TESTS ON RUTTING OF SHOULDERS
WHILE TURF SHOULDERS ARE PLEASING IN APPEARANCE, AND MAY BE ECONOMICAL TO MAINTAIN WHERE TRAFFIC IS NOT EXCESSIVE, PARTICULARLY WHERE THE NEED FOR DITCH CLEANING IS REDUCED, THEY ARE OFTEN SOFT WHEN WET, AND DRIVERS MAY PREFER TO RISK STOPPING ON THE PAVEMENT RATHER THAN TO TAKE A CHANCE ON HAVING THE VEHICLE MIRED DOWN. FOR THE SAKE OF SAFETY, SHOULDERS SHOULD BE OF SUCH CHARACTER THAT THE VEHICLES CAN OPERATE ON THEM READILY. SHOULDERS OF A NUMBER OF DESIGNS WERE CONSTRUCTED, AND LATER WERE TESTED FOR RESISTANCE TO RUTTING. RATHER FULL DATA WERE OBTAINED ON THE GRADING AND PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SEVERAL DESIGNS. THE RUTTING TESTS WERE MADE ON MARCH 24 AND 25, 1953, WHEN THE SUPPORTING POWER OF THE SHOULDERS WAS PROBABLY AT ABOUT ITS LOWEST VALUE. IN THE EARLY MORING OF MARCH 24 THERE WERE 1.37 IN. OF RAIN, AND DURING THE TESTING ON MARCH 25 ANOTHER 1.44 IN. OF RAIN FELL. A WELL-ESTABLISHED TURF COVER WAS FOUND TO BE OF APPRECIABLE VALUE IN RESISTANCE TO RUTTING. ON EXPERIMENTAL SHOULDERS, WHERE ALL BUT TWO OF THE SEVERAL DESIGNS HAD AT LEAST 38 PERCENT OF THE MATERIAL RETAINED ON A NO. 10 SIEVE, NO PARTICULARLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN RESISTANCE TO RUTTING WAS FOUND BETWEEN THE DESIGNS. IN MOST CASES, THE RUTTING UNDER THE FIRST APPLICATION OF THE WHEEL LOAD WAS 1/2 IN. OR LESS. IN NO CASE, AFTER REPEATED RUNS, WAS THERE ANY INDICATION THAT A BREAKTHROUGH OF THE SHOULDER STRUCTURE WAS INCIPIENT. /AUTHOR/
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Supplemental Notes:
- No 318, pp 10-16, 1 FIG, 1 TAB. 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:
- Dubois, R S
- Publication Date: 1954
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: Moisture content; Penetration resistance; Road shoulders; Ruts (Pavements); Stability (Mechanics); Turf
- Uncontrolled Terms: Rut
- Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Highways;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00205071
- Record Type: Publication
- Files: TRIS, TRB
- Created Date: Nov 15 1971 12:00AM