Tuesday, 4 December 2018

Highway Geometric Design Sight Distances

Sight Distance: Three sight distance situations are considered in the design. (at design speed).
(A) SSD: Stopping (or) absolute minimum sight  distance (or) non passing sight distance.
(B) OSD: Safe over taking (or) passing sight distance.
(C) Safe sight distance for entering into uncontrolled intersections.

Apart from above, the two additional sight distances are considered by IRC.

(a) Intermediate Sight Distance (lSD): It is twice the stopping sight distance. (lSD =2 x SSD). When OSD cannot be provided, lSD is provided to given limited over taking opportunities to fast vehicles.

(b) Head Light Sight Distance: Distance visible to driver during night driving under the illumination of vehicle head lights. This is critical at up gradients and at the descending stretch of the valley Curves.

 Stopping Sight Distance (SSD): Length of road visible ahead of driver at any instance it depends on
(a) Features of road ahead such as horizontal alignment and vertical profile of road, traffic etc.
(b) Height of driver’s eye above road surface (1.2 m as per IRC).
(c) Height of object above road surface (0.15 m).
The above values are at summit curves.

Definition :( as per IRC)  The distance between a moving vehicles with the eye level of the driver at a height of 1.2 m and an object of 0.15m, so that no collision occurs in case a situation arises to stop the vehicle.

(a)Total Reaction Time (t):Perception Time + Break Reaction Time.
  • PIEV Theory: Total reaction time is split into four parts.
  • (a) Perception (b) Intellection (c) Emotion (d) Volition

>>Total reaction time of 2.5 seconds is considered satisfactory for most situations
>>The distance traveled by vehicle did total reaction time is known as Lag Distance or Reaction Distance.
>>The distance traveled after application of brakes, to a dead stop position is known Breaking Distance.

(b) Formulation of SSD (Units in meters)

SSD =Lag Distance (L) +Breaking Distance (B)
(i) Lag Distance (L) = vt,
Where y velocity in m/sec. = 0.278 Vt,
T= reaction time in sec, (2.5 sec as per IRC)
V = velocity in kmph.

(ii) Braking Distance (B) : On a level ground it is obtained by equating work done in
stopping the vehicle to kinetic energy lost.
Let, W = weight of vehicle
f= coefficient of longitudinal friction
Work done in stopping vehicle= frictional force developed x braking distance =fW x B .....(1)
Kinetic Energy Lost = (1 / 2)mv2= Wv2/2g………(2)
equating (1) and (2)
Breaking distance, Sb = v2/2gf

NOTE: In case SSD provided is not sufficient as moving vehicle will collide with the object on another parked vehicle.
The principle to be used in this analysis is as follows for breaking distance.  
Kinetic Energy lost = work done in skidding before collision.
i.e., W (Vi –V2 f )/2g =f. W .B , where
Vi = initial velocity before application of brakes.
Vf = final velocity before collision.

NOTE: If coefficient of longitudinal friction is “f” the retardation (a) developed in the process of braking is,    a=fg  

(iii) Equations for SSD:




Important Note:
(A) Minimum SSD = SSD calculated for single lane one way traffic.
= 2 x SSD calculated for single lane road with two way traffic.
= SSD calculated for two lane two way traffic.
(ii) The ‘SSD’ should invariably be provided throughout the length of all road and
hence this is also known as ‘Absolute minimum sight distance.

No comments:

Post a Comment