Safety Evaluation and Adjustment of Superelevation Design Guides for Horizontal Curves Based on Reliability Analysis
Publication: Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems
Volume 143, Issue 6
Abstract
In general, the use of superelevation and changes in a road’s transverse slope are typically based on the road’s design speed to provide safety and comfort for a vehicle driving on a horizontal curve. However, due to the difference between operating and design speeds, there has always been uncertainty in determining the margin of safety using superelevation. This paper discusses the assessment of the safety margins obtained from the application of superelevation in horizontal-curve design. The assessment uses geometric design guides and a reliability index to determine any uncertainties in the design parameters. In addition, adjusted design charts of superelevation values related to the radius of horizontal curves at various levels of probability of noncompliance are provided. The results show that the adjusted superelevation values are generally greater than those derived from current standards. The adjusted design charts can help designers select an appropriate superelevation value for a particular horizontal curve for highways that have geometric constraints. These adjusted charts may also aid designers in predicting the consequences and safety margins associated with the selection of superelevation alternatives required to approve geometric designs that involve violations of the standard requirements due to environmental constraints.
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Published In
Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems
Volume 143 • Issue 6 • June 2017
Copyright
©2017 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: May 19, 2016
Accepted: Oct 31, 2016
Published online: Feb 16, 2017
Published in print: Jun 1, 2017
Discussion open until: Jul 16, 2017
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