Highway Design Part 1: Basic Design Data TSYH 4501

Upon successful completion, the student will be able to:

Module 1 - Introduction to Road Design and Classification

• Describe and define the process of designing a road.
• Describe Benefit Cost Analysis.
• Describe and define Safety Performance Function, Collision Modification factors and other safety-related items.
• Describe the techniques used in road design.
• Describe the Design Domain Concept and its application.
• State the purpose of a road classification system; name and define the major divisions of the TAC classification system.
• State and describe the principal characteristics of each of the eight basic road design classes.
• Describe the factors considered in the process of selecting the design classification for a road.
• Define the design speed and describe the process used in selection of the design and posted speeds.
• State the factors or design controls that affect the geometric design of a road.
• tate and describe the alternative names and types used in other classification systems and understand and use the coding system described in the GDG Manual.

Module 2 - Elements of Design—Vertical

• Describe and explain the relationship between the horizontal and vertical alignments and the need for consideration of aesthetics in highway design.
• Calculate symmetrical vertical curves using the basic formulas for vertical design and describe the elements or components of the vertical alignment and explain the importance of each in highway design.

Module 3 - Elements of Design—Horizontal

• Describe the elements or components of the horizontal alignment and understand the reasons for the selection of certain values for those elements.
• Calculate simple circular curves based on the formulas for a circular arc that define the horizontal alignment of a road.

Module 4 - Elements of Road Cross-Sections

• State and describe the factors which determine a road’s cross-section.
• Describe the elements of a cross-section and explain the importance of each.
• State and describe the purpose of a design section and the variation in section type.

Module 5 - Capacity and Level of Service

• Define the terms 'capacity', 'prevailing conditions', 'level of service' and 'service volume', and state the traffic operation and land use and development definitions used in the GDG Manual.
• Describe the 'level of service' concept and define the various levels of service.
• Describe and explain the factors that affect capacity and level of service.
• Estimate capacity and level of service for a multi-lane rural road.
• Estimate capacity and level of service for a two-lane rural road.
• Evaluate climbing lane warrants and if it is required, determine its length.

Effective as of Spring/Summer 2011