Module1 - Introduction To Highway and Railroad Engineering

Module 1 Introduction to Highway and Railroad Engineering
Introduction
Transportation has always been an important aspect of human civilization. In this module,
the student will learn the overview and development in transportation sectors including
the different modes of transportation, characteristics of road transport. This module will
also explain the transportation engineering profession and the scope of highway and
railroad engineering, which is the focus of this course.
Topic Outcomes
At the end of this module, the student will be able to:
1. explain the timeline of development of transportation sector, development of

transportation infrastructure
2. present the evolution of transportation engineering profession, its various
specialization and the scope of highway and railroad engineering
This module will be divided into different topics to ensure that the outcomes will be
attained:
1. The development and significance of transportation

2. Different Modes of Transportation
3. Different Transportation Infrastructures
4. Transportation Engineering: evolution and its specialization
Topic 1: The Development and Significance of Transportation
Transportation is a means in which people and goods are moved from one place
to another. It is considered as the circulatory system of a society. The increasing
transportation demand for systematized mobility of people, goods and services as part of
rural development and urbanization all over the country indicates the need to increase
specialists for the transportation sector.
One of the advocates of transportation, Prof. Rodrigue, in his book on

transportation geography, highlighted how transportation shapes the development of the
world. The economic and social development of people evolve with how transportation is
being shaped in its locale. To quote:
The unique purpose of transportation is to overcome space,

which is shaped by a variety of human and physical constraints
such as distance, time, administrative divisions, and topography.
Jointly, they confer friction to any movement, commonly known
as the friction of distance (or friction of space). In an ideal world,
transportation would come at no effort in terms of cost and time
and would have unlimited capacity and spatial reach. Under such
circumstances, geography would not matter. In the real world,
however, geography can be a significant constraint to transport
since it trades space for time and money and can only be partially
circumscribed. The extent to which this is done has a cost that
varies significantly according to factors such as the length of the
trip, the capacity of modes and infrastructures, and the nature of
what is being transported. Transport geography can be
understood from a series of eight core principles:
1. Transportation is the spatial linking of derived demand.

2. Distance is a relative concept involving space, time, and effort.
3. Space is at the same time the generator, support, and a constraint for
mobility.
4. The relation between space and time can converge or diverge.
5. A location can be central, where it generates and attracts traffic, or an
intermediate element where traffic transits through.
6. To overcome geography, transportation must consume space.
7. Transportation seeks massification but is constrained by atomization.
8. Velocity is a modal, intermodal, and managerial effort.
Topic 2: Different Modes of Transportation
The earliest form of transportation is by foot. Now, transportation may vary from land
travel to space travel. Listed below are some examples of different modes of
transportation:
1. Land
a. By foot
b. Animal-pulled wagons
c. Bicycle
d. Cars
e. Buses
f. Trains
2. Water
a. Boats
b. Ships
c. Submarines
d. Hovercrafts (fig. 1.2.1)
3. Air
a. Airplanes
b. Helicopters
4. Others
a. Ski lifts (cable transport) (fig. 1.2.2)
b. Spacecrafts (space transport)
Fig.
1.2.1. Hovercraft (image from industrytap.com) Fig.

1.2.2. Ski lift (image from cit
With recent concerns of mobility specifically in urban areas, mode of transportation is

being reviewed and revisited by transport experts and travel enthusiasts. Figure below
presents the New Reverse Traffic Pyramid presented by Bicycle Network in Australia.
This pyramid aims to suggest an approach to city and urban planning that appropriately
prioritizes active travel and aims to decrease the congestion and pollution of a car-centric
city.
Topic 3: Different Transportation Infrastructures
The innovation of modes of transportation comes hand in hand with different

transportation infrastructures. The following are examples of common transportation
infrastructures:
● Roads
- Highways
- Walkways
- Bicycle lanes
- Bridges
- Tunnels
● Railways
● Stations
● Ports
● Airports
In the Philippines, the road infrastructures are managed and monitored by the Department
of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). The DPWH is mandated to undertake (a) the
planning of infrastructure, such as national roads and bridges, flood control, water
resources projects and other public works, and (b) the design, construction, and
maintenance of national roads and bridges, and major flood control systems. The
Department of Transportation (DOTr), on the other hand, focuses on other modes of
transportation such as railway (PNR, MRT, and LRT), airport, and ports (PPA).
Further readings:
Boquet Y. (2017) Transportation in the Philippines. In: The Philippine Archipelago.
Springer Geography. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51926-
5_15
DPWH Atlas (2019). Philippine National Road Network. Accessed through
https://www.dpwh.gov.ph/dpwh/2019%20DPWH%20ATLAS/index.htm
Topic 4: Transportation Engineering: Evolution and Its Specialization
Application of technology and scientific principles to the planning, functional

design, operations and management of facilities for any mode of transportation in order
to provide for the safe, rapid, comfortable, convenient, economical, and environmentally
compatible movement of people and goods. - Institute of Transportation Engineering (ITE)
Transport engineers plan, design and operate the large public and private
infrastructure systems that connect our physical world. - University of New South Wales
(UNSW), Australia
Transportation engineering is the application of technology and scientific principles

