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IHSDM Highway Data

One of the first steps in using IHSDM is to compile data describing the highway to be evaluated. The exact data requirements depend on which safety module(s) will be used. In general, data requirements may include highway segment geometry (horizontal alignment, vertical alignment, and cross section), roadside geometry, intersection geometry, traffic volume data, and crash data. To illustrate IHSDM data, the full distribution includes sample highway files.

Much of the highway segment geometry data required by IHSDM is available in the civil design software packages used in highway geometric design. With the objective of minimizing the effort required by the user to export data from these packages and import into IHSDM, the following mechanisms for data exchange are available:

Sample Highway Files

The full distribution of IHSDM includes a highways folder that contains sample highway files. These files contain geometry data needed by IHSDM and may be used as a starting point for IHSDM testing and evaluation. The following sample files are provided in the IHSDM 2007 Public Release:

LandXML Data

LandXML is an industry-developed standard schema for the exchange of data created during land planning, surveying, and civil engineering design processes by different applications software. IHSDM supports the LandXML Version 1.0 data exchange format.

IHSDM can import data exported by other commercial civil design packages in LandXML format. See http://www.landxml.org for a list of civil engineering design packages and other software applications that support LandXML.

GEOPAK Data

For use with GEOPAK 2001, 2000 and 98, the GEOPAK-to-IHSDM Data Extractor extracts from GEOPAK (*.GPK and *.INP files) a subset of the geometric data required to run IHSDM and converts the data to a format that can be imported into IHSDM. The geopak_to_ihsdm_api folder contains: the API software (g2ihsdm.ma), a User's Manual (api_man01.html) that provides instructions for installing and using the API software, and a set of sample files.

The following sample files are provided:

The jobprm.gpk and example.inp files may be used to illustrate how the GEOPAK-to-IHSDM Data Extractor extracts data from GEOPAK and creates IHSDM highway data files (e.g., example.txt).

CAiCE Data

CAiCE Visual Roads civil engineering software includes an IHSDM Toolbox that can be used to export data from CAiCE Visual Roads in LandXML format. The data that are exported from Visual Roads include superelevation tables, horizontal and vertical alignments, and cross-sections. The data file exported by the CAiCE's IHSDM Toolbox can be imported to IHSDM using the LandXML import capability. (Note: CAiCE's IHSDM Toolbox provides access to the IHSDM 2004 Public Release, including related documentation. Users of the 2007 Public Release should access the IHSDM software and documentation directly from this web site.)

Refer to http://www.caice.com/default2.htm for additional information about CAiCE's IHSDM Toolbox.


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Developed for the Interactive Highway Safety Design Model (IHSDM) program at the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
Contract No. DTFH61-08-F-00118
Please direct your comments about this web site to Peter Holm at or 719-599-1695.
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Document generated March 7, 2018.