The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-06-03
Federal Assistance
In Road Construction

junior highway engineers. The office
is in constant receipt of requests from
States, counties and townships to rec
ommcnd suitable young engineers to
take charge of road improvement.
During the last year nine engineers,
constituting a very considerable per-
c9rtage of the total number, resigned
to take up work in various parts of
the country. While the operations OF
the office are Handicapped to a GER
tain extent by this constant drain,
the exact purposes OF this course of
instruction are thereby served in the
highest degree. If a greater number can
be appointed and trained each year,
the result will in time have a very
material bearing upon the progress
CT road improvement. While the OBJ
ject-lesson road is an excellent eX-
ample, capable, progressive enginr Ell
constitutes an infinitely greater force
in the movement, as he 81 ould reason
ally be expected to go on year after
year adding in a MAJ rial sense to
the efficiency of our road systems.
This project should receive greater
financial support and the number of
appointments should, if possible, be
doubled or trebled.
Testing of Road Materials.
In the routine testing and cxamin.
alton of road materials great progress
has been made along established lines.
The total number of samples tested
during the year was 1868, an increase
of 50 per cent over the number re-
ceived and tested during the proceed
ing year. In addition to these routine
tests, Investigations were made with
q view to the utilization of Stag and
other by-products in road building, and
these were extended to comprise field
experiments through the construction
of short sections of road at Youngs.
town, Ohio, and Ithaca, N. Y. These
Investigations have developed the fact
that practically all the basic open
hearth slags are well adapted to road
construction, especially when used as
binding materials. 1t has been found
that by adding quicklime to blast
furnace Stag screenings the cementing
properties are greatly increased. These
Investigations will be continued dur.
ing the next fiscal year.
CulVerts and Bridges for Highways.
The mead for better culverts and
bridges for our public highways is
becoming evident, both from the point
of view of economy and safety for the
public Information on this subject
in suitable form has bech in the
past, and still remains, fragmentary
and scattered.
BY far the larger number of such
structures that are needed are Of the
shorter spans-5O feet or less-and in
the past they have been built Of tim
Der, which is, however, constantly in
creasing in price, and requires a
relatively much larger expenditure for
maintenance. Much economy can be
effected, and more durable and safer
structures can be built out of con-
crete or masonry, provided that the
required information and skilled super
vision may be had.
Investigation of Dust PreVentiVes and
Road Binders.
Through it's laboratory work, the
office has been able to offer valuable
advice in regard to specifications for
bituminous road binders, and in many
instances to frame such specifications
upon request of various public-servica
bodies. A number of the state high
way commissions have profted by
this opportunity.
Many worthless road preparations
have been, and are a, present being
manufactured and sold to the public
through ignorance on the part of both
producer and consumer with regard
to the requisite characteristics Of such
materials to meet local conditions.
These materials are sold under trade
names and as a rule carry no valid
guaranty of quality. Specifications
for such materials are therefore much
needed for the protection of the pub
lie, and this phase of tho work will
be given continued attention by the
office.
Special Investigations of bituminous
road materials carried on by the labor
atory have covered improvements in
the methods of analysis, the effect OF
various methods of Oscillation upon
the physical and chemical properties
of tars, and the development of a