ACID SOIL FORMATIONS CAUSE HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE TROUBLES

THE INTERSTATE SYSTEM POSES THE PROBLEM OF THE STABILIZATION OF THE SHOULDERS OF EXPENSIVE CUTS. NORMALLY THIS STABILIZATION IS DONE BY GRASSING THE EXPOSED SURFACES, BUT ON PORTIONS OF INTERSTATE 20 IN BOTH MISSISSIPPI AND LOUISIANA, THIS PROCEDURE HAS FAILED DUE TO THE HIGHLY ACIDIC NATURE OF SOME OF THE FORMATIONS EXPOSED. IRON AND SULFUR OXIDIZING BACTERIA THRIVE IN CERTAIN SOILS. EXPOSURE TO AIR AND MOISTURE, AS IN HIGHWAY CUTS, ACCENTUATES THE ACIDIC CONDITION AND PREVENTS GROWTH OF COVER GRASSES. WITH CONTINUED SLOUGHING OF THE SURFACES OF THE ROADSIDE BANKS, NEW SUBSTRATES ARE MADE AVAILABLE FOR CONTINUED ACID FORMATION. ON ONE SUCH ROADSIDE CUT ALONG INTERSTATE 20 IN MISSISSIPPI, FOR EXAMPLE, THE PH OF THE SOIL WAS 2.6. IT HAS BEEN CALCULATED THAT ABOUT SIX TONS OF LIME WOULD BE REQUIRED PER ACRE FURROW SLICE TO RAISE THE PH OF THIS SOIL TO 3.6 AND A PH OF ONLY 5.0 WOULD BE OBTAINED WITH FOURTEEN TONS OF LIME PER ACRE FURROW SLICE. CALCULATIONS FROM LOUISIANA CUTS ALONG INTERSTATE 20 WOULD ALSO REQUIRE CONSIDERABLE LIMING TO APPROACH NEUTRALITY AND THUS PERMIT GOOD GRASS GROWTH. CERTAINLY ANY CONSTRUCTION PROCEDURE THAT WILL PROVIDE FOR BANK STABILIZATION MUST TAKE INTO ACCOUNT BOTH THE PROPERTIES OF THE SHALES AND THE ACID FORMING ABILITIES OF THE THIOBACILLI. /AUTHOR/

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/1606878
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 96, No 7, PP 95-96
• Authors:
  • Normand, R A
  • Colmer, A R
• Publication Date: 1965-7

Media Info

• Serial:
  • Public Works
  • Publisher: Hanley Wood
  • ISSN: 0033-3840
  • Serial URL: http://www.pwmag.com

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Acid soils; Bacteria; Calcium oxide; Excavations; Grasses; Highways; Iron; Maintenance; Oxidizing agents; pH value; Road shoulders; Shale; Soil stabilization; Sulfur
• Identifier Terms: Interstate Highway System
• Uncontrolled Terms: Stabilization
• Old TRIS Terms: Neutralizing
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00218162
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 13 1994 12:00AM