3 Transportation Engineering

TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING
Or transport engineering is the application of technology and scientific principles to the planning,
functional design, operation and management of facilities for any mode of transportation in order to provide
for the safe, efficient, rapid, comfortable, convenient, economical, and environmentally compatible
movement of people and goods.
It is a sub-discipline of civil engineering and of industrial engineering. Transportation engineering is a

major component of the civil engineering and mechanical engineering disciplines, according to specialization
of academic courses and main competences of the involved territory. The importance of transportation
engineering within the civil and industrial engineering profession can be judged by the number of divisions
that are directly related to transportation. There are six such divisions Urban; Pipeline; Railways, Roads &
Highways; Waterways, Port & Harbor, Coastal & Ocean; Air and Aerospace Transportation.
More sophisticated forecasting can include other aspects of traveler decisions, including auto
ownership, trip chaining (the decision to link individual trips together in a tour) and the choice of residential
or business location (known as land use forecasting). Passenger trips are the focus of transportation
engineering because they often represent the peak of demand on any transportation system.
A review of descriptions of the scope of various committees indicates that while facility planning and
design continue to be the core of the transportation engineering field, such areas as operations planning,
logistics, network analysis, financing, and policy analysis are also important to civil engineers, particularly to
those working in highway and urban transportation.
Transportation engineering, as practiced by civil engineers, primarily involves planning, design,

construction, maintenance, and operation of transportation facilities. The facilities support air, highway,
railroad, pipeline, water, and even space transportation. The design aspects of transportation engineering
include the sizing of transportation facilities (how many lanes or how much capacity the facility has),
determining the materials and thickness used in pavement designing the geometry (vertical and horizontal
alignment) of the roadway (or track).
Before any planning occurs the Engineer must take what is known as an inventory of the area or if it
is appropriate, the previous system in place. This inventory or database must include information on
(1)population, (2)land use, (3)economic activity, (4)transportation facilities and services, (5)travel patterns
and volumes, (6)laws and ordinances, (7)regional financial resources, (8)community values and
expectations. These inventories help the engineer create business models to complete accurate forecasts of
the future conditions of the system.
Operations and management involve traffic engineering, so that vehicles move smoothly on the road
or track. Older techniques include signs, signals, markings, and tolling. Newer technologies
involve intelligent transportation systems, including advanced traveler information systems (such as variable
message signs), advanced traffic control systems (such as ramp meters), and vehicle infrastructure
integration. Human factors are an aspect of transportation engineering, particularly concerning driver-vehicle
interface and user interface of road signs, signals, and markings.
Urban Transportation
The planning aspects of transportation engineering relate to urban planning, and involve technical
forecasting decisions and political factors. Technical forecasting of passenger travel usually involves an
urban transportation planning model, requiring the estimation of trip generation (how many trips for what
purpose), trip distribution (destination choice, where is the traveler going), mode choice (what mode is being
taken), and route assignment(which streets or routes are being used).
Pipeline Transportation
Pipeline transport is the mode of transportation of goods or material through a pipe. Liquids
and gases are transported in pipelines and any chemically stable substance can be sent through a
pipeline. Pipelines exist for the transport of crude and refined petroleum, fuels - such as oil, natural
gas and biofuels - and other fluids including sewage, slurry, water and beer.
Highway Engineering
Engineers in this specialization:
 Handle the planning, design, construction, and operation of highways, roads, railways and other
vehicular facilities as well as their related bicycle and pedestrian realms.
 Estimate the transportation needs of the public and then secure the funding for the project.
 Analyze locations of high traffic volumes and high collisions for safety and capacity.
 Use civil engineering principles to improve the transportation system.
 Utilizes the three design controls which are the drivers, vehicles, and roadways/railways themselves.
Railroad Engineering
Railway engineers handle the design, construction, and operation of railroads and mass transit
systems that use a fixed guide way (such as light rail or even monorails). Typical tasks would include
determining horizontal and vertical alignment design, station location and design, and construction cost
estimating. Railroad engineers can also move into the specialized field of train dispatching which focuses on
train movement control.
Railway engineers also work to build a cleaner and safer transportation network by reinvesting and
revitalizing the rail system to meet future demands. Railway engineers work with elected officials on rail
transportation issues to make sure that the rail system meets the country's transportation needs.
Waterways, Coastal & Ocean Transportation

Waterways is the intentional movement of water over large distances. In Civil engineering
a river, canal, or other navigable channel used as a means of travel or transport is a cheapest means of
transport. Methods of transportation fall into three categories: 1.) Aqueducts, 2.) Container Shipment
and 3.) Towing.
Coastal transportation is the movement of material from one place to another in the water or
along the coastline.
Ocean transport is a method of carrying people, goods and etc. with the means of barges,
boats, ships or sailboat over rivers, canals, oceans, or seas. The main purpose of travel by this mean is
that it can be for commerce, leisure/recreational, or military purposes.
Port and Harbor Engineering
Port and harbor engineers handle the design, construction, and operation of ports, harbors, canals, and
other maritime facilities. This is not to be confused with marine engineering.
Airport Engineering
Airport engineers design and construct airports. Airport engineers must account for the impacts and
demands of aircraft in their design of airport facilities. These engineers must use the analysis of predominant
wind direction to determine runway orientation, determine the size of runway border and safety areas,
different wing tip to wing tip clearances for all gates and must designate the clear zones in the entire port.
Aerospace Engineering
Aerospace engineering is the primary field of engineering concerned with the development of
aircraft and spacecraft. It has two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and
astronautical engineering. Avionics engineering is similar, but deals with the electronics side of
aerospace engineering.

3 Transportation Engineering

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

3 Transportation Engineering

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

3 Transportation Engineering

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING

It is a sub-discipline of civil engineering and of industrial engineering. Transportation engineering is a

Transportation engineering, as practiced by civil engineers, primarily involves planning, design,

Waterways, Coastal & Ocean Transportation

You might also like