.

In highway design, curves are

Horizontal
deliberately provided even on a straight route
to break the monotony in driving which may
cause serious accidents
curve
definition
❖A horizontal curve is provided at
the point where two straight lines
intersect in horizontal plane.
❖Circular in nature.
❖These curves are on a horizontal
What is
viewed from the top. HORIZONTAL
CURVE?
 SIMPLE CURVE
P.I.
I
x E
i T T
A

M
P.C. = Point of Curvature T = tangent distance
𝐼/2 Q 𝐼/2
P.C. P.T. Lc = length of the curve
C/𝟐 C/𝟐 P.T. = Point of Tangency R = radius of curvature
P.I. = Point of Intersection I = central angle
C = length of chord
M = middle ordinate
x = offset distance
R-M 𝜃 = central angle E = external distance
R R i = deflection angle

𝐼
𝜃
2

O I
 SIMPLE CURVE
P.I.
I
x E
i T T
A

M
𝐼/2 Q 𝐼/2
P.C. P.T.
C/𝟐 C/𝟐 FORMULAS:
𝑰
𝑻 = 𝑹 ∗ 𝒕𝒂𝒏( )
R-M 𝟐
R R 𝑰
𝑬 = 𝑹 ∗ [𝒔𝒆𝒄 − 𝟏]
𝟐

𝐼
𝜃
2

O I
 SIMPLE CURVE
P.I.
I
x E
i T T
A

M
𝐼/2 Q 𝐼/2
P.C. P.T.
C/𝟐 C/𝟐 FORMULAS:
𝑰 𝑰
𝑻 = 𝑹 ∗ 𝒕𝒂𝒏( ) 𝑴 = 𝑹[𝟏 − 𝒄𝒐𝒔 ]
𝟐 𝟐
R-M
R R 𝑰
𝑬 = 𝑹 ∗ [𝒔𝒆𝒄 − 𝟏]
𝟐

𝐼
𝜃
2

O I
 SIMPLE CURVE
P.I.
I
x E
i T T
A

M
𝐼/2 Q 𝐼/2
P.C. P.T.
C/𝟐 C/𝟐 FORMULAS:
𝑰 𝑰
𝑻 = 𝑹 ∗ 𝒕𝒂𝒏( ) 𝑴 = 𝑹[𝟏 − 𝒄𝒐𝒔 ]
𝟐 𝟐
R-M
R R 𝑰 𝑰
𝑬 = 𝑹 ∗ [𝒔𝒆𝒄 − 𝟏] 𝑪 = 𝟐𝑹 ∗ 𝒔𝒊𝒏
𝟐 𝟐

𝐼
𝜃
2

O I
Degree of curve A value that measures the sharpness of the
circular curve. It is based on either of the two
basis:

ARC BASIS CHORD BASIS

Assumes that each degree (of central Assumes that each degree (of central angle)
angle) subtends an arc of 20 meters (or 1 subtends an chord of 20 meters (or 1 station,
station, 100 ft in the English System) 100 ft in the English System)

