Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

A Method Of Developing Engineering Soil Maps For Kentucky, Robert C. Deen

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

No abstract provided.

Comparative Laboratory Evaluation Of A Modified Class I Base Mixture, James H. Havens, William B. Drake

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

No abstract provided.

A Survey Inspection Of Plain Corrugated Metal Pipe Arches And Multi-Plate Metal Pipe Arches In Kentucky, Eugene M. West

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Past observations have indicated that rusting has been rather prevalent in the large, un-paved metal drainage structures most of which have been installed since the opening of the Kentucky Rural Secondary Program in 1949. Since all of these structures are relatively new, and since rusting in any form can be considered a threat to the life of a structure, the Chief Engineer's Office, in 1954, requested that a study be made to determine the over-all frequency possible causes, and individual seriousness of this condition.

Altogether, a total of 86 of these un-paved structures were inspected. Although it would have been …

Memo On Sandstone Specifications, James H. Havens

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

No abstract provided.

Hydraulic Model Studies Of Culvert Operation, Eugene M. West

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Since 1951 the Division of Research has been engaged in a comprehensive study of highway drainage problems. This study has included special investigations of rainfall and runoff, drainage structures in use and the practices used in their design, culvert hydraulics, and other relevant investigations. To date, reports have been published concerning runoff and rainfall variables (1 and 2)* and the effects of barrel roughness upon culvert operation (3), together with the preparation of a drainage manual for the use of Highway Department engineers and consultants.

The most recent special project, part of the over-all study, has dealt with the effects …

A Field And Laboratory Examination Of Weathering Effects On Petroleum And Blended Petroleum-Natural Asphalts In Paving Mixtures, Ellis G. Williams

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The relative merits of various asphalts and asphaltic materials have been the subject of considerable controversy almost from the beginning of flexible pavement construction in this country. In this early period petroleum asphalt had not yet entered the picture and controversy centered about naturally occurring products such as Trinidad natural asphalt and impregnated stones. In 1876 Congress directed that comparative service tests be made on a rock asphalt* and a sheet asphalt containing Trinidad natural asphalt. The sheet asphalt was considered the more successful of these and thus Trinidad natural asphalt became firmly established as a paving material in this …

Analysis Of Pavement Riding Quality: A Triaxial Evaluation Of Pavement Roughness, William S. Foy

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

For the last twenty-five years considerable research has been directed toward developing reliable equipment for evaluating pavement roughness. Since roughness inhibits passenger riding comfort and safety, as well as inducing vehicle deterioration, the determination of the features that cause roughness would indicate possible improvements in pavement design, materials, construction practices and equipment. For example, certain types of base design might be found to produce smoother surfaces than others; and a construction practice such as a blade-spread leveling course might result in more uniform pavements. Then too, evaluation of pavement roughness would permit relative comparison of pavements as one of several …

The Application Of Kentucky Flexible Pavement Design Method To Washo Test Road Conditions, William B. Drake

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

In the summer of 1952 the Flexible Pavement Design Committee of the Highway Research Board began the sponsoring of a comparative design project. Several state highway departments and other organizations were invited to submit flexible pavement designs, based upon their own current practices, for the subgrade, materials, and traffic conditions of the Western Association of State Highway Officials (WASHO) test road. This road was being constructed in Malad, Idaho, through the participation of 13 western states and the Bureau of Public Roads. The Kentucky Department of Highways was one of the organizations invited to participate in the comparative design project.

A Hydraulic Analysis Of The Channel Relocation Of Stephens Creek, Eugene M. West

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Recently Mr. J.O. Cornell requested the assistance of the Drainage Section of the Research Laboratory in investigating the channel that the U.S. Corps of Engineers has designed in conjunction with the raising of Dam No. 39 and the changing of the locking system. The principal reason for this investigation was to determine the effect, if any, that this project will have upon the five-span highway bridge on U.S. 42, located approximately two thousand feet upstream from the confluence of Stephens Creek and the Ohio River and at the upstream end of the new channel.

Model Study Of Flow Through Culverts, Eugene M. West

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Within the past four years, the Highway Materials Research Laboratory has expended considerable effort upon investigating and developing new approaches to the problem of estimating the quantity of runoff from small drainage areas. Particular interest has been given to areas of sizes that require culverts or small bridges with less than twenty feet of span. The results of these studies have been included in the Drainage Manual recently adapted for use by the Department of Highways.

Kentucky Soils: Their Origin, Distribution And Engineering Properties, Robert C. Deen

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Soil is the product of the action of climate and living organisms upon parent materials, as conditioned by local relief. The length of time over which these forces are operative is of great importance in determining the properties of the final soil product. Altogether, there are five principal factors in soil formation: 1.) climate, 2.) biological activity, 3.) nature of the parent material, 4.) topography, and 5.) time.