to the design, operation, planning and management of transportation infrastructure,
mobility service, traffic, and travelers for various travel modes, in order to provide for the
safe, efficient, rapid, comfortable, convenient, economical, and environmentally
sustainable movement of people and goods. - Columbia University, New York
Evolution
Mobility of people can be traced as early as the paleolithic age when people sought
to travel to different continents. Pathways created by animals are also considered as the
start of transportation networks. Evidence showed how humans followed animal tracks
for walking which eventually evolved into a clear path for humans to move from one
location to another. With the introduction of the wheel about 7,000 years ago, the larger,
heavier loads that could be transported showed the limitations of dirt paths that turned
into muddy bogs when it rained. The earliest stone paved roads have been traced to
about 4,000 B.C. in the Indian subcontinent and Mesopotamia (see figure).
The roadway construction, on the other hand, can be traced to Roman civilization
wherein roads are made of blocks of rocks embedded on soil and are used as
carriageways. The Romans developed techniques to build durable roads using multiple
layers of materials atop deep beds of crushed stone for water drainage. Some of those
roads remain in use more than 2,000 years later, and the fundamental techniques form
the basis of today's roads.
Modern road-construction techniques can be traced to a process developed by
Scottish engineer John McAdam in the early 19th century. McAdam topped multi-layer
roadbeds with a soil and crushed stone aggregate that was then packed down with heavy
rollers to lock it all together. Contemporary asphalt roads capable of supporting the
vehicles that emerged in the 20th century built upon McAdams' methods by adding tar as
a binder.
The actual process of road building has changed dramatically over the past century,
going from large gangs of workers with picks and shovels to enormous specialized
machines. Rebuilding existing roads starts with peeling up existing pavement, grinding it
and dumping it straight into trucks for reuse later as aggregate for new roads. After
grading the surface, pavers come in and lay down fresh, continuous sheets of asphalt
followed directly by the rollers.
Figure 4.1 Ancient Road in Greece
(Archaeological Site of Dion, Macedonia, Greece; taken June 2015)
In the pre-industrial revolution, transport technology was mainly limited to harnessing

animal labor for land transport and to wind for maritime transport. Initially, ships were
propelled by rowers, and sails were added around 2,500 BCE as a complementary form
of propulsion. Most of the technical innovations that modified the transportation sector
took place in a short period of industrial era, mainly between 1760 and 1800. It was during
this industrial revolution that massive modifications of transport systems occurred in two
major phases: the first, centered along with the development of canal systems and the
second, centered along railways. This period marked the development of the steam
engine, an external combustion engine that converted thermal energy into mechanical
energy, providing an important territorial expansion for maritime and railway transport
systems.
Figure 4.2 demonstrates the evolution of different transportation sectors from the 18th
century.
Figure 4.1 Evolution of Transport Technology since the 18th Century

(Source: Rodrigue, J-P (2020), The Geography of Transport Systems, Fifth Edition, New York:
Routledge)
Subdisciplines in Transportation Engineering
Traffic Engineering is the subdiscipline of transportation engineering that

addresses the planning, design and operation of streets and highways, their
networks, adjacent land uses and interaction with other modes of transportation
and their terminals (ITE)
Highway Engineering involved in the planning, design, construction,

operation, and maintenance of roads, bridges, and tunnels to ensure safe and
effective transportation of people and goods.
Railway Systems Engineering a field of engineering which deals with the

design, construction, and operation of all railway systems. This specialization
is a multifaceted science as it involves different engineering disciplines such as
mechanical engineering, computer engineering, civil engineering, electrical
engineering, production engineering and industrial engineering.
Airport Engineering is the field responsible for engineering standards and

research for design, equipment, and airfield development at civil airports. It is
also responsible for airport data, safety-related airport airspace issues, and
facilitating innovative methods of improving airport infrastructure
Ports and Harbor Engineering handle the design, construction, and operation
of ports, harbors, canals, and other maritime facilities. Recently, this is also
termed as navigation engineering, a civil engineering specialty that involves
the life-cycle planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of
safe, secure, reliable, efficient, and environmentally sustainable navigable
waterways (channels, structures, and support systems) used to move people
and goods by waterborne vessels.
Bibliography:
Jean-Paul Rodrigue (2020), The Geography of Transport Systems, 5th edition. New York:
Routledge, 456 pages. ISBN 978-0-367-36463-2
Boquet Y. (2017) Transportation in the Philippines. In: The Philippine Archipelago. Springer
Geography. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51926-5_15
Mannering Fred, Washburn Scott,Kilaresky Walter. 2004. Principles of Highway Engineering and Traffic
Analysis. Muze Inc.
Wright, Paul H. 2003. Highway Engineering.Wiley & Sons.
Garber, Nicholas and Hoel, Lester. 2001.Highway and Traffic Engineering. Brookes/Cole Publishing.
Fajardo, Max Jr. B., Elements of Roads and Highways, Second Edition, 5138. Merchandising Publisher,
Manila,1998.
Lay, Maxwell G (1992). Ways of the World: A History of the World's Roads and of the Vehicles that Used
Them. Rutgers University Press. ISBN 978-0-8135-2691-1
Websites:
https://www.asce.org/
https://www.ite.org/
https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a4447/the-road-ahead-road-evolution/
https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/back0506.cfm

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Module 1 Introduction to Highway and Railroad Engineering

1. explain the timeline of development of transportation sector, development of

1. The development and significance of transportation

One of the advocates of transportation, Prof. Rodrigue, in his book on

The unique purpose of transportation is to overcome space,

1. Transportation is the spatial linking of derived demand.

1.2.1. Hovercraft (image from industrytap.com) Fig.

With recent concerns of mobility specifically in urban areas, mode of transportation is

The innovation of modes of transportation comes hand in hand with different

Application of technology and scientific principles to the planning, functional

Transportation engineering is the application of technology and scientific principles

In the pre-industrial revolution, transport technology was mainly limited to harnessing

Figure 4.1 Evolution of Transport Technology since the 18th Century

Subdisciplines in Transportation Engineering

Traffic Engineering is the subdiscipline of transportation engineering that

Highway Engineering involved in the planning, design, construction,

Railway Systems Engineering a field of engineering which deals with the

Airport Engineering is the field responsible for engineering standards and

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