𝟏𝟏𝟒𝟓. 𝟗𝟏𝟔 𝟏𝟎
𝑹= 𝑹=
𝑫 𝑫
𝒔𝒊𝒏( )
𝟐
EXAMPLE 1:
A simple curve has a central angle of 36° and a
degree of curve of 6°.
1. Find the nearest distance from the midpoint of the
curve to the point of intersection of the tangents.
2. Compute the distance from the midpoint of the
curve to the midpoint of the long chord joining the
point of curvature and point of tangency.
EXAMPLE 2:
A simple curve has an angle of intersection of 45°, and
a radius of 200m. The point of intersection is at STA
2+982.84.
1. Compute the stationing of P.T.
2. Compute the deflection angle of STA 2+937.7 from
PC.
3. Compute the right angle offset from STA 2+937.7 on
the curve to tangent through PC
4. Compute the degree of curve using chord basis
EXAMPLE 3:
A curve of a diversion road has a tangent AB with
direction due north and tangent BC bearing N 70° E.
Point A is at PC whose stationing is 12+600. The degree
of curve is 5°.
1. Compute the long chord of the curve
2. Compute the stationing of point D on the curve
along the line joining the center of the curve which
makes an angle of 40° (at E) with the tangent line
passing through the PC
3. What is the length of the line from D to E?
PRACTICE 1:
Two tangents adjacent to each other having bearings 𝑁 65°30′ 𝐸 and
𝑆 85°10′ 𝐸 meet at station 11+157.98. If the radius of the simple curve
connecting these two tangents is 249.17m, determine the following:
a. Tangent Distance (65.21m)
b. Long Chord (126.18m)
c. Middle Ordinate (8.12m)
d. External Distance (8.39m)
e. Degree of Curve (4.60°)
f. Length of Curve (127.57m)
g. Stationing of PT (STA 11+220.34)
PRACTICE 2:
A simple curve has a central angle of 40°. The stationing at the
point of curvature is equal to 10+100. The offset distance from
the PT to the point of tangent line passing thru the P.C is 80 m
long.
a) Compute the degree of curve. (3.35° )
b) The deflection angle from the tangent at the PC to point B
on the curve is equal to 5º, what would be the stationing of
point B. (10+159.68)
P.I.
𝑰 = 𝑰𝟏 + 𝑰𝟐
COMPOUND CURVE
Combination of two or more circular curves with the
center of curvature on the same side of the curve. The
point where the two circular curves meet is called the
𝑰𝟐 Point of Compound Curvature (P.C.C).

P.T. 𝑰 = 𝑰𝟏 + 𝑰𝟐 , angle of intersection of the compound curve

𝑰𝟏 𝑪𝟐 𝑰𝟏 = angle of intersection of the 1st simple curve
𝑰𝟐 = angle of intersection of the 2nd simple curve
𝑹𝟏 = radius of curvature of the 1st simple curve
𝑹𝟐 = radius of curvature of the 2nd simple curve
𝑹𝟐 𝑻 = 𝑻𝟏 + 𝑻𝟐 , tangent distance of each curve
𝑰𝟐 𝑪𝟏 & 𝑪𝟐 = length of chord of each curve
𝑻𝟏 𝑪 = long chord of the compound curve

𝑶𝟐
𝑰𝟏
P.C. 𝑶𝟏
𝑹𝟏
EXAMPLE 1:
A compound curve has a common tangent 400m
long. The first curve passing through the P.C. is a 3-
degree curve with a central angle of 35°.
1. Find the radius of the second curve if its central
angle is 50°.
2. Find the station of P.T. if the P.I. of the compound
curve (intersection of the tangent passing through
P.C. and the tangent passing through P.T.) is at STA
10+125.
EXAMPLE 2:
A compound curve has the following elements:
𝐼1 = 30° 𝐼2 = 24°
𝐷1 = 4° 𝐷2 = 5°
If the stationing of the vertex is 4+ 620,
a. Determine the stationing of PC.
b. Find the stationing of PCC.
c. Determine the stationing of PT.
PRACTICE:
It is desired to lay out a curve at right angle. The
curve is compound with radius R1 equal to 310m
and radius R2 equal to 260m. If the distance
from the vertex to PC is 290 m, what is the
distance from vertex to PT? (270 m)
REVERSE CURVE
A reverse curve is a combination of two or more circular curve with the center of curvature on the opposite side
of the curve. The point where the two circular curves meet is called the Point of Reverse Curvature (P.R.C.)
𝑶𝟐

𝑻𝟏 𝑷. 𝑰.𝟏 𝑰𝟐 𝑹𝟐
P.C. 𝑹𝟐
𝑰𝟏
𝑻𝟏 P.T.

P.R.C.
𝑹𝟏
𝑻𝟐 𝑻𝟐
𝑹𝟏 𝑰𝟐 𝑷. 𝑰.𝟐

𝑰𝟏

𝑶𝟏
EXAMPLE 1:
The perpendicular distance between two parallel
tangents of a reverse curve is 35m. The azimuth of the
back tangent of the curve is 270°, and the azimuth of
the common tangent is 300°. If the radius of the back
curve is 160m and the stationing of P.R.C. is 10+140,
find the stationing of P.T.
EXAMPLE 2:
The bearing of tangent line through P.C. of the
tangent curve is N 30° E, if the length of curve from PC
to PRC is 100m with radius of 300m, and the length of
curve from PRC to PT is 200m with a radius of 300m
also. Determine the bearing of tangent lines through
PRC and PT.
Transition/spiral CURVE
TS = Tangent to Spiral
SC = Spiral to Circular Curve
CS = Circular Curve to Spiral
ST = Spiral to Tangent
Es = External distance of the Spiral Tangents
Ts = Length of Spiral Tangents
Is = Spiral angle of Intersection
⏀s = Spiral angle at SC
Ls = Length of Spiral

