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CONSTRUCTION OF MESL DEMONSTRATION ROAD AT FORT HOOD, TEXAS, MAY 1972

This report records the construction of a 1/2-mile membrane- enveloped soil layer (MESL) road constructed at Fort Hood, Texas, in May 1972. The road was constructed to field test MESL construction techniques and to provide a MESL road for long-term evaluation. The 24-ft-wide, 10-in.-thick MESL was constructed by personnel of the Directorate of Facilities Engineering, Fort Hood, Texas. The location was Clear Creek Road between Copperas Cove Road and U.S. Highway 190. The soil was a gravelly sandy clay (CL) with some shell. It was encapsulated using 6-mil polyethylene as the lower membrane and polypropylene fabric and SS-1h emulsified asphalt as the upper membrane. Construction of the MESL required 48 working hours and was completed in a 6-day period. A surfacing of 2 in. of hot-mix asphaltic concrete was installed on the MESL by a local contractor. Eight-foot-wide shoulders were constructed, and an asphaltic single-surface treatment was applied. The total materials, equipment usage, and construction labor cost for the MESL road with asphalt surfacing was $20,800. The MESL road was opened to traffic in June 1972. A traffic count in July 1972 indicated an average daily usage by 1793 vehicles, of which 24.5 percent was truck traffic and 75.5 percent was passenger car traffic.

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  • Corporate Authors:

    U.S. Army Waterways Experiment Station

    Soils and Pavement Laboratory
    Vicksburg, MS  United States  39180
  • Authors:
    • Webster, S L
  • Publication Date: 1974-5

Media Info

  • Pagination: 50 p.

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00134746
  • Record Type: Publication
  • ISBN: 01
  • Report/Paper Numbers: S-74-13
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Jun 23 2000 12:00AM