Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Accelerometer Method Of Riding-Quality Testing, Rolands L. Rizenbergs

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

At a meeting of Highway Research Board Committee D-B4 last January, R. L. Rizenbergs presented an oral description of our development of the accelerometer method of measuring road roughness; and representatives from several state highway departments expressed an interest in duplicating our instrumentation. It became incumbent upon us then to prepare a more formal description for distribution to the Committee and other interested parties. The report submitted herewith is intended to fulfill that purpose. No specific action is requested. Copies are furnished for information only.

Construction And Interim Performance Of Silica Sand-Asphalt Surfacing, Robert L. Florence

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The report submitted herewith emanates from continuing efforts to develop sand-asphalt surfacing to a high degree of perfection and as a possible alternative to Class I, Type A, bituminous concrete surfaces. This type of surface excels in skid-resistance and may evolve as a preferred method of surface renewal and de-slicking for worn pavements which are otherwise structurally substantial. This report is concerned principally with observations afforded by the aforenamed, State construction project; it is, in that sense, an interim report.

Experimental Concrete Pavement Containing Fly Ash Admixtures [1965], Ronald D. Hughes

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

A 2.388-mi section of four-lane highway in Louisville, Ky., was selected for an experimental fly ash concrete pavement installation. The project was divided into three sections: a control section and two experimental sections containing 94 and 140 lb of fly ash per cubic yard, respectively. The solid-volume of fly ash in excess of that required to replace one sack of cement was considered as fine aggregate. The water was adjusted to provide a slump of approximately 2½ in., and an air-entraining admixture was proportioned at the mixer to provide an air content of approximately 4.5 percent.

Beams and cylinders were …

Experimental Feature, Construction Project F 160(10), U.S. 127, Mercer County, Experimental Guardrail Installations And Performance Studies, James H. Havens

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The report submitted herewith pertains to an experimental installation of aluminum guardrails which was completed in February, 1963. Progress reports, as required by PPM's 60-2 and 50-1.1, have been pending since the project began; however, all of the eligible information has been combined into the current report. Of course, long-time performance histories cannot yet be documented; and, for that reason, the report is considered to be interim rather than final.

Use Of Kentucky Rock Asphalt For De-Slicking Purposes, James H. Havens

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

According to Joe Creason's report appearing in the Courier-Journal June 23, 1957 (copy attached), the Kentucky Rock Asphalt Company elected, June 14, 1957, to liquidate. Among the assets was a stockpile of material which was valued at $197,000 (I recall that the stated price, F.O.B. Sweden, in 1955 was $7.00 per ton); this calculates to be 28,140 tons-- which is a small quantity in comparison to the gross production (200,000 to 275,000 tons; $1.2 to $1.75 million) during some prior years. Apparently 1956 was the last year of sales, and I believe that Kentucky was the sole purchaser. Perhaps as …

Construction Of A Class I, Type A Surface Containing Paradise Slag Aggregate (Experimental) Drakesboro-Paradise Road (Ky 176), Robert L. Florence

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The Drakesboro-Paradise Road (KY 176), extending 2.84 miles from its junction with KY 70 at Drakesboro to a point on KY 176 approximately 1.8 miles southwest of Paradise, was surfaced in early August with a 1 1/4-in, course of Class I, Type A bituminous concrete containing 40 percent wet-bottom-boiler slag from the T.V.A. power plant at Paradise, Kentucky. The use of the slag was on an experimental basis, and the objective was to determine the feasibility of utilizing the slag as an anti-skid aggregate in other, high-type,bituminous surfacing in that area. A laboratory investigation preceded the field experiment, and the …

Manufactured (Crushed), Limestone, Fine Aggregate For Portland Cement Concrete, James H. Havens

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Manufactured (crushed), limestone, fine aggregate for use in structural concrete, concrete base courses for pavements, or as may otherwise be designated, shall be manufactured by crushing and sizing aggregate-quality limestones and dolomites. Manufactured (crushed), limestone, fine aggregate shall not be used in concrete surface courses for pavements or bridge decks unless specifically authorized by the Engineer.