Ic = Angle of Intersection of the Circular

Curve
Rc = Radius of Curvature of the Circular
Curve
ρ= Length of Shift/ Throw
FORMULAS
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RATE OF CHANGE OF
SPIRAL ANGLE ∅ AND L NORMAL ACCELERATION
𝐿2 ∅ 𝐿 𝑣3
∅= = ( )2 𝐶=
2𝑅𝑐 𝐿𝑠 ∅𝑠 𝐿𝑠 𝐿𝑅
DEFLECTION ANGLE LENGTH OF THROW DESIRABLE LEGTH OF SPIRAL
∅ 𝑋𝑐 0.036𝐾 3
𝑖= 𝜌= 𝐿𝑠 =
3 4 𝑅𝑐
OFFSET DISTANCE SPIRAL ANGLE OF
INTERSECTION IMPACT FACTOR
3
𝐿 𝑣2
𝑥= 𝐼𝑠 = 𝐼𝑐 + 2∅𝑠 𝐼𝐹 = tan 𝜃 + ∅ =
6𝑅𝑐 𝐿𝑠 𝑔𝑅
LENGTH OF SPIRAL
DISTANCE FROM T.S. TO TANGENTS DESIGN
ANY POINT ALONG THE SUPERELEVATION
SPIRAL TANGENT 𝐿𝑠 𝐼𝑠
𝑇𝑠 = + 𝜌 + 𝑅𝑐 tan( ) 0.0079𝐾 2
𝐿5 2 2
𝑒=
𝑦=𝐿− EXTERNAL DISTANCE 𝑅
40𝑅𝑐 2 𝐿𝑠 2
𝐼𝑠
𝐸𝑠 = 𝜌 + 𝑅𝑐 sec − 𝑅𝑐
2
EXAMPLE 1:
A transition curve is required for a single carriageway
road with a design speed of 85 kph. The radius of the
simple curve is 510m. Assume the rate of change of
centripetal acceleration value of 0.3 m/s^3. Determine the
transition length.
EXAMPLE 2:
Two tangents having azimuths 240° and 282° are
connected by a spiral curve with 191m radius of the circular
curve. The width of roadway is 15m. If the design velocity is
75 kph, determine the following:

(a) Length of spiral curve

(b) External distance
(c) Tangent distance
EXAMPLE 3:
A spiral curve is 80m in long and the radius of the simple
curve is 200m.

(a) Determine the spiral angle at SC and the first quarter

point.
(b) Compute the offset distance at SC and at first quarter
point.
(c) Compute the length of Short tangent and Long Tangent
at SC.
THANK YOU
FOR LISTENING!
 𝜃 B
24°
∅ E 2.79
2.79 m sin 𝜃 = 21.03
T 𝜃 = 7.62°
P
180−24
21.03 m ∅= − 7.62 = 70.38°
2

A C

𝐵𝑌 𝐶𝑂𝑆𝐼𝑁𝐸 𝐿𝐴𝑊: 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑟𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑜𝑛

R R

𝑅2 = (21.03)2 + (𝑅 + 𝐸)2 − 2 21.03 𝑅 + 𝐸 co

1
𝑅2 = (21.03)2 + [𝑅 + 𝑅( − 1)]2 − 2 21.03
cos 12
𝑅 = 285.26

O
 B 18°
60°
42°

D
A 18°
Lc2

52° 94°
R1 C 42°

60°
 V

𝒂 𝑷. 𝑰𝟐
𝑰𝟐
𝑰𝟐
P.T.
𝟐𝟗𝟎 𝒎

260 m

𝑻𝟏 𝑰𝟐

𝑶𝟐
𝑰𝟏

P.C. 𝟑𝟏𝟎 𝒎 𝑶𝟏