CEE 370

Lecture 2: Vehicle Characteristics

Soyoung Ahn

Agenda
Vehicle Characteristics
Static: size and weight
Kinematic: influence of acceleration on the elements of
vehicle motion (velocity, distance, and time)
Dynamic: effect of forces acting on vehicles on vehicle
motion

Agenda
Vehicle Characteristics
Static: size and weight
Kinematic: influence of acceleration on the elements of
vehicle motion (velocity, distance, and time)
Dynamic: effect of forces acting on vehicles on vehicle
motion

Effects on
Geometric design of roadways: design vehicle
Traffic operations: bottlenecks, merges
Traffic signal timing

Static Characteristics
Size
Lane width
Shoulder width
Turning radii
Length and width of
parking bays
Lengths of vertical curves
Source: http://lgam.wikidot.com/lane-width

Static Characteristics
AASHTO selected general classes of vehicles for
design purposes:
Passenger cars
Utility vehicles, minivans, vans, pick-up trucks and etc.

Buses
Transit buses, school buses and etc.

Trucks
Single unit trucks, semitrailers and etc.

Recreational vehicles
Motor homes, camper trailers and etc.

Kinematic Characteristics
Influence of acceleration on the elements of vehicle
motion (velocity, distance, and time)
Acceleration capability
Passing maneuvers
Gap acceptance
Freeway ramp and passing lane dimensions

Kinematic Characteristics
dv
Analytical method: Uniform acceleration: dt
Velocity, v(t)

dv
a
dt
dv a dt
v
v0

dv

t
t0 0

v v0 at

a dt

Kinematic Characteristics
dv
Analytical method: Uniform acceleration: dt
Distance, x(t)

dx
v(t )
dt
dx v(t ) dt
x
x0 0

dx
t
t0 0

t
t0 0

(v0

v(t ) dt
at ) dt

v0t

1 2
at
2

Kinematic Characteristics
dv
Analytical method: Uniform acceleration: dt
Distance, x(v)

v v0
t
v v0 at
a
1 2
Substitute for t in
x v0t
at
2
2
v0 (v v0 ) a (v v0 )
x (v )
2
a
2a
2
2
v v0
x (v )
2a

Kinematic Characteristics
dv
Analytical method: Non-uniform acceleration: dt
Velocity, v(t)

dv
a (v )
dt
dv
dt
a (v )
v dv
v0 a (v )

t
t0 0

dt

a (v )

Kinematic Characteristics
dv
Analytical method: Non-uniform acceleration: dt
v
Example a (v)

Solving for v

a (v )

Kinematic Characteristics
dv
Analytical method: Non-uniform acceleration: dt
Distance, x(t)

dx
v(t )
dt
dx v(t ) dt
x
x0 0

dx

t
t0 0

v(t ) dt

a (v )

Kinematic Characteristics
dv
Analytical method: Non-uniform acceleration: dt
v
For the example of a (v)

a (v )

Example
The acceleration of a vehicle can be represented by the
following equation:

a(v)=3.3-0.025v
Where v is the vehicle speed in ft/s. If the maximum
allowable speed of an urban interstate highway is 55 mph
at the vicinity of a signal-controlled ramp, determine the
minimum total length of the ramp and acceleration lane
from the signal stop line to the freeway that will allow a
driver starting at the stop line to achieve the allowable
speed on the interstate when her vehicle enters the
freeway.