HIGHWAY AND RAILROAD ENGINEERING (REVIEWER)
IMPORTANCE OF HIGHWAY DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING
 It aims to design a road network for efficient traffic operation with minimal coast,
considering construction, maintenance, and vehicle operation costs.
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF HIGHWAYS





ADVANTAGES
Fast and efficient mode of
transportation for people, goods, and
services
Stimulates economic growth
Access to remote or rural areas
Easier access to tourist destinations
Serves as routes for quick response in
times of emergencies




DISADVANTAGES
Construction of highway contribute to
air pollution and habitat disruption
Contribute traffic congestion especially
in urban areas during peak hours
Prone to accidents specifically those
high-speed highways
Consistent maintenance of highways are
costly
CLASSIFICATION OF ROADS
Based on materials:
 Earthen Roads
 Gravel Roads
 Murram Roads
 Kankar Roads
 WBM (Water Bound Macadam) Roads
 Bituminous Roads
 Concrete Roads
Based on location and function:
 National highways- main roads that connect all major cities to the capital of the country
 State highways- second main roads that connect significant parts of the state within it
 Major district roads- roads within a district that connects to the main highways serving
 Other District Roads- roads serving rural areas of production and providing them with
outlets to market centers
 Rural roads or Village roads- roads connecting villages or groups of villages with each
other and to the nearest road of higher quality.
 Motorways- also known as expressways. Motorways makes travel quick and provides
comfort for high-speed vehicles.
Based on speed and accessibility:
 Expressways
 Highways
 Arterials
 Local streets
 Collector Roads
Based on usage:
 All-weather roads
 Fair-weather roads
Based on carriageway:
 Paved road
 Unpaved road
(Additional from other groups under classification of roads)
1. National Roads

National Primary Road

National Secondary Road

National Tertiary Road
2. Local Roads

Provincial Roads

Municipal and City Roads

Barangay Roads

Expressway
ROAD PATTERNS
1) Rectangular or Block Pattern
2) Radial Road Pattern
 Radial or Star and Block Pattern
 Radial or Star and Circular Pattern
 Radial or Star and Grid Pattern
3) Hexagonal Road Pattern
4) Grid Pattern
5) Linear Pattern
6) Minimum Travel Pattern
PLANNING SURVEYS
Types of Planning Surveys
1. Map Study
2. Reconnaissance survey
3. Preliminary Survey
4. Location Survey
5. Engineering Survey for Highway Location
6. Topographic surveys
For assessing the road length requirements, following studies are made:
1) Economic Studies
2) Financial Studies
3) Traffic or road use studies
4) Engineering studies
HIGHWAY ALIGNMENT AND SURVEYS
Requirement for an ideal alignment:
1) Directness
2) Ease of construction, maintenance and operation
3) Safety
4) Economy
5) Special Consideration
(Additional from the other group about the requirement for an ideal alignment)
1. Safe
2. Easy
3. Short
4. Economical
5. Comfort
TYPES OF ALIGNMENT
 Horizontal Alignment- includes the straight path, curves or deviation in horizontal
direction.
 Vertical Alignment- includes vertical curves and gradient on the ground.
STAGES OF ENGINEERING SURVEYS
1) Map study
2) Preliminary study
3) Final location and detailed survey