Use Of Preformed, Compressed, Neoprene Seals In Joints Of Concrete Bridge Decks, Ronald D. Hughes

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Two types of seals are proposed for installation in contraction and construction joints in Ramp A, Ramp B, and the Main-Line structures from Third Street to Preston Street on Project I64-2(24)4, Jefferson County. The majority of contraction and construction joints are to be sealed with the preformed, compressed, neoprene seals. Specific joints in each structure will be sealed with cold-applied, elastomeric-type, joint-sealing compound; and these will be used as control joints for evaluation of the preformed, compressed, neoprene seals. Installation of all seals will be observed, and inspections will be made periodically. The performance of mastic-type sealants in joints in …

Kentucky Rock Asphalt, Traffic-Bound Bases, George R. Laughlin

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Kentucky rock asphalt (a medium-grained quartz sandstone impregnated with natural bitumen) occurs as major deposits in Edmonson, Grayson, Hardin, Breckinridge, Logan and Warren Counties. Physiographically these deposits occur along the southeastern margin of the Western Coal Field. Geologically the Caseyville formation (particularly the Bee Spring member) of the Pottsville series of the Pennsylvania strata and the Hardinsburg and Cypress sandstones of the Middle Chester series of the Mississippian strata are of interest. The areal geology of Kentucky is shown in Figure 1 and the locations of rock asphalt deposits are depicted in Figure 2.

Performance Of Initial Treatments, Constructed During 1963, James H. Havens, Robert L. Florence

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Seventeen initial bituminous treatment projects were advertised for bids during 1963, which permitted bituminous concrete Class I Surface (hot-mix) as an alternate to Class C-1 Surface (road-mix). The hot-mix surface course was to contain a minimum of 6 percent PAC-9. Eleven of the contracts, totaling 38.841 miles in length, were awarded as hot-mix; and the remaining six contracts, totaling 18.12 miles in length, were awarded as road-mix.

Final Construction And Interim Performance Report: Experimental Use Of Thermoplastic Pavement-Striping Materials, James H. Havens, John W. Scott

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The purposes and objectives of this study are: 1) to evaluate the application and performance characteristics of hot-melt plastic, pavement-striping materials which are presently prominent and known commercially as "Catatherm" and "Perma-Line"; 2) to compare the performance of these materials with the performance of painted stripes applied and re-newed according to the current practices of the Kentucky Department of Highways; and 3) to evaluate the economics of these striping materials in terms of cost-per-pile per-day-of-useful-life. The project is described more fully in the "Proposal..." (approved by Division Engineer, September 7, 1962) and in Report No. 1 (Pre-Construction Report) submitted September …

Weighing Vehicles In Motion [1964], College Of Engineering, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This report describes the construction, installation, testing and performance analysis of three types of dynamic electronic scales; the Taller-Cooper, a commercially developed four load cell scale, the Broke Bridge, an adaptation of a German prototype employing two load cells and the Bean Type Scale, an experimental prototype that uses a pair of instrumented aluminum beams as the weight sensors.

Kentucky Highway Research Program, James H. Havens, Robert C. Deen

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

No abstract provided.

Inspection Of Salt-Treated Granular Bases, Multiple Seals, District 8, James H. Havens, Robert L. Florence

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

No abstract provided.

A Study Of The Effects Of Quick Freezing On Saturated Fragments Of Rocks, John W. Scott, George R. Laughlin

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Quick freezing of a fragment of rock which is fully saturated with water is, perhaps, the most rigorous of all tests for soundness, durability, or resistance to weathering. So-called soundness or quality tests employed currently, or heretofore, for evaluating concrete aggregates are usually less rigorous inasmuch as the state of saturation at the outset of freezing is not at a critical level. Hence, the number of freeze-thaw cycles endured by a rock specimen undergoing freezing and thawing in the presence of available water may merely reflect the duration of the exposure before the rock becomes vulnerable to damage -- i.e., …

A Laboratory Investigation Of The Properties Of Coal-Bitumen Paving Mixtures, Gary Grant Howard

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The principal objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using coal, and to a lesser extent coal mine wastes, as aggregate in bituminous paving mixtures. These local aggregates were laboratory tested in bitumen-aggregate mixtures and, more particularly, in so-called cold-mixes. The bitumen-aggregate mixtures were evaluated by the Immersion-Compression Test, ASTM D 1075-60, with modifications for cold mixtures recommended in the Public Roads Journal (4).

