The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1909-06-23
AID FOR ROCK ROADS
Native Limestones to Be Tested
at Kansas University.
BY ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

Counties and Towns May Have tho
Benefit For the Askins-Materials
and Methods Found That viii Make
Maoadam Last Indefinitely.
The engineering department of the
University of Kansas has decided 10
Join the good roads movement. from
now on it will be equipped TO give the
benefit of its testing laboratories 10
the counties and cities In the state or
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 year
ago, but up to this time there have
been no funds to publish the results
of the tests that have been made. Tic
tests in the first bulletin are of stones
available for macadamizing. of which
there is practically an unlimited
amount.
In 1905 Professor w. G. Hoad, who
has charge of the work, had two SEN
ior students begin an investigation Of
the value of Kansas llmestones for road
making, and they tested nearly hun
dred samples. In the following year
two more students, Edward n Noyes
and d. G. McConaughy, carried on the
tests. Last year more tests were made
from time to time until the depart
ment has a good idea of what lime
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-
termine 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 a RATHER" 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 100 600
times, and the amount ground off the
samples in that time by weight de-
termines the measure of wearing quail
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 it's resist
ance under the trip hammer.
1--WE expect to he able TO make tests
from now on for any town or county
that has matchmaking project un-
der way" said Professor Hoad. land
| believe the work will be q great
thing for the good roads movement in
the state. There are any amount of
limestones which. if properly selected
and put on the roads. will make roads
that last indefinitely"
There are only six other testing sta
lions in the United States that are
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.