CEEN 4615 – Highway Planning and Design

Credits and Contact Hours	3 Credits Two 75-minute Lectures per Week
Instructor or Coordinator	Alexander Drakopoulos, Ph.D. Associate Professor
Course Materials or Textbook	1. American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials: "A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets," Washington D.C., 2011. 2. Readings from "Highway Engineering," Paul H. Wright and Radnor J. Paquette, Wiley, 5th edition,1987. 3. Readings from "Transportation Engineering & Planning," C.S. Papacostas & P.D. Prevedouros, Prentice Hall, 3rd edition, 2001. 4. Other handouts. 5. Project and homework assignments, materials relevant to course topics, test review topics and other important course information will be posted on the following web site: https://www.eng.mu.edu/~drakopoa/courses/172/classnotes.htm
Course Information	Catalog Description
	Highway planning. Alternative highway alignments. Alternative evaluation. Geometric design of highways: horizontal and vertical alignment, cross-section design. Projects on detailed design of reverse curves (plan and profile views); intersection design; cross-section and earthwork quantities. Legal aspects of engineering. Use of American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) design guidelines. Offered every spring semester.
	Prerequisites or Co-Requisites
	By Course: CEEN 3610 – Transportation Engineering By Topic: Dynamics, and horizontal and vertical roadway geometry basic design principles.
	Required (R), Elective (E), or Selected Elective (SE) Elective (E)
Course Goals	Course Objectives
	To provide students with an understanding of the technical, environmental, political and economic issues of highway planning and working experience with a multi-objective decision tool application in transportation planning. To provide the theory and fundamental principles of highway horizontal, vertical and cross-section alignment design as well as intersection design, based on current design references. To provide an opportunity to apply design principles in open-ended design projects complemented with technical, thoroughly documented, reports. To provide an opportunity to orally present and defend design decisions to a group of peers.
	Course Outcomes
	Upon completion of the course, students should be familiar with: i) issues related to alternative alignment evaluation (geometric design requirements, socio-political, environmental, traffic and safety); ii) property acquisition legal framework; iii) fundamental geometric design issues for horizontal and vertical alignment; iv) cross-sectional element design (dimensions and appropriate use); v) At-grade intersection design (types of intersections, channelization, dimensions of intersection elements).
	ABET Criterion 3 Correlation
	The course strongly correlates with the following ABET Criterion 3 Student Outcomes: C –Ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability. E –Ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems. G –Ability to communicate effectively. K –Ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice. The course moderately correlates with the following ABET Criterion 3 Student Outcomes: A –Ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering. F –Understanding of professional and ethical responsibility. J –Knowledge of contemporary issues.
Topics Covered	· Highway Evaluation · Property Acquisition · Geometric Design of Highways – Horizontal and Vertical Design · Cross-section Elements – Urban · Cross-section Elements – Rural · At Grade Intersections