HIGHWAY SHOULDERS CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES

A BRIEF REVIEW IS PRESENTED OF SHOULDER PRACTICES DURING THE LAST TWENTY YEARS IN OHIO. THE POLICY FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION PROVIDES STABILIZED SHOULDERS ALONG THE OUTSIDE PAVEMENT EDGE OF ALL DIVIDED PAVEMENT HIGHWAYS, AND ALONG EACH EDGE OF ALL TWO-LANE PAVEMENTS WITH MORE THAN 200 HEAVY COMMERCIAL VEHICLES PER DAY. SEATED EARTH SHOULDERS ARE STILL GENERALLY USED ON LOW TRAFFIC ROADS. THE PRESENT STANDARD FOR STABILIZED SHOULDERS CONSISTS OF A FOUR-FOOT WIDTH OF STABILIZED CRUSHED AGGREGATE, SIX-INCH COMPACTED DEPTH, FINISHED FLUSH WITH THE PAVEMENT SURFACE, WITH A SLOPE OF 3/4 INCH PER FOOT. MATERIALS FOR THIS COURSE ARE CRUSHED LIMESTONE, CRUSHED SLAG OR CRUSHED GRAVEL. SHAPING THE SUBGRADE FOR THE STANDARD STABILIZED SHOULDER COURSE IS USUALLY DONE WITH A MOTOR GRADER, OFTEN WITH A SPECIAL BLADE OF PROPER DIMENSIONS FOR THE PURPOSE. AFTER THE SUBGRADE IS SHAPED AND COMPACTED, THE CRUSHED AGGREGATE IS SPREAD UPON THE SUBGRADE IN LAYERS NOT TO EXCEED SIX INCH COMPACTED THICKNESS. FOR INITIAL COMPACTION OF THE STABILIZED SHOULDER MATERIAL, SPECIFICATIONS PERMIT THE USE OF ANY SUITABLE EQUIPMENT APPROVED BY THE ENGINEER. EFFECTIVE COMPACTION CONTROL PROCEDURES AND CONTINUAL INSPECTION DURING CONSTRUCTION ARE NECESSARY TO INSURE ADEQUATE COMPACTION OF STABILIZED SHOULDERS AND THE SUBGRADES. TO IMPROVE PRACTICES FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF FLEXIBLE PAVEMENTS, IT HAS BEEN PROPOSED TO KEEP ALL HEAVY CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT OFF THE PAVEMENT AND TO USE THE SHOULDERS. IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT SUCH REQUIREMENTS WILL CREATE PROBLEMS IN SHOULDER CONSTRUCTION. ON HEAVILY TRAVELLED PRIMARY ROADS, THERE IS AN UNQUESTIONABLE NEED FOR STABLE SHOULDERS WITH SOME TYPE OF PAVED SURFACE TO PROVIDE SURFACE DRAINAGE. TO MEET FUTURE NEEDS ON PRIMARY ROADS, IT IS INDICATED THAT STABILIZED SHOULDERS, PROVIDED DURING CONSTRUCTION WITH SOME TYPE OF BITUMINOUS SURFACE, WILL BE NECESSARY.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrbbulletin/151/151-009.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • No 151, pp 15-19, 4 FIG, 4 PHOTO. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Shepard, C H
• Publication Date: 1957

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Pagination: 5p
• Monograph Title: Symposium on Highway Shoulders
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Board Bulletin
  • Issue Number: 151
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aggregates; Bituminous materials; Compaction; Construction management; Divided highways; Graders; Road shoulders; Soil stabilization; Stabilized materials; Subgrade (Pavements); Surface drainage; Surface treating; Two lane highways
• Old TRIS Terms: Bituminous surfacing; Shoulder stabilization
• Subject Areas: Construction; Geotechnology; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00215183
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Jul 7 1994 12:00AM