In this initial study, since it was not possible to evaluate all types of mixtures, the primary question of whether coal and its waste products can be used as road aggregate could not …

A Rheological Investigation Of Asphaltic Materials, W. A. Mossbarger Jr.

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Asphalts, serving as cements or binders in bituminous pavements, behave essentially as purely viscous, mobile, liquids at high temperatures and assume varying degrees of viscoelasticity, plasticity, elasticity, etc., upon cooling. They stiffen to a semi-solid state at cold temperature and do not. exhibit a discrete melting or freezing point, Saal (1)* classifies bitumens into three types according to their rheological properties at normal temperatures. They are: 1) those which behave entirely or almost entirely like Newtonian liquids, 2) those which show elastic effects during initial deformation and which exhibit Newtonian flow thereafter, and 3) those which show almost complete resilience …

Fourth Annual Performance Survey Of Reinforced Concrete Pipe Culverts, Ronald D. Hughes

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

A stylized, rational criterion for the structural design and installation of reinforced concrete pipe culverts was developed by the Bureau of Public Roads in cooperation with Prof. M. G. Spangler of Iowa State College and the American Concrete Pipe Association and was distributed to the various state highway agencies, April 4, 1957, as Circular Memorandum 22-40.* The criterion was intended to bring together and simplify methods for computing the strengths required for various fill heights and conditions of bedding. The several highway agencies were urged to adopt the criterion for use on all Federal-aid projects and accordingly, the Kentucky Department …

Construction Report On Experimental Use Of Natural, Bituminous, Quartz Sandstone (Kentucky Rock Asphalt) As A Traffic-Bound Aggregate, George R. Laughlin

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Major deposits of natural, bituminous, quartz sandstone (Kentucky Rock Asphalt) occur in six counties of western Kentucky and a few minor deposits occur in eastern Kentucky. Crushed rock asphalt has been used extensively in Kentucky and elsewhere for over 50 years for surfacing roads.* The most productive area was in Edmonson County where the Caseyville and Bee Springs formations were quarried and mined. These deposits have been described as oil-pools which are now defunct and from which only the asphaltic residue remains. The bitumen content of the rock varies locally in a quarry or mine; and, because of this, enormous …

Investigation Of Aggregate Occurrence In Logan County, Kentucky, George R. Laughlin

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

As requested in your memorandum of September 12, we have conducted an extensive series of tests on the natural sand produced by Kapco Construction Company in Logan County. There was some question regarding the classification of the sand -- whether it would be termed a manufactured, a crushed conglomerate, or a natural sand. I had Mr. George R. Laughlin, Geologist of the Research Division, visit and inspect the pit. A copy of Mr. Laughlin's report to me is attached for your file. He reports that the material being produced is a washed, natural sand and similar in production procedure to …

Laboratory Test Results On Natural Sand Produced By The Kapco Construction Company In Logan County, Ronald D. Hughes

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

On September 19, 1962, a sample of sand produced by the Kapco Construction Company was received by the Research Division. This material was sampled at the quarry in Logan County and forwarded to the Research Division by personnel from District No. 3 of the Bowling Green Office. The sample was submitted for laboratory evaluation in regard to possible use of the material as fine aggregate in Class A concrete.

