Engineering Commons^™

Pavement Roughness Measurement And Evaluation, Rolands L. Rizenbergs, James L. Burchett, Larry E. Davis

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Vertical accelerations of a passenger in an automobile are automatically summed while traveling a section of road at 51.5 mph. A roughness index is obtained by summing the accelerations and dividing by the time elapsed during the test. The index is subjectively related to the riding quality of pavements. Continuity in measurements since 1957 has been preserved through correlations among successive vehicles involved and reference pavements.

In general, bituminous construction has yielded smoother-riding surfaces than concrete construction. No major improvements in construction were noted on bituminous pavements since 1962. The ride quality of concrete pavements, however, has improved on those …

Kentucky Pavement (Bituminous) Performance Evaluations And Design Studies, James H. Havens

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

No abstract provided.

Durability Of Traffic Paint On Portland Cement Concrete Pavements, Assaf S. Rahal

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Performance of a series of transverse lines applied to a relatively new concrete pavement, utilizing primes and pretreatments, is reported. The report includes descriptions of the location of test lines and types of paint and pretreatments, performance histories, and analysis of results. Chlorinated rubber, epoxy, and urethane paints were the most durable. Neither pretreatment nor the use of primes significantly increased durability.

Grooving Pavement Centerlines For Lane Demarcation, William M. Seymour

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

In late June 1969, the Kentucky Department of Highways contracted to have experimental, longitudinal centerline grooves, 15 feet long at 80-foot intervals, cut into both sets of dual lanes of a 2.7-mile portion of I 71 in Carroll County. When the centerline was painted in an otherwise normal way, the skip lines were alternately on grooved and ungrooved surfaces. The roadway was opened to traffic on July 15, 1969. An interim performance report contained detailed information on the test site, grooving procedures, groove configuration, initial striping efforts, and preliminary evaluations of the relative effectiveness of the grooved stripe. The purposes …

Operational Characteristics Of Lane Drops, Don L. Cornette

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

A lane drop is defined as a location on a highway where the number of lanes provided for through traffic decreases. For purposes of this study, the broad category of lane drops has been further subdivided into three specific classes: lane exits, lane splits, and lane terminations. These subdivisions are illustrated schematically in Figure 1. A lane exit refers to a location where the number of through lanes decreases at an interchange on a multilane roadway. A designation of lane split denotes a major fork of a multilane highway where the level of traffic service provided at the terminus of …

Experimental Guardrail Installation, R. L. Musgraves, Gordon R. Garner

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This is the final report on a limited investigation comparing the performance of painted steel, galvanized steel and aluminum guardrails. A previous report was issued in 1964. The final inspection of the project was made in November 1969.

The project consisted of approximately 2500 lineal feet of each type of guardrail (see Figure 1 and Table 1). The painted steel and galvanized steel were installed in November 1962. The aluminum guardrails were installed in February 1963. All rails are the deep-beam type and were installed in accordance with special provisions which covered material requirements and erection procedures. The special provisions …

Aggregate Shape And Skid Resistance, Jerry G. Rose

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This report concerns further efforts toward the measurement and analysis of the relative influence of aggregate shape on pavement skid resistance. A simple test method for determining aggregate shape in a meaningful way with respect to skid resistance is included. Proposed specifications for skid-resistant, sand-asphalt surface and skid-resistant, Class I, Type A, Modified, bituminous concrete surface containing lightweight aggregate are introduced.

Influence Of Recreational Areas On The Functional Service Of Highways, Jerry G. Pigman

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Development of outdoor recreational facilities in Kentucky has generally been in predominately rural areas. Access to these areas from the primary highway network is often provided by existing low-standard local roads. The recreational travel demand often exceeds the design volumes of these local roads or the volumes that can be accommodated at reasonable levels of service. Such travel demand also constitutes a significant portion of the total demand on the rural primary network, particularly during the peak weekend periods.

Many large reservoirs in Kentucky have generated extensive developments of recreational facilities in the surrounding areas. Highways which have been displaced …

Hot-Mix Coal-Tar Concrete Pavement, Donald C. Newberry Jr., Jerry G. Rose

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The principle objectives of this research were:

1. To compare the economics and performance of coal tar to asphalt cement;
2. To develop reliable coal-tar construction specifications;
3. To familiarize personnel with coal-tar construction; and
4. To implement Section 201, Subsection d and e, of the Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965.

