01091634

Component

Traditionally, transportation engineering students use pencil and ruler to lay out lines and curves over contour maps for roadway geometry design. Numerous calculations of stopping sight distance, minimum turning radius, and curve alignments are required during the design process to ensure safety, to minimize economic and environmental impact, and to reduce construction costs. Students usually perform iterative computations manually during the design process to meet design criteria and environmental constraints. The traditional process of roadway geometry design is cumbersome and time consuming. The traditional approach limits students from taking a broader perspective in the overall roadway geometry design process. An Internet-based roadway design tool (ROAD: Roadway Online Application for Design) was developed to enhance the learning experience for transportation engineering students. This tool allows students to design the roadway efficiently and to modify the design easily within given economic and environmental parameters. A 3-Dimensional (3D) roadway geometry model can be generated by the software at final design to allow students to place themselves in the driver’s seat and maneuver through the designed roadway at maximum design speed. This roadway geometry design tool was introduced and deployed in a civil engineering undergraduate class in 2006 and 2007 at the Department of Civil Engineering, University of Minnesota. The value of the ROAD software to student’s learning was evaluated and discussed in this paper. Survey results from students indicated that the ROAD software enhanced their learning experiences through performing roadway geometry design.

01084478

08-0042

English

16p

2008

Transportation Research Board 87th Annual Meeting

DVD

Figures (10) ; References (19)

Contour maps; Education and training; Environmental policy; Geometry; Highway curves; Highway design; Planning and design; Research; Transportation engineering

Administration and Management; Education and Training; Environment; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Policy; Research; I10: Economics and Administration; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2008 Paper #08-0042

TRIS, TRB

Jan 29 2008 2:26PM