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Show MOTOR TRUCKS ON HIGHWAYS Series of Impacts Being Conducted at Arlington to Determine Impact on Roads. (Prepared by the United States Department Depart-ment of Agriculture.) To determine the destructive effect of heavily loaded auto trucks on highways high-ways and streets, and to meet the demand de-mand for data on the design of road surfaces and foundations to withstand such heavy traffic, a series of experiments experi-ments is being conducted by the bureau bu-reau of public roads at the Arlington experiment farm to determine the impact im-pact of auto trucks on roads. The most striking single development develop-ment in the highway field in 1918 was the tremendous increase in motortruck motor-truck traffic. Five years ago heavy motor trucks were few in number and limited practically entirely to the paved streets of larger cities. These vehicles now comprise probably 4 to 5 per cent of the grand total of all motor vehicles and are to be found wherever traffic conditions permit profitable use. But very few roads were designed to carry any large volume vol-ume of this class of traffic. Consequently, Conse-quently, the cost of adequate maintenance main-tenance was increased greatly during the year. In many places the damage due to the incessant pounding of these fast and heavy vehicles was so great as to require complete reconstruction. ADVICE ON BUILDING ROADS Much Investigational and Experimental Experi-mental Work Done by the Department De-partment of Agriculture. Much investigational and experimental experi-mental work on road building has been in progress for a number of years and road engineers are able as a result of this work to give valuable advice as to the most economical method of building and maintaining roads for the varying conditions existing exist-ing in different localities. Much of this investigational work has been done by the highways division of the United States department of agriculture agricul-ture and some by the various state highways commissions. No road building build-ing operations ought to be undertaken without the aid and expert advice which these agencies are willing and able to give. Taxpayers should insist upon this. COMPACT SURFACE OF ROADS Excess Water Successfully Removed By Use of Piece of Pipe, Operated Opera-ted by Two Men. A simple method for compacting the surface of concrete roads and removing remov-ing excess water has been evolved by an engineer, B. F. Batchelder, of Ravenna, Ohio. After striking off the surface with a template, according to Mr. Batcheld-er's Batcheld-er's plan, a piece of ordinary gaspipe, operated by two men, is used as a roller. rol-ler. After the excess water has come to the surface, another trip Up and back with the roller removes (all the A Piece of Ordinary Gaspipe Is Successfully Suc-cessfully Used as a Roller to Remove Excess Water From the Road Surfaces. Sur-faces. water and leaves the surface in good condition for further finishing if necessary. nec-essary. A wave of mortar is carried ahead of the roller the "first time over," which fills in porous places or depressions. The second rolling removes re-moves nothing but water that is virtually virtu-ally clear. This method is especially useful when using crushed stone or slag. Popular Science Monthly. FIND WEAK PARTS OF ROADS It Should Be Especial Business of Every Ev-ery Road Commissioner to Make Observations. It should be the special business of every road commissioner to find the weak and susceptible parts of a road, and if there is any likelihood at all of the creation of a "bottomless pit," the saying of "a stitch in time" will apply very truthfully to the question in hand. |