The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1909-11-12
.A|O FOR ROCK ROADS
Native limestoneS to Be Tested
at Kansas University.
BY ENGINEERING Department
Counties and Towns May Have the
Benefit For the Asking-Materials
and Methods Found That Will Make
Macadam Last Indefinitely.

The engineering department of the
University of Kansas has decided to
join the good roads movement. From
now on it will be equipped to give the
benefit of its testing laboratories to
the counties and cities in the state Of
Kansas on road materials and meth
DDS. A bulletin will be published soon
by the department giving the standard
tests on more than 200 samples OF
limestone from the eastern half OF the
state. The regents established a test
ing station at Lawrence about a year
ago, but up to this time there have
been no funds to publish the results
Of the tests that have been medc Tie
tests in the first bulletin are of stones
available for macadamizing, Of which
there is practically an unlimited
amount
In 1905 Professor w. @. Hoad, who
has charge of the work. had two ser-
ior students begin an Investigation Of
the value of Kansas limestones for road
making, and they tested nearly hun
dred samples. In the following year
two more students, Edward N Noyes
/ and ID. c. McConaughy, carried on the
tests. Last year more tests were made
from time to time until the depart
ment has good idea of what lime
i stones will make macadam roads.
There is wonderful difference in
them, some being practically worth
less, while others-and they are in the
majority-are first class material.
Two tests are applied. one to deter
mine the toughness and wearing quail
ties of the stones and the other to de-
ter1nine the cementing properties Of
the powder that is made by the road
roller and the wear of traffic. 1t some
times happens that stone that is
good in one respect is worthless on
account of the lack of the other quail
ty Wearing qualities are determined
by the standard "rattler" test, which
was originated in France thirty years
ago. The samples of some are broken
into uniform pieces, SO that fifty will
weigh approximately eleven pounds.
They are put into "rattler," which
consists Of an iron cylinder, set at an
angle of thirty degrees with the axis
Of rotation. In the test, lasting five
hours, the cylinder is rotated 100000
times, and the amount ground Off the
samples in that time by weight de-
termines the measure Of wearing qual-
.. ity of the stones. In making the ce.
; ment test the powder is taken from
the "rattler' and mixed with water
1t is allowed to harden In cylindrical
!, briquettes and is tested for its resist,
, ance under the trip hammer.
1--WE expect to be able to make tests
from now on for any town or county
, that has q macadamizing project un
der way" said Professor Hoad, "and
believe the work will be great
thing for the good roads movement ir
: the state. There are any amount OF
limestones which, If properly selected
and put on the roads, will make road:
that last indie initely."
: There are only six other testing sta
$ tions in the United States that are
o equipped for the tests now being made
> at the university. The only other one
: west of Ohio Is at the Iowa Agricul
tural college. kansas City Star.