HIGHWAY SHOULDERS

OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS (1945-6), THE COMMITTEE ON HIGHWAY SHOULDERS HAS DEVOTED CONSIDERABLE ATTENTION TO TURF SHOULDERS AND HAS TENTATIVELY DECIDED THAT MUCH OF THE COMPLAINT ABOUT THEIR INSTABILITY SHOULD BE DIRECTED NOT TO THE INHERENT DISADVANTAGES OF THE TURF--WHICH OTHERWISE HAS THE MERITS OF GOOD PAVEMENT-EDGE DELINEATION, ECONOMICAL ESTABLISHMENT AND MAINTENANCE, GOOD HIGHWAY SIGN BACKGROUNDING, AND PLEASING APPEARANCE---BUT TO THE LACK OF PROPER ENGINEERING OF SHOULDER CONSTRUCTION, IN PARTICULAR TO THE TENDENCY TO MAKE SHOULDERS A DUMPING GROUND FOR LEFTOVER SOIL AT CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS. THE CAUSES OF INSTABILITY ARE OUTLINED, AND A TASK BREAKDOWN IS GIVEN FOR TWO RESEARCH PROBLEMS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED: (1) ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN SATISFACTORY TURF ON SHOULDERS HAVING SUFFICIENT STABILITY TO SUPPORT SAFELY OCCASIONAL AND IRREGULAR TRAFFIC, AND (2) DESIGN A SHOULDER CROSS-SECTION THAT WILL BE PRACTICAL FROM A CONSTRUCTION STANDPOINT AND WILL LESSEN OR DELAY SHOULDER BUILD-UP WITHOUT SACRIFICING SAFETY OR UNDULY COMPLICATING SHOULDER MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • No 139, pp 19-23
• Authors:
  • Brant, F H
• Publication Date: 1947-3

Media Info

• Serial:
  • Highway Research Abstracts
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board (HRB)

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Road shoulders; Soil stabilization; Turf
• Old TRIS Terms: Shoulder stabilization
• Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Geotechnology; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00205174
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Jun 18 1972 12:00AM