Unit ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE DESIGN

Course
Civil and environmental engineering
Study-unit Code
A002082
Curriculum
Ingegneria civile
Teacher
Gianluca Cerni
Teachers
  • Gianluca Cerni
  • Alessandro Corradini (Codocenza)
Hours
  • 48 ore - Gianluca Cerni
  • 8 ore (Codocenza) - Alessandro Corradini
CFU
7
Course Regulation
Coorte 2024
Offered
2026/27
Learning activities
Caratterizzante
Area
Ingegneria civile
Sector
ICAR/04
Type of study-unit
Obbligatorio (Required)
Type of learning activities
Attività formativa monodisciplinare
Language of instruction
Italian
Contents
The course aims to provide all the fundamental elements required for the design of a road infrastructure. In particular, the main topics covered are: vehicle motion mechanics, sight distance requirements, horizontal and vertical alignment design, and cross-sectional design.
Reference texts
F.A. Santagata e altri, STRADE - TEORIA E TECNICA DELLE COSTRUZIONI STRADALI, vol.I - progettazione, Editore Pearson
P. Ferrari, F. Giannini, Ingegneria stradale, volume I - ISEDI
G. Tesoriere, Strade ferrovie ed aeroporti, volume I - UTET
T. Esposito, R. Mauro, La geometria stradale, Hevelius edizioni
M. Agostinacchio, D. Ciampa, S. Olita, La progettazione delle strade, EPC Libri
Educational objectives
The course aims to provide all the fundamental elements required for the design of a road infrastructure. The expected learning outcomes are as follows.

The main knowledge acquired will concern vehicle motion mechanics, the calculation of sight distances, the design of the horizontal and vertical alignment of roadways, and the selection of the cross-sectional layout.

The main skills acquired will be the ability to design a road alignment in accordance with current design standards and regulations.
Prerequisites
The knowledge required to understand the course contents and achieve the intended learning outcomes is as follows:

Mathematical Analysis: study of functions, differentiation and integration techniques, differential equations.

Physics: motion in a plane (position, velocity, and acceleration); dynamics (inertial force and the concept of force).
Teaching methods
The course is organized as follows:

Classroom lectures covering all topics included in the syllabus, with discussion and interaction with students.
Classroom exercises conducted in the traditional format (blackboard-based problem solving).
Seminar-style lectures supported by multimedia presentations.
Learning verification modality
The assessment of the learning outcomes consists of an oral examination together with the evaluation of a project developed during the course.

The oral examination consists of a discussion lasting approximately 30–45 minutes and is aimed at assessing: (i) the level of knowledge of the theoretical and methodological contents of the course; (ii) the ability to explain the methodologies adopted in the design of road infrastructures; and (iii) the student's independent judgment in selecting the most appropriate approach for the development of a road design project.

The oral examination also aims to assess the student's ability to discuss the topics proposed by the Examination Committee using appropriate technical terminology, to engage in critical discussion during the examination, and to summarize the practical implications and applications of the theories studied.

The final grade is awarded by the Examination Committee on a scale from 0 to 30 and is determined as a weighted average of the oral examination and the project evaluation, with the following weights: oral examination = 3/4; project evaluation = 1/4.

For information on support services available to students with disabilities and/or specific learning disorders (SLD), please visit: http://www.unipg.it/disabilita-e-dsa
Extended program
The course aims to provide all the fundamental elements required for the design of a road infrastructure. The syllabus is organized into the following teaching units:

Fundamentals of road history and road safety.
Infrastructure and vehicle interaction.
Vehicle motion mechanics: external forces, constraint reactions, and the traction equation.
Sight distances: stopping sight distance and passing sight distance.
Horizontal alignment design: tangents, circular curves, and transition curves.
Vertical alignment design: grades and vertical curves.
Cross-sectional design.