Comparison on Main Parameters of Highway Geometric Design between China and Foreign Countries

Due to the diversity of natural environment, traffic composition, economics, and social impact worldwide, the policies and specifications of highway design appear diverse around the world. In this paper, seven countries were selected to make comparisons to illustrate the similarities and differences. There are many similarities in fundamental design principles, however, differences exist as well, such as vertical radius, grade, etc. To discuss the effects brought by these differences, further comparative research was made by means of computer simulation. Carsim and HintCAD were utilized in this paper. Based on various design theories and technical indexes, several representative highways were designed, the vehicle and driver’s models were established. After that, the corresponding simulation parameters can be acquired and used for checking the rationality. This research can provide a better understanding of design concepts and may facilitate the flexibility for highway geometric design.