Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-07-13

Washington. July l2.-The durability of
cement mortar and concrete when ex-
posed to concentrated alkali salts in soil
| and water has been questioned by many
engineers and users of concrete. In the
western states many irrigation and other
structures have been built Of concrete In
alkali soils and cases of partial or COM
plete failures of some of these structures
have been attributed to the effect of al
kali salts. The results of the first years
| tests made by the Bureau of Standards,
of the Department of Commerce, in In
vestigating this question have just been
published by that Bureau of Technologic
| Paper No. a.
| Laboratory investigations have shown
| that cement concrete is subject to dis
| indignation by alkali salts under GER
tain conditions, but practical experience
has shown that some concretes are much
less susceptible to the action of the salts
| than others and are quite permanent,
even if exposed in very concentrated al
kali soils. It was intended in outlining
/ this investigation to make it an actual
field test of practical. full-sized specl-
mems composed of concrete of known
composition so that all conditions might
| be similar to those in which structures
are exposed in the field.
In 1913 committee consisting of rep
resentatve from the United States
Reclamation Service, the Drainage Divi-
| sion of the Department of Agriculture,
| the Association of American Portland
Cement Manufacturers, and the Bureau
of Standards, outlined program OF
| tests to determine the effect of alkali
| on cement mortars of a known CONNER
( cial quality. Since several millions OF
dollars are being spent annually In the
drainage of alkali soils in the western
part of the United States, and because OF
| its economic importance, it was con-
sdered advisable to make observations
on cement drain tile Of known compost
ton which would be exposed under nor
NAL service conditions in operating
drains in concentrated alkali soils.
Over 5000 cement drain tile, u inches
long and inches inside diameter. were
manufactured in a commercial tile fac
tory in Iowa during August and Septem-
Der 1913. They included 16 different types.
made up of mixtures from the leanest to
the richest commercially practicable.
Records were kept Of all steps in the
process of manufacture. Care was taken
to produce a uniform and good quality OF
! product but no methods or materials
were introduced which could not be re-
produced in any well-equipped cement
tile factory.
| After all tile had cured for q period OF
at least one month shipments Of carload
were made to projects in each Of the fol-
lowing states: Colorado. Wyoming. Mon
tana, Washington. Arizona, New Mexico,
Utah, Minnesota and Missouri.
| The tile were installed in the first
seven states in soils which contain
large quantities Of alkah salts and
where concrete structures were
thought to have been damaged by al
kali action. The tile in Minnesota and
Missouri were placed where they would
be exposed only to fresh water. and
a separate shipment was made to
Ames. Iowa, where the tile were stored
in the open above ground and exposed
| to the weather.
! Installation was completed in No
vember, 1913, and the tile were so ar
ranged that sections at each project
containing two tile Of each series. can
be removed for test annually without
disturbing the remainder Of the line.
Ten such sections were placed end to
end at each project. Samples Of soil.
water and alkali salts where available,
were secured for analysis.
The first years tests were made in
the fall of 1914. One section at each
project, containing 80 tile, Of each
series, was removed and tested at the
site in a portable tile testing machine
especially designed for the purpose.