摘要: |
The use of computer-aided design and drafting (CADD) systems in transportation engineering is having a profound effect on the design process being undertaken by the designers of transportation facilities. The spatial requirements and turning capabilities of vehicles are important factors in the design of such facilities. Until now, designers have depended for the most part on the use of plastic turning vehicle templates to guide them in the design process. This paper describes a CADD application that provides an interactive means of simulating turning vehicles and determining their tire and swept paths in a flexible, efficient, and accurate way. As a result vehicle simulation and design development are maintained in the same graphics environment. The paper describes the use of the program and demonstrates its accuracy for design purposes. Several advantages of the program are noted, including the increased efficiency that can result from working in a single CADD environment, the ability to review alternative paths and vehicle types quickly, the ability to work in either metric or English units of measurement, and the ability to analyze the turning maneuvers of vehicles still in the development stage. |