Minimization of the Land Right-of-Way During The Landscape Design of a Road

Abstract

Purpose. The main purpose of this work is to solve the problem of designing a longitudinal profile, provided that the volume of earthworks is rationally distributed and the width of the right-of-way is reduced when designing a road on the ground in conjunction with the landscape. Methodology. The study was conducted in accordance with the requirements of SBS B.2.3–4:2015 regarding the need to comply with the principles of landscape design and the use of rational combinations of plan elements and longitudinal profile to ensure the smoothness of the road, as well as its relationship with the environment to reduce destruction and preserve the existing landscape in each case. Findings. The paper considers two options for drawing the design line relative to the ground line: in the first option, the design line is drawn based on the condition of approximate equality of the volumes of excavations and embankments, in the second – on the condition of designing the longitudinal profile with the maximum permissible slopes to reduce the value of the working elevations. The research confirms that designing the longitudinal profile with maximum slopes leads to a decrease in the working elevations of embankments and excavations. This, in turn, leads to a reduction in the width of the road right-of-way. In the case of a balanced distribution of embankment and excavation volumes, the width of the right-of-way increased by 1.6 times. However, the use of soil from the excavations for embankment filling (the so-called longitudinal dumping) reduced the total cost of earthworks by 27%, despite the increase in the width of the right-of-way. Originality. Methodological approaches to determining the scope of work and cost of subgrade construction are proposed, provided that the width of the right-of-way is minimized during the design of the road. The cost of the subgrade is represented by two components – the cost of soil development and transportation and the cost of land occupation. Practical value. The results obtained in the course of the research work indicate that the task of determining the scope of work and cost of the subgrade construction, while minimizing the width of the right-of-way during the construction of the road, has been solved. The provided recommendations will contribute to the effectiveness of design solutions, determine the quality of the road project in general and the feasibility of its implementation in particular.