The major differences in the soils of Kentucky result chiefly from differences in 1.) the rocks from which the parent materials were derived and 2.) the topographic position of the materials.

A Study Of The Properties And Performance Of Kentucky (Natural Sandstone) Rock Asphalt, James H. Havens, Ellis G. Williams

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Kentucky (natural sandstone) rock asphalt derives its esteem as a highway surfacing material from its uniform appearance on the road, its riding characteristics, and the fact that it affords the highest protection against skidding (slipperiness) of any of the paving materials now generally available (see Appendix IV). The usual methods of handling, steaming, laying and spreading offer some of the conveniences and advantages of a ready-to-use material. Although its service history during the past 50 years has been generally favorable, there has also been a certain amount of risk involved in its use, particularly in recent years on roads sustaining …

A Concrete Pavement Without Transverse Joints [Jan. 1956], Dave H. Sawyer

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

For a period of more than six years the Research Division has had under observation the concrete pavement built without transverse joints on U.S. 31-W between Franklin and the Tennessee Line. The primary reason for observing performance year after year is to record the incidence of cracks and other more serious defects; but also the grooving of cracks in 1949 and the application of different joint sealing materials became an important part of the observations.

Observations Of The Manufacture And Placement Of Prefabricated Bridge Sections And Precast Concrete Riprap, Dave H. Sawyer

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The design and equipment necessary in precast concrete operations has progressed in recent years to such an extent that the resulting products are now being used satisfactorily in many types of construction. This report covers two precast concrete products which the Department of Highways authorized in contracts let in 1954 and 1955. These items however, are not the first precast concrete products to be used by the Department. Two concrete bridges are known to have been precast and placed in Scott and Graves County sometime ago. Precast concrete cribbing has also been used for quite some time.

Observations Of Stabilized Turf Shoulders, Ellis G. Williams

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The improvement of highway shoulders, from the standpoint of appearance and practical value, has been and is at present of considerable interest to all highway departments. A great deal of effort has been expended in the past to develop grass combinations which not only will prevent natural erosion of the surface materials but also impart a pleasing appearance to shoulders and slopes. Attempts to include factors of practical value, such as safe support of traffic loads, have greatly magnified the problem. Numerous types of paved shoulders have been introduced which are quite satisfactory with respect to load bearing but are …

Report No. 2 On A Study Of Runoff From Small Drainage Areas And The Opening In Attendant Drainage Structures, Eugene M. West, William H. Sammons

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

No abstract provided.

Performance Of Kentucky (Natural Sandstone) Rock Asphalt, James H. Havens, Ellis G. Williams

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Since about 1948, the performance of natural rock asphalt, used extensively in Kentucky and Indiana, has been plagued by a unique type of scaling in the wheel tracks of each traffic lane. This scaling has been typically an eighth to a quarter of an inch thick and has left the pavements rough and unsightly. In some cases, this phenomen has occurred several times in the same place and has caused much deeper rutting. The general condition is illustrated in a series of photographs attached hereto.

Observations On The Constitution And Characterization Of Paving Asphalts, James H. Havens, W. F. Daniels

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This paper contains results of analyses with asphalts of various composition and derivation. The objective of the study is to define and correlate constitution and fundamental character of asphalts in a manner significant to their use in highway pavements.

Further confirmation of the existence of three discrete solubility fractions in asphalts was obtained by extraction methods and by paper partition chromatography. Paraffin bodies were revealed by microscopic examination of thin films. Asphaltene fractions showed the presence of particulate material by electron microscopy and also revealed indications of peptized asphaltene bodies. Oils dialyzed from asphalt exhibited u.v. fluorescence similar to components …

Triaxial Acceleration Analysis Applied To The Evaluation Of Pavement Riding Qualities, L. E. Gregg, William S. Foy

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Traditionally the riding qualities of a pavement are expressed as some function of localized irregularities in the contour of the pavement surface. This is predicated on the fact that the portion of passenger comfort or discomfort imparted by all features of the pavement surface can not be isolated and determined separately from other influences such as vehicle characteristics or psychological and physiological aspects of the passenger himself.

