Evaluación de curvas horizontales en carreteras de montaña, vía e50 tramo Limón Playa – Torata

Abstract

Poor mountain road design, characterized by poorly designed curves, significantly increases the risk of accidents and injuries. In horizontal curves, accident rates are three to four times higher compared to straight stretches. For this reason, the main purpose of this work focuses on proposing an alternative that complies with current standards in Ecuador and solves the problems detected through the evaluation of the study curve. The evaluation is based on the analysis of the road capacity, measured through the Average Daily Annual Traffic (ADAT), and the geometric design of the road, using indicators such as speed, curve radius, lane width, berm width, slope and superelevation. The process begins with a vehicle gauging carried out during three days to determine the vehicular flow of the road. Subsequently, a second speed survey is performed at the beginning of the curve to obtain the warhead graph and identify the design speed. Next, a topographic survey of the curve is carried out using a drone and RTK technology. With the data obtained, AutoCAD Civil 3D software is used to obtain accurate information about the actual design of the curve. These results are analyzed through the indicators used in the evaluation, and a final weighting is obtained indicating that the geometric design of the study curve is deficient. Finally, a new model is presented as a design alternative for the study curve, addressing the problems identified during the evaluation. In conclusion, the integration and analysis of all the parameters evaluated made it possible to propose an alternative for mountain road curves that guarantees the safety and efficiency of vehicular traffic in mountainous terrain