Special Provisions For Non-Leafing Aluminum, Basic Lead Silico-Chromate Oil-Alkyd Finish-Coat Paint For Guard Rails And Bridges, William B. Drake

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

These provisions cover the material requirements for a pre-mixed, non-leafing aluminum, basic lead silico-chromate, oil-alkyd finish-coat paint which is intended for use in one or two finish-coat applications. This paint is considered to be compatible with undercoat paints currently covered by Special Specification No. 14-56b and may be substituted for the green finish-coat, Para. IV, therein, when so indicated by appropriate notations on the plans, proposals, invitations, etc. This paint may be used for either new or re-paint work on bridges, guard rails, and other steel structures as may be designated. Undercoat paints, when required, shall be in accordance with …

The Kentucky Department Of Highway’S Scholarship Program, D. V. Terrell

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The Kentucky Department of Highways was organized in 1912, at that time the field of highway engineering was new, little was actually known about the scientific process of building roads, there were no highway engineers as such. The civil engineer because of his experience in the construction of railroads and public works was to become the highway engineer in the future. As road building began to be an important fact, most schools added courses in highway construction to the already over-crowded field of civil engineering, and highway engineering today is considered on of the major branches of the broad field …

Processed Kentucky Rock Asphalt, P. F. Phelan

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Attached are three copies each of two laboratory reports covering tests on a 50 lb. sample of processed Kentucky rock asphalt forwarded to our laboratory by Mr. C. H. McKinney. The sample arrived June 6. These reports include results of laboratory analysis and evaluation tests - and small scale road tests - to determine the proper amount of tar to be added to the processed material to produce a satisfactory road surfacing mixture.

Laboratory Testing Of Wet-Processed Kyrock, Robert L. Florence

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

No abstract provided.

Structural Repair Of Concrete Pavement, Barren County Project U 543(3), William B. Drake

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The Research Division assisted the District Construction personnel with structural repairs of five areas of cement concrete pavement that had been adjudged unsatisfactory. I had an opportunity to observe the repaired areas on July 19, 1962, and they all appear to be performing. adequately. The color of the epoxy patching material does not completely match the adjacent concrete but with normal weathering the two materials should approach a better match.

Comments On: Aasho Interim Guide For The Design Of Rigid Pavement Structures (Aasho Committee On Design, February, 1962), James H. Havens, Ronald D. Hughes

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

We have reviewed the AASHO Interim Guide for the Design of Rigid Pavement Structures, and Messrs. Havens and Hughes of our staff have prepared comments on the guide. These comments do not deal entirely with the rigid pavement guide, but rather compare some of the design concepts from the Flexible Pavement Interim Guide.

The Application Of Nuclear Techniques To The Measurement Of Moisture And Density Of Highway Construction Materials, Robert C. Deen, J. D. Shackelford

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

In recent years much attention has been directed toward the application of neutron and gamma ray techniques to soil moisture and density measurements. This application of radiological measurements of these characteristics of materials of highway construction, of course, is of great interest to the highway industry since the performance of the total pavement system is highly dependent upon the condition of the embankment, subgrade, and base components of this system. An important measure of the state of condition of unconsolidated earth materials is their unit weights and moisture contents. The highway engineer undoubtedly would welcome any method or technique which …

Pavement Roughness Studies (A Progress Report), Rolands L. Rizenbergs

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Road roughness testing in Kentucky was first reported in 1949 (1). At that time, emphasis was placed on localized irregularities in pavement profiles detectable by a roller-type straight edge. The experience gained then pointed to the necessity for making a fast, continuous recording of characteristics of the road which would be more closely related to riding quality. Subsequent progress reports (2)(3) dealing with the development of triaxial acceleration as applied to the evaluation of pavement riding qualities emphasized riding comfort or discomfort. The accelerations monitored then were evaluated in terms of g's per seconds or "jerk", which is considered by …

Engineering Properties For Soil Series Mapped In Kentucky, Robert C. Deen

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Soil maps, and particularly engineering soil maps, are proving to be desirable in the planning and design stage of many types of structures and land developments. Problems associated with foundations, drainage and soil behavior may be recognized at a very early stage during the preliminary location and site selection through the use of adequate soil maps.