CE 451 – GEOMETRIC DESIGN OF ROADWAYS

Catalog Data: CE 451. Geometric Design of Roadways. (3-0). Three hours. Prerequisites: CE 450. Application of the principles of geometric design: alignment, vertical control, drainage, traffic control, interchanges, and intersections. Design projects are used to illustrate standard techniques. (E.D. = 3.0)

Prerequisites: Transportation engineering fundamentals; surveying.

Textbook: A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets, AASHTO (latest edition of the “Greenbook”). Selected readings and handout materials.

Course objectives: This course provides background material and rationale for highway design practices. Student should learn to select appropriate criteria, even where gaps and overlaps exist (for example when AASHTO criteria for new bridges, the clear zone, and landscaping conflict). Hands-on opportunities are provided, leading to a complex rehabilitation design project at the conclusion of the course.

Topics covered: Introduction, design driver (2 classes)

Traffic characteristics, capacity (1 class)

Sight distance and horizontal alignment (4 classes)

Vertical alignment (4 classes)

Cross section elements (5 classes)

Local roads, arterial roads and freeways (3 classes)

Intersections and traffic control (4 classes)

Review of other primary components of Greenbook (1 class)

Capstone rehabilitation project – (6 classes)

Contribution of course to meeting the professional component:

Students are exposed to ethical and professional design considerations, such as interpreting between “desirable” and “minimum” design criteria. They develop life cycle costing when safety, cultural and social factors are considered. Design problems are worked in teams, and interpersonal skills and management techniques are introduced. Students must also function as consulting engineers, and must consider profitability. They must synthesize materials from many previous courses (i.e., engineering economics, technical writing, speech, computer modeling, etc.) to successfully handle the capstone design problem, because it is a rehabilitation design of real roads and streets in the City of Tuscaloosa, ending in a presentation to the Tuscaloosa DOT Director.

Relationship of course to program objectives:

The course supports program objectives 1,3,4,5,7a,9, and 4a. Obviously, the very nature of the course demonstrates design proficiency in transportation engineering. Students are required to use math and science skills to set up and solve open-ended homework and project assignments. The projects are undertaken in teams, and always require a written report and a formal presentation to the class. In addition, each student must demonstrate presentation skills by teaching one portion of a class lecture. Global/societal considerations play a big part in the capstone design project. Since it is a rehabilitation design, students must weigh non-engineering issues to select appropriate design criteria.