Measurements of riding qualities have dealt almost exclusively with vehicle displacements in the vertical direction only, these having been and still being the most prominent and most amenable to measurement. By this procedure …

An Investigation Of The Binding Properties Of Limestone Dust, William E. Howard, Ellis G. Williams

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

A proper quantity of dust particles of various sizes has long been recognized as important in the construction of stone bases and pavements. Screenings for water bound macadam bases are required to contain not less than a specified amount of dust sizes, and dense-graded limestone bases have controlling limits for the dust fraction. It is generally assumed that these particles serve a dual purpose: (1) in filling void spaces created by larger particles, thus enhancing the gross structure of the aggregate, and (2) in acting as a binder material in the presence of water. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that …

Studies Of The Suitability Of Expanded Shale Aggregate For Use In Cement Concrete, Claude M. Brown Jr., Loren H. Strunk, Dave H. Sawyer

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Expanded shale is one of several artificial lightweight aggregates currently used in the production of lightweight concrete. Its use has become rather widespread through recent improvements in production techniques, mix designs, placement methods, and air entrainment. However, various types of lightweight concrete as such is not of recent origin, having been used in this country for more than a half century.

Expanded shale aggregates are produced by heating a suitable shale to the point of fusion. Gases within the shale expand and thus form thousands of tiny air cells within the mass which are retained upon cooling and solidification. The …

Application Of Wire Mesh Reinforcement To Asphaltic Concrete Pavement Overlays, Ellis G. Williams

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

In response to suggestions from the Wire Reinforcement Institute, the Department established during the past construction season some test sections to investigate wire mesh reinforcement in bituminous concrete. As in the case of most similar projects in other states, the intent was to determine the effectiveness of wire mesh for controlling "reflection cracking" in bituminous overlays placed on existing portland cement concrete pavement.

Inspection Of Full Depth Modified Dense-Graded Aggregate Base, Plant Mixed (Tennessee Project), William B. Drake

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

No abstract provided.

Roughness As A Factor In Culvert Hydraulics, Eugene M. West

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

In conjunction with the oral discussion of Roughness as a Factor in Culvert Hydraulics, which has been scheduled for the coming meeting of the Research Committee, I have assembled a few notes and diagrams with which you may wish to become familiar. It is intended that this material serve as a guide in a simplified approach to some of the basic considerations in the analysis of culverts, and not to be all inclusive.

An Investigation Of Bituminous Coatings And Pavements On Corrugated Metal Culverts, Eugene M. West

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The object of this inspection was to determine the efficacy of bituminous coatings and paved inverts on corrugated metal pipe and culverts installed on Rural Secondary Projects during the past few years. The study originated after earlier investigations had led to recommendations concerning the resistance of various types of pipe and culvert materials in the presence of acid-bearing waters.

Blown Mulch For Roadside Erosion Control, Jason C. Taylor

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

In May 1954, the Division of Construction brought to the attention of the Research Division the fact that an effort was being made (for the first time in Kentucky) to revise the conventional manner of applying straw mulch to a seeded right-of-way. This innovation was to be achieved with the use of a recently-invented machine known as the "Finn Mulch Spreader", which is capable of mixing a straw mulch with some adhesive substance and then blowing the mixture onto the seeded area. The intent was to achieve a reasonably homogeneous mat-like structure composed of pieces of straw attached to each …

Proposed Revision For Specification For Reflex-Reflective Materials For Highway Signs, James H. Havens

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

There are several pertinent factors and considerations that have a direct bearing on the requirements contained in the attached Recommended Special Specification No. 50-R, and it seems appropriate to record them here as reference material either in support of the specification or as information.

Pavement Investigation: Middletown-Eastwood Portion Of Us 60, Louisville-Shelbyville Road, William B. Drake

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The attached report dealing with a "Pavement Investigation, Middletown-Eastwood Portion of US 60, Louisville-Shelbyville Road", is submitted in response to your directive of December 16, 1953. All of the field and laboratory work on the investigation was completed under Mr. Drake's supervision prior to his temporary transfer to the Division of Design on June 1, and during the past month he has been able to spend portions of his time toward completion of the report.

Evaluation Of Traffic Paints In 1953, James H. Havens

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This report documents the performance data obtained by the Research Labratory in connection with field service tests and laboratory tests on traffic paint samples submitted by prospective suppliers for 1954. On the basis of these data and the adjudged performance of the samples offered, invitations to bid will be issued to any or all suppliers offering worthy materials. (See Division of Purchases's Memorandum of January 7, 1953 in Appendix) Winning bidders should be bound by oath to supply the same formulation of materials as furnished in the qualifying samples, and they should be further bound by such tests and analyses …

Report No. 1 On A Water-Bound, Dense-Graded Aggregate Base, Ellis G. Williams

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Favorable experience with dense-graded bases containing calcium chloride created interest in similar mixtures containing only water as a bonding agent. As a result of this interest, a project for base and surface construction was set up on the Phil-Pine Grove Road in Casey County to permit study of this method of base construction. The work was carried out during the period of August to October, 1953.

The pavement, which is 11.62 mi. long, was constructed by contract. It had 2 in. of traffic-bound base (creek gravel) and appeared to be in rather uniform condition with few obviously weak areas. Courses …