THE USE OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL VISUALIZATION TOOLS TO DETECT DEFICIENCIES IN GEOMETRIC ROADWAY DESIGNS

Resumo

The use of three-dimensional (3D) visualization technologies in the field of
transportation sciences has contributed not only to the assessment of the impact of a
road project on its surroundings but also to the development and study of elements
of the geometric design itself. The present study aimed to assess the effectiveness of
the use of 3D visualization tools in the detection of poor compatibility between the
horizontal and vertical alignments of a road project. The assessment was performed
by conducting tests with groups of participants who were students from a civil
engineering course with no experience in the development of geometric roadway
designs. These participants each assessed two road stretches: one stretch with
unflawed coordination between the vertical and horizontal alignments of the road
and another stretch in which this coordination had been intentionally distorted. It
was used an application software for roadway geometric designs that allowed the creation of a video of the trajectory of the targeted road. Subsequently, the
participants answered a questionnaire that aided the interpretation of the results
regarding the design deficiencies in road layouts perceived from the 3D
visualization of the roadways.