Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-01-13
PROF, keller URGES COLLEGE Of
HAWAII ROAD LABORATORY WORK
Recommends Public Officials
Be Named as Members
of Advisory Board


of road-Iaboratory at the College OF
Hawaii, conducted under the advisory
supervision Of public works officials.
| is recommended by Prof. Arthur K.
Keller Of the civil engineering depart
ment to President Arthur L. Dean.
The plan is outlined in the following
| letter: Isl
Dr. Arthur l. Dean,
resident, College OF Hawaii,
Honolulu.
Dear Sir: In accordance with your
recent verbal request, beg to submit
| the following tentative plan for an ex-
perimental road:
Much money is being spent today In
read improvement but after the roads
have been completed accurate data IS
not kept in regard to life, cost and
frequency of repairs. condition OF tie
surface under various weather condi-
tons and much other data which, II
properly, recorded, could be used to
great advantage when future road i'm
provements were planned. The Off
cers charged with road repair and i'm.
provements are not in position to
give their time to gathering such sta.
tistics. In many states the college
has become the gatherer and disburser
of such data and the College of Ha-
wall Is the natural source Of such in
formation in the territory.
In order to secure reliable data as
outlined above sufficient money should
be appropriated to lay on the college
grounds at least 5000 feet of expert
mental road, consisting of sections
each 800 feet long built Of types Of
pavement locally most interesting,
some of which are as follows: Brick,
wood block, sheet asphalt, bitulithic,
asphalt macadam penetration and
mixing method), macadam (water
bound), macadam treated with oil as a
dust preventive.>g gravel, earth Ito be
kept in shape BY means of regular
dragging), concrete, concrete with BIZ
luminous surface, tar macadam, BIZ
luminous concrete and any other type
which might be considered advisable
to investigate.
! The appropriation should cover
funds for the laying Of above pave
ments and small amount for main
tenance. Arrangements could un
doubtedly be made with the city and
county engineer for the use of such
road department equipment as might
be needed Probably the manufactur-
ers might donate some of the mate
rails when the use to which they
would be put was explained to them.
The recording and tabulation of the
data would be done by the advanced
students in civil engineering. Under
the guidance of an instructor, the road
thus serving the purposes of instruc-
ton as well as usefulness. Accurate
data as to weather conditions, exact
locations of all signs of wear, etc,
would be recorded.
The College of Hawaii has some OF
the required laboratory apparatus for
testing road materials and should be
in position to completely finish this
section of its materials laboratory so
as to test each and every material
used in this experimental road.
The required apparatus will cost
about $500 f. o. b. Honolulu. The orr
ginal laboratory as planned to house
this apparatus, as well as the electri-
cal and other machines now made
quately cared for, can be built for
$500.
In order to extend the experiment a
section of road in the city of Honolulu
should be assigned to the college by
the city engineer and another expert
mental road built there. Comparisons
between traffic conditions and other
factors of wear can thus be obtained.
Work Of this nature has been start
ed on the mainland. Near Columbus,
Ohio, II sections, each 400 feet long,
have been constructed, At Ithaca, n.
Y, on the Forest Home road, 16 sec
lions, varying from 35 to 500 feet,
have been laid.
Along Connecