CE 453 Lecture 6

Design Vehicle
 Design Vehicle
► Design Vehicle – largest (slowest, loudest?)
vehicle likely to use a facility with
considerable frequency
► Three characteristics that affect almost all
aspects of highway design
 Physical
 Operating
 Environmental

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 Physical Characteristics
► Type (GB defines 20 design vehicle types)
 Passenger Car P
 Buses B
 Trucks SU, WB
 RVs
 Farm tractor

► Size
 Length
 Height
 Weight
 Width
 Height of driver’s eye (car: 3.5’ – avg., truck: 7.6’ – high side)
 Center of mass
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Dimensions of Design Vehicles

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 Operating Characteristics

► Acceleration
► Deceleration and braking
► Power/weight ratios
► Turning radius
► Offtracking
► Headlights (2’ … truck
driver/retroreflectivity?)
► Friction (ball bank) http://www.cable-car-guy.com/images/ih_truck_ad_dec_1926.jpg

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 Environmental Characteristics

► Noise (noise meter)

► Exhaust
► Fuel Efficiency
► Dust (particulate and VOCs from tires and
brakes)

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 Selection of Design Vehicle
► Key Controls
 Physical and Operating
► Key Factors
 Proportion and Frequency
► Key Types
 Car – parking lot
 SU Truck – res. Intersections, park roads
 City Bus – state hwy, city street, bus route
► See
http://www.pacebus.com/sub/guidelines/development_guidelines/ta
ble%20of%20contents.htm for Chicago’s PACE design guide
 School Bus – low vol county, state hwy
 WB series – freeway ramp, arterial and state hwy, industrial
areas, US and Interstate Highways

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 State and Local Truck Limits
► See Colorado Truck Legal Dimensions
► See
http://www.dot.state.ia.us/mvd/omve/truckguide.
pdf for Iowa Truck Guide
► See http://www.co.jasper.ia.us/new_page_7.htm
for Jasper County permit requirements

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 Turn Paths

► Key variables in turn paths

 Centerline turn radius
 Out-to-out track
 Wheelbase
 Path of inner tire
► SeeAutoturn Software Page
http://www.transoftsolutions.com/transoft/p
roducts/at/product_feat.asp
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Minimum
Turning
Radii

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 Offtracking

► Rear wheels do not follow path of front

wheels
► Increases with size of vehicle
► Decreases with radius of curve

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 Front Overhang and Difficulty
Adjustment (Z)
► Radial distance between outside front wheel
path and outside front bumper/fender

► Extra width allowance (Z) for difficulty in

maneuvering

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Total widening recommended (includes front overhang, offtracking and difficulty adj.)

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Double for 4 ln undivided. Values less than 2’ may be neglected.
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 Widening
► Widen inside only when not using spiral
(split even if using spirals)
► Paint CL and joint at middle of pavement
► Transition over superelevation transition
► Green book terminology:

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Effect of grade on truck performance

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Effect of grade on RV performance

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Effect of differential speed on crash rate

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 Critical Grade
►% AND length of grade where “typical”
trucks can maintain a “safe” speed
See also: Highway
Capacity Manual

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Friction

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 What is a turning template?
► Forthe various design vehicles, the turning
templates give the minimum vehicle paths
► Based on low speed (10mph)

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 What do I use it for?
► Use in design, to determine vehicle fit
► Curbs etc 2-3 feet outside of the minimum
path limits
► With 2 different vehicles, smaller outside
minimum radius governs outside limit
► Same vehicles, larger inside minimum radius
governs inside limit of geometry

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 Homework Assignment
► Due 2/01/08
► Review and compare the templates for the
SU (single unit truck) and the Bus-40 (40-ft
bus)

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 Homework Assignment
► Answer the following questions regarding
these two design vehicles and their
templates:
► What is the difference in:
 minimum outside turning radii?
 centerline turning radii?
 maximum off-tracking?
 minimum path of right rear wheel?

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 Homework Assignment
► Provide a bullet point summary of your answers to
these questions.
► Then discuss whether or not the use of one or the
other as the design vehicle for an intersection
would have an impact on your design of an
intersection and its corner radius, and why. Cite
the results of your comparison (of the template) to
support your position.
► Maximum one page.

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