To accomplish these objectives, a 6.6-mile experimental section utilizing coal-tar (RT-12) concrete base and surface and 5.1-mile and 5.7-mile control sections utilizing asphalt (PAC-5) concrete base and surface were placed on relocated KY 15 in Perry, Knott, and Letcher Counties during the 1969 and 1970 construction seasons. The pavement consisted of an …

Summary Of Pavement Surface Texture Measurement Methods, Kentucky Department Of Highways

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This tabular summary represents an expanded version of a draft prepared under the direction of Prof. Bob M. Gallaway of Texas A & M University. The table was compiled from a literature survey conducted during spring 1970. A survey of all states and agencies engaged in quantitative measurements of surface texture would be helpful for updating and finalizing the table. In the meantime, any comments or suggestions concerning any of the tabular entries or other methods of surface texture measurement should be addressed to Dr. J. G. Rose, Research Engineer, Division of Research, Kentucky Department of Highways, 533 South Limestone, …

Summary Of Pavement Surface Texture Measurement Methods, Jerry G. Rose

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This tabular summary represents an expanded version of a draft prepared under the direction of Prof. Bob M. Gallaway of Texas A & M University. The table was compiled from a literature survey conducted during spring 1970. A survey of all states and agencies engaged in quantitative measurements of surface texture would be helpful for updating and finalizing the table. In the meantime, any comments or suggestions concerning any of the tabular entries or other methods of surface texture measurement should be addressed to Dr. J. G. Rose, Research Engineer, Division of Research, Kentucky Department of Highways, 533 South Limestone, …

Experimental Installations Of Impact Attenuation Devices, Bruce S. Siria, William M. Seymour, Don L. Cornette, James L. Miller

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The expanding system of limited access, multilane highway facilities in the United States has enhanced traffic service between many varied origins and destinations. As a result, these facilities have not only reduced travel times and travel costs, but have generated additional travel by virtue of their technological splendor. The increasing dominance of multilane highways in terms of percentage of total vehicle miles travelled has produced a revolution in highway engineering philosophy. Higher design speeds, increased lane widths, lateral separation of opposing traffic streams, absence of passing restrictions, and increased traffic capacities were attributes intuitively sought. An ironic result is the …

Development Of An Electronic Means Of Weighing Vehicles In Motion, Ben W. Carr Jr., Rolands L. Rizenbergs

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

An in-stream weighing platform was designed and installed in the eastbound lane of I 64 and 75 near Lexington, Kentucky. The broken-bridge scale platform was designed with the outer edges of the two sections supported on hinges and contiguous edges supported by two 20,000-pound capacity load cells. The assembled scale measures 4'-6" x 10'-1/2" with a total weight of about 2,000 pounds.

The electronics developed for the system included digitizing circuitry which processed the load cell signals and recorded the data on digital magnetic tape. Computer processing of the field data produced tabular information on vehicle speed, axle spacing, number …

Experimental Concrete Pavement Containing Fly-Ash Admixtures [1971], James R. Philpot

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The report enclosed is somewhat routine inasmuch as it documents a repeat of a portion of an earlier experimental project. The previous project was on Poplar Level Road; our final report was dated July 1966 (KYHPR-64-1). Special Provision No. 70 was used also on the Jefferson Freeway project. However, there was no "control section" involved in the current project. The Jefferson Freeway project was authorized by the BPR under P.P.M. 60-2 only (now PPM 20-6.3).

The most significant findings from both projects concern the water requirements the concrete containing the fly-ash admixture. Whereas laboratory tests indicated reasonable expectations of a …

Establishment Of Wood Plants On Roadsides (Southeastern Kentucky), Samuel E. Whitaker

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Recommendations for woody plant materials to be used in direct seeding are given on the basis of the plant's ability to regenerate from roots and natural seedings. Species are recommended for each of the relief and drainage subdivisions of the study area, southeastern Kentucky. Plant information on recommended native species has been summarized to provide basic data relevant to or needed by the highway landscape designer in selecting native plant combinations to be used in direct seeding.

Operational Effects Of Auto-Utility Trailer Combinations On Rural Highways In Kentucky, Bruce S. Siria

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

An analysis of accident records indicated that A-UT combinations are involved in a disproportionately high number of traffic mishaps. Locations which have a history of accidents involving A-UT vehicles indicated that differential crosswinds and unanticipated driving maneuvers contribute to driver loss of control. A-UT combinations contributed to the fatigue loss in pavement life approximately 50 percent as much as single-unit, two-axle, six-tire trucks (per vehicle). In general, this vehicle type constituted approximately three percent of the total traffic stream. Analysis of speed distributions indicated an equivalency factor for A-UT combinations equal to that for trucks for similar roadway types and …