Scope of highway engineering Highway planning and development in India, Rural and urban roads, Road patterns and Planning and alignment surveys.

1. MODULE-1
• Contents:
• Scope of highway engineering
• Highway planning and development in India,
• Rural and urban roads,
• Road patterns and
• Planning and alignment surveys.

2. • INTRODUCTION
• Transportation contributes to the economic, industrial, social and cultural
development of any country.
• Transportation is important for the economic development of any region since
every commodity produced whether it is food, clothing, industrial products or
medicine needs transport at every stage from production to distribution.

3. • Different modes of transportation
• The four major modes of transportation are
• Roadways or highways,
• Railways,
• Waterways,
• Airways

4. • Scope of the highway engineering
• Roads are generally constructed on small embankments, slightly above the general ground
level, in order to avoid the difficult drainage and maintenance problems.
• Such roads are therefore termed as highway and the science and technology dealing with
roads are generally called highway engineering.
• Highway engineering deals with various phase like,
• Development,
• Planning,
• Alignment,
• Highway material,
• Traffic control,
• Highway geometric design and location,
• Pavement design,
• Construction and maintenance,
• Economic considerations,
• Financial and administration.

5. • Scope of the highway engineering
• Historical background, basis for planning,
master plan, engineering surveys and highway
alignment.
Development . Planning and
location
• Road geometrics and their design, rigid and
flexible pavement, design factors and thickness
design, overlay design, design of drainage
system
Highway Design,
Geometrics and structure
• Traffic studies analysis, need for new road links,
traffic regulation and control, intersection design
and their controls with sign, signals and
markings.
Traffic performance and its
control
Materials, construction and
maintenance
Economics, finance and
administration
• Highway material and mix design, highway
construction, earthwork, construction of different
types of pavements, WBM, pavement failure,
pavement evaluation, maintenance of pavements.
• Road user cost and economic analysis of highway
projects, pavement types and maintenance
measures, highway finance

6. • Alignment

7. • Traffic control

8. • Highway geometric design

9. • Highway design

10. • Road development should be made a national interest since the local govt do not have
financial and technical capacity for road development.
• Levy extra tax on petrol from road users to create the road development fund.
• To establish a semi-official ,technical institution to pool technical knowledge, sharing
of ideas and to act as an advisory body.
• To create a national level institution to carry research , development works and
consultation.
Jayakar Committee,1927

11. • To provide national forum for regular pooling of experience and ideas on matters
related to construction and maintenance of highways.
• To recommend standard specifications.
• To provide a platform for expression of professional opinion on matters relating to
roads and road transport.
• Indian Roads Congress, 1934

12. engaged in carrying out research and development projects.
design, construction and maintenance of roads and traffic and transportation
planning of mega and medium cities, management of roads in different terrains,
Utilization of industrial waste in road construction,
Landslide control,
Ground improvements, environmental pollution,
Road traffic safety,
Service life assessment and rehabilitation of highway & railway bridges.
• CRRI

13. • Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
• Planning, development and maintenance of National Highways in the country.
• Extends technical and financial support to State Governments for the development of
state roads and the roads of inter-state connectivity and economic importance.
• Evolves standard specifications for roads and bridges in the country. `

14. • Highway planning and development in India:-
• Nagpur road congress 1943
• The second World War saw a rapid growth in road traffic and this led to the
deterioration in the condition of roads.
• To discuss about improving the condition of roads, the government convened a
conference of chief engineers at Nagpur in 1943.
• The result of the conference is famous as the Nagpur plan.
• A twenty year development programme for the period (1943-1963) was finalized. It
was the first attempt to prepare a co-ordinated road development programme in a
planned manner.

15. • The roads were divided into four classes: – National highways which would pass
through states, and places having national importance for strategic, administrative and
other purposes. – State highways which would be the other main roads of a state. –
District roads which would take traffic from the main roads to the interior of the
district . According to the importance, some are considered as major district roads and
the remaining as other district roads. – Village roads which would link the villages to
the road system.
• The committee planned to construct 2 lakh kms of road across the country within 20
years.
• They recommended the construction of star and grid pattern of roads throughout the
country.
• One of the objective was that the road length should be increased so as to give a road
density of 16kms per 100 sq.km

16. • Bombay road congress 1961
• The length of roads under the Nagpur plan was achieved by the end of it, but the road
system was deficient in many respects.
• The changed economic, industrial and agricultural conditions in the country warranted
a review of the Nagpur plan. Accordingly a 20-year plan was drafted by the Roads
wing of Government of India, which is popularly known as the Bombay plan. The
highlights of the plan were:
• It was the second 20 year road plan (1961-1981)
• The total road length targeted to construct was about 10 lakhs.
• Rural roads were given specific attention. Scientific methods of construction was
proposed for the rural roads. The necessary technical advice to the Panchayaths
should be given by State PWD’s.
• They suggested that the length of the road should be increased so as to give a road
density of 32kms/100 sq.km
• The construction of 1600 km of expressways was also then included in the plan

17. • Lucknow road congress 1984
• This plan has been prepared keeping in view the growth pattern in various fields by the turn of
the century. Some of the salient features of this plan are as given below:
• This was the third 20 year road plan (1981-2001). It is also called Lucknow road plan.
• It aimed at constructing a road length of 12 lakh kilometres by the year 1981 resulting in a road
density of 82kms/100 sq.km
• The plan has set the target length of NH to be completed by the end of seventh, eighth and ninth
five year plan periods.
• It aims at improving the transportation facilities in villages, towns etc. such that no part of
country is farther than 50 km from NH.
• One of the goals contained in the plan was that expressways should be constructed on major
traffic corridors to provide speedy travel.
• Energy conservation, environmental quality of roads and road safety measures were also given
due importance in this plan.

18. • Rural road development in India
• Rural roads contribute significantly to increase the agricultural production and
employment opportunities along with promoting access to economic and social
services.
• Thus, rural connectivity is a key component of rural development in India.
• Rural roads are the most important lifeline for the people residing in rural areas.
• Only about 60% of the Indian villages are connected by roads.

19. • Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana(PMGSY)
• The government of India have launched PMGSY in year 2000 with the objective of
providing road connectivity to all villages having population more than 1000 persons
by the year 2003.
• The PMGSY covers only ODR and VR.
• Primary focus will be on providing connectivity to unconnected villages and
habitations in districts through good quality all-weather rods.
• Surface roads( black topped or cement roads).

20. • Bharat Nirman
• It is a time bound business plan adopted so as to provide rural infrastructure during
year 2005-2009.
• The aim of this project was to provide proper and suitable connectivity to all the
habitations having population of 100 and above., including 500 and above in hilly
areas.
• Under this length of about 1,46,185 km was proposed to be constructed.

22. • Road patterns
• The road patterns are of considerable use in urban highways planning.
• The various road patterns used in urban highway planning are:
• Rectangular or block pattern
• Radial or star and block pattern
• Radial or star and circular pattern,
• Radial or star and grid pattern,
• Hexagonal pattern,
• Minimum travel pattern.

25. • Rectangular or block pattern
• Also known as grid iron pattern,
• Simple and easy to layout.
• Radial pattern
• Ring roads have become increasingly popular, as the carry traffic at much faster rate,
• ring roads used in almost every town to bypass traffic not directed to that cicular town.

26. • Urban road classification
• ARTERIAL ROADS
• SUB ARTERIAL
• COLLECTOR
• LOCAL STREET

27. • Arterial roads
• No frontage access, no standing vehicle, very little cross traffic.
• Design Speed : 80km/hr
• Land width : 50 – 60m
• Spacing 1.5km in CBD & 8km or more in developed areas.
• Roads with full or partial parking.
• Pedestrian allowed to walk only at intersection

28. • Sub arterial roads
• Bus stops but no standing vehicle.
• Less mobility than arterial.
• Spacing for CBD : 0.5km
• Design speed : 60 km/hr
• Land width : 30 – 40 m

29. • Collector streets
• Collects and distributes traffic from local streets.
• Provides access to arterial roads.
• Located in residential, business and industrial areas.
• Full access allowed.
• Parking permitted.
• Design speed : 50km/hr
• Land Width : 20-30m

30. • Local streets
• Design Speed : 30km/hr.
• Land Width : 10 – 20m.
• Primary access to residence, business or other property.
• Less volume of traffic at slow speed.
• Origin and termination of trips.
• Unrestricted parking, pedestrian movements. ( parked vehicle, bus stops and no
waiting restrictions)

31. • Road alignment
• The position of the layout of the centre line of the highway on the ground is called
the alignment.
• There are two types of alignment:
1. Horizontal alignment
• Straight path,
• Curves,
2. Vertical alignment
• Vertical curves,
• Vertical gradients

32. • Improper alignment of road would result in one or more of the following
disadvantages:
• Increase in construction cost,
• Increase in maintenance cost,
• Increase in vehicle operation cost,
• Increase in accident rates.
Requirements:
Short
Easy
Safe
Economical

33. Factors controlling alignment :
1. Obligatory points
2. Availability of construction materials,
3. Traffic
4. crossing
5. Economic factors
6. Geological features,
7. Other considerations
8. Land acquisition.

34. • Obligatory points:
• The controlling points which govern the highway alignment are known as
obligatory points.
• It is divided into two parts, 1) points through which the alignment should pass, 2)
points through which alignment should not pass.
• Availability of construction materials:
• For bringing down the cost of construction and maintenance cost it is important to
have easy availability of natural building material.
• Traffic:
• Should suit traffic requirements,
• Origin and destination studies should be carried out and desire line should be
drawn.
• The new rods aligned should keep in view the desire line, traffic patterns and
future trends.

35. • Crossing:
• The provision of stream crossing, river crossing and railway crossing along the
road alignment should be properly studied.
• Economic factor
• The alignment finalized based on all factors should also be economical.
• The initial cost, the maintenance cost, vehicle operating cost should be taken into
account.
• Geological factors
• Alignment should be made in such a way that no serious difficulties are met from
the geological point of view of the locality, e.g. earthwork, landslides.
• Land acquisition
• Availability of land for the construction of highway is necessary,
• If alignment should be such that considerable built up area and cultivated land
area are to be acquired, it will prove to be difficult, costly and time consuming.

36. • Engineering Surveys for the road alignment
• The surveys carried out should be:
• Map study,
• Reconnaissance,
• Preliminary survey,
• Detailed survey

37. • Base Map preparation
Topographical map
Scale -1: 2,50,000
1: 50,000
1: 25,000
• Shows man made and natural features like rivers, hills, etc and contour lines at 15 or
30m interval.
• Shows possible alignments with obligatory points and minimum number of cross
drainage structures.
• By careful study of the map it is possible to have alternative routes so that further
details of these may be studied later at the site.

38. • Reconnaissance survey
• Map updating – to confirm features indicated on map.
• Checking for:
Number of cross drainage structures.
High Flood Level (HFL)
Confirming Length and value of gradient to IRC standards.
Soil Characteristics.
Geological features.
• Prepare a report on merits and demerits and profile map of scale 1:50,000.

39. • Preliminary survey
• The main objectives of the survey are:
• To survey the alternative alignment proposed after the reconnaissance and to collect all the
necessary physical information and details of topography, drainage and soil.
• To compare the different proposals in the view of the requirements of the good alignment.
• To estimate the quantities of earthwork and other construction aspect and to workout the cost of
alternative proposals.
• To finalize the best alignment from all consideration.

40. • Detailed survey
• Ground survey,
• Soil survey,
• Hydrological study,
• Period of construction,
• present and future traffic,
• Structure design,
• Construction methods,
• Total cost of construction,
• Return on investment