Geometry Data Extraction of Existing Horizontal Alignment: A Global Review Report and Methodological Example

Abstract

Roadways are the most popular mode of transportation. However, practitioners, policymakers, enforcement authorities, and researchers do not always hold complete and reliable records of road geometry data (i.e., plan & profile drawings). This study reviewed the existing literature on the extraction of road geometry data. Existing methods are efficient for extracting geometric features of horizontal alignment based on the availability of recourses and applicability. The selection of a suitable methodology depends on various constraints like cost, time, availability of technology, and skilled workforce. Based on the reviewed literature, a cost-effective methodology based on GIS and AutoCAD Civil 3D © is proposed for low- and middle-income countries like India for recreating geometric features of existing horizontal alignments. A 3 km road section was taken inside the IIT Indore campus. Road width, tangent length, curve radius, curve length, and deflection angle were calculated for 17 curves along the road section. Calculated values were validated with the actual values obtained from the field survey method. Statistical analysis has confirmed that the proposed methodology is in good agreement with the actual values. This methodology would be a cost-effective and efficient alternative for extracting road geometry data and evaluating road performance. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.