TORUS - Detailed Review

NEW! CAPACITY ANALYSIS LINK WITH SIDRA INTERSECTION
TORUS now features unique integration with SIDRA INTERSECTION that enhances the workflow process. Key SIDRA vehicle capacity data can be imported and synchronized with the current TORUS roundabout, updating its geometry to suit.

NEW! CAPACITY ANALYSIS DISPLAY IN CAD
Display essential capacity analysis information such as fuel consumption, emissions, costs, delay, capacity, speed, volume, and queue with different colors and line styles in the CAD drawing.

NEW! AREA ESTIMATION REPORT FOR ROUNDABOUTS
Generate area reports to check the total amount of space taken up by a new roundabout site plan. Different sections of a roundabout can be reported on including: footprint, roundabout, inscribed circle, central island, circulatory roadway, truck apron, and splitter island envelope.

NEW! ANGLE OF VISIBILITY CHECK
Adding to the features in TORUS that promote driver safety is the ability for designers to add a new sight line that checks the angle of visibility a driver has in order to see oncoming traffic in the opposite approach leg.

NEW! POLYLINE AND COMPLEX CHAIN SUPPORT
TORUS now supports the use of polylines and chains (in addition to lines and arcs) as reference geometry in the design of roundabouts. Engineers can easily modify and design around complex approach legs defined by curvilinear geometry.

NEW! GRIP-POINT CONTROL TO REFERENCE GEOMETRY
The addition of dynamic grip-points allows designers to quickly edit the reference alignment of an approach leg including vehicle entry deflection. By increasing or decreasing the deflection, impacts to fastest path, entry angle, and sight lines can easily be evaluated.

3D ROUNDABOUT SURFACE GRADING WITH LANDXML
Generate roundabout grading with contour lines, crown alignments, and cross slopes to review drainage in 3D. Ensure approach roads enter and exit the roundabout at optimal grades and that the roundabout plateau does not exceed cross slopes affecting vehicle stability. Export grading into LandXML format for vertical CAD platforms.

MULTIPLE VEHICLE ENTRY CURVES AT ENTRANCES
Multiple vehicle entry curves at roundabout entrances can now be specified. This is one of the design techniques to avoid vehicle path overlap as suggested by the FHWA Roundabout Guide (exhibits 6-46) using an initial radius upstream of the yield line and a second curve fitted between the first curve and edge of the circulatory roadway.

ANALYZE DRIVE PATH OVERLAP ON MULTILANE ROUNDABOUTS
Designing multilane roundabouts with adequate deflection to control for entry speeds without path overlap can be difficult. Now the path overlap analysis for a roundabout can be dynamically calculated and the vehicle entry and exit path overlap drawn to check whether the natural paths of vehicles in adjacent lanes overlap or cross one another.

APPLY VEHICLE SPEED REDUCTION TREATMENTS
Add vehicle speed reduction treatment to safely decrease the entry speed into roundabouts on rural roads. Vehicle speed reduction uses successive curves on approaches consisting of two reverse approach curves before the roundabout entry curve. The high speed entry radii and entry path start can all be configured to user specifications.

IN-BUILT DESIGN AND ANALYSIS CONDITION CHECKING
TORUS incorporates design and analysis condition checks which give notifications on potential design errors and inconsistencies. These parameters are based on max and minimum ranges related to the geometry set by the user. Checks can be set for ranges of suitable ICD sizes, entry/exit angles and widths, and vehicle speed consistency.

ROUNDABOUT REGIONAL DESIGN METHODS
TORUS now has regional roundabout design standard guidelines for the UK, France, and Germany. Design roundabouts to the country’s regional specifications and define, edit, set, and save guidelines for categories including: traffic direction, inscribe circle, legs, splitter islands, refuge/crosswalk, footprint, design conditions and grading.

SET ROUNDABOUT DESIGN GUIDELINES
Create new roundabout design guidelines and edit, rename, or delete existing ones. Design guidelines control the design vehicles, clearance offsets, and parameters for fastest path and sightlines when starting the roundabout design process in TORUS. Roundabouts can be generated automatically from these customized guidelines.

ROUNDABOUT DESIGN ELEMENTS
TORUS lets you drag and place the central island and inscribed circle while dynamically updating the design to fit their location. You can add and set leg parameters (entry/exit, offsets, widths, bypass lanes, and curb rounding). In addition, selected legs can be rotated around the central island.

ROUNDABOUT REPORTING TABLES
Create and insert Fastest Path data tables (vehicle speed and travel path radii information); Curve table (dimensions for refined edge geometry); Summary Report with all design information. Reports can be inserted in the CAD drawing or exported to text format files.

REFINE ROUNDABOUT EDGES
Draw lines and arcs based on the locations of the roundabout edges that can be fine-tuned to more closely represent final edges. Using this functionality, you can produce labeled roundabout geometric elements and Curve Tables.

FASTEST PATH ANALYSIS
Vehicle speed control is one of the most important features of roundabout design. With TORUS, the fastest paths for a roundabout can be calculated and drawn based on offsets from reference geometries. Fastest path values are dynamically updated.

DESIGN DISPLAY OPTIONS
Set and edit colors, line types and hatch patterns for text labels, design symbols, roundabout geometry, fastest path, and movement simulations. Change the display properties for different geometric elements including inscribed circle, central island, truck apron, bypass and splitter islands, crosswalks, and lane radii.

INNOVATION AT ITS BEST
Utilizing the proven AutoTURN swept path engine with the new patent pending Vehicle Envelope Method, TORUS generates roundabouts based on vehicle movements and clearance offsets. Productivity and efficiency is stepped up by incorporating vehicle maneuvering and speeds as design criteria, rather than just as a checking method.

SIGHT LINE EVALUATION
Sight line analysis is an important factor for determining safety constraints in a roundabout. With TORUS, you can generate various types of sight lines (approaches to crosswalk, yield line, and circulatory lanes). Once placed, you can control their display and edit the properties used to define them.

CHECK VEHICLE MOVEMENTS
TORUS lets you add, view, edit, and delete AutoTURN vehicle movements from a roundabout in order to demonstrate the movements governed by the vehicles specified in the current design guideline.

ROUNDABOUT MANAGEMENT
TORUS allows you to save, recall, and display multiple roundabout iterations for design review and comparison. Each roundabout design can have its own design symbol and independent set of iterations.

PRESENTATION ABILITIES
Animate vehicle maneuvering simulations within the roundabout CAD drawing. Animations can be saved and exported to be used with Transoft Solutions InVision presentation software.