THE ESTABLISHMENT AND COMPARATIVE WEAR RESISTANCE OF VARIOUS GRASSES AND GRASS-LEGUME MIXTURES TO VEHICULAR TRAFFIC
IN AN ATTEMPT TO MEASURE THE COMPARATIVE WEAR RESISTANCE OF GRASSES AND GRASS-LEGUME MIXTURES, TRAFFIC WAS APPLIED TO A SERIES OF PLOTS WHICH HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED IN 1943 AND 1944. THE GRASSES AND LEGUMES PLANTED WERE SELECTED ON THE BASIS OF THEIR POTENTIAL VALUE IN PRODUCING WEAR RESISTANT SODS ON AIRFIELDS AND HIGHWAY RIGHT-OF-WAY. SEEDINGS WERE MADE IN APRIL, JUNE, AUGUST, AND OCTOBER OF EACH YEAR IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THE OPTIMUM TIME OF PLANTING. SEEDINGS MADE IN APRIL, AUGUST, AND OCTOBER WERE SUPERIOR TO THE JUNE SEEDINGS AND PRODUCED AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT 18 PERCENT MORE GROUND COVER THAN DID THE LATTER. THE OCTOBER SEEDINGS PERFORMED AS DORMANT SEEDINGS AND PRODUCED COVER THE FOLLOWING SPRING. SEEDING IN EXCESS OF FORTY (40) POUNDS PER ACRE DID NOT APPEAR TO BE JUSTIFIED AS MEASURED BY THE QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF THE SOD PRODUCED. BEFORE THE APPLICATION OF WHEELED TRAFFIC EACH PLOT WAS EVALUATED ON THE BASIS OF PERCENTAGE OF EXISTING COVER AND ITS COMPOSITION. ALL PLOTS WERE SUBJECTED TO TRAFFIC WITH A PASSENGER CAR WEIGHING 3,300 POUNDS. A TRUCK WEIGHING 40,000 POUNDS WAS USED ON THE APRIL AND JUNE SEEDINGS OF THE 1943 SERIES. KENTUCKY AND CANADA BLUEGRASS AND CHEWINGS, SHEEP AND TALL FESCUE PRODUCED THE MOST WEAR RESISTANT TURFS. WHERE ADAPTED, THESE GRASSES SHOULD BE GIVEN FIRST CONSIDERATION FOR USE IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF AIRFIELDS AND HIGHWAY RIGHTS-OF-WAYS. THE BLUEGRASSES RECOVERED FROM INTENSIVE WEAR MORE RAPIDLY THAN DID THE FESCUES. ORCHARD GRASS, TIMOTHY, AND BROMEGRASS WERE THE SLOWEST TO RE- ESTABLISH A SATISFACTORY COVER. /AUTHOR/
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Supplemental Notes:
- 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.
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Authors:
- Moorish, R H
- Harrison, C M
- Publication Date: 1949
Media Info
- Media Type: Digital/other
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Serial:
- Highway Research Board Roadside Development Committee Reports
- Publisher: Highway Research Board
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Airport runways; Durability; Grasses; Legumes; Turf
- Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Highways; Pavements;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00205011
- Record Type: Publication
- Report/Paper Numbers: pp 70 - 71
- Files: TRIS, TRB
- Created Date: Dec 13 1971 12:00AM