Adopting the Performance Margin in Horizontal Curve Design

Abstract

A vehicle negotiating a curve experiences a centripetal force that is partially supplied by the tire–pavement friction. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ design handbook, A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets (“Green Book”), dictates the design of horizontal curve segments according to the side friction (demand) factor, which is a fraction of the available friction used during a maneuver. However, the Green Book casts the side friction factor not as a measure of tire–pavement friction but as a measure of lateral acceleration. In this way, the Green Book conflates these independent concepts (tire–pavement friction versus lateral acceleration). It is shown in this work that keeping these curve design parameters independent has meaningful benefits. A rigorous mathematical clarification of the differences among the side friction (demand) factor, lateral acceleration, and coefficient of friction is developed. It is shown that changing the coefficient of friction affects the side friction factor, but the opposite is not necessarily true. An alternate metric is proposed, the performance margin [Formula: see text], that has several advantages for assessing friction margins. Currently, horizontal curves are designed only with a lateral friction reserve. Excluding longitudinal dynamics may not be realistic given the manner in which drivers react in limit handling maneuvers. The [Formula: see text] accounts for both bidirectional dynamics and road geometry, and highlights regions where the Green Book’s standards are inconsistent with vehicle performance capabilities. The work concludes by posing recommendations aimed at implementing the [Formula: see text] in future Green Book editions.