CURVE RANGING
Introduction
• In the design of roads and railways, straight
sections of road or track are connected by
curves of constant or varying radius. The
purpose of the curves is to deflect the road
through the angle between the two straights,
θ. For these reason, θ is known as the
deflection angle.
• In construction surveying, curves have to be set out on
the ground for a variety of purposes. A curve may form
the major part of route, it may form a kerb line at a
junction or may be the shape of an ornamantel rose bed
in a town centre.
• Obviously different techniques would be required in the
setting out of the curves mentioned above, but in all of
them a few geometrical theorems are fundamental and it
is wise to begin the study of curves by recalling those
theorems.
Type of
curve
Horizontal Vertical
curve curve
Circular Spiral
curve curve
Simple Compound Reverse
curve Curve Curve
VERTICAL
CURVE
HORIZONTAL CURVE
• Simple curves – circular
curves of constant radius
• Compound curves – two
or more consecutive
simple curves of
different radius
• Reverse curves – two or more
consecutive simple curves of
the same of different radius
with their centres on opposite
sides of the common tangent.
• Transition curves –
curves with
gradually varying
radius (often
referred to as
‘spiral’)
• Combined or composite curves
– consisting of consecutive
transition and simple circular
curves. This is the usual
manner in which transition
curves are used in road and
railway practice, to link a
straight and a circular curve, or
two branches of a compound
or reverse curve.
Curve Ranging
• Curve ranging is the alignment of series of
straight lines or curves with a radius fixed of
varying variable
• Applications
• Road Construction
• Land Scaping
• Railways
• Dams
Curve Ranging
• Problem Associated with curve location
• Inaccessibility of the point of intersection. E.g. waterbodies rocks
• Inaccessibility of the tangency point
• Non-visibility of points
• Interference of obstacles through chainage
• Curve Ranging Equipment
• Theodolite
• Measuring tapes
• Chains
• Ranging poles
• Pegs
• etc
Curve elements
Tangent length (IT1 and
IT2)
= R tan θ/2
Length of curve T1VT2
= [(θ/360)2πR] m
= [R x θ radians] m
Long chord (T1CT2)
= 2R sin θ/2
Mid-ordinate VC
= R(1-cos θ/2)
External distance IV
= R [sec (θ/2) -1]
Setting out circular curves method
• Small Radius Curve
– Method 1: Find the Centre of the curve
– Method 2: Offset from the tangent
– Method 3: Offset from the long chord
• Large Radius Curve
• Setting out by tangential angles
• Setting out by Coordinate
Setting out a circular curve by the coordinate
AI and BI which have bearings
of 40o 00’ 00” and 224o 30’ 00”
Calculate the co-ordinate of
point A, T1, I, T2, B and all the
chainages points.
Calculate the bearing and
distance that will be required to
set out the various chainage
points from survey station
Vertical curve example: Since the change of gradient from slope to
curve is required to be smooth and gradual, parabolic curves are
chosen. This curve form is flat near the tangent point and calculations
are reasonably simple. The form of the curves is y = ax2 + bx + c,
where
y – reduced level of any point on the curve
x – distance to that point measured from the start of the curve
a – multiplying coefficient,
b – the value of the left-hand gradient
c – reduced level of the first point on the curve
THANK YOU
