What does the equation for Design Hourly Volume (DHV) include?

• A. DHV = AADT + K
• B. DHV = AADT * K
• C. DHV = AADT / K
• D. DHV = AADT - K

Answer: (B)

The equation for Design Hourly Volume (DHV) is given as DHV = AADT * K. This relationship highlights how the Design Hourly Volume is derived from the Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT), which represents the total volume of traffic on a given road segment averaged over a year, and the K factor, which indicates the percentage of daily traffic that occurs during the peak hour.

In this equation, AADT provides a baseline traffic volume, and when multiplied by the K factor, it accounts for the variability in traffic throughout the day, specifically focusing on the peak hour scenario. This is crucial for transportation planning and roadway design, as it enables engineers to estimate the maximum volume of traffic that can be expected in an hour, thus ensuring adequate infrastructure can be developed to accommodate this demand.

Other potential equations do not accurately reflect this relationship. Adding, dividing, or subtracting AADT and K would not yield a proper estimation of peak hour traffic volumes, as they do not account for the increasing demand during peak periods represented by the multiplication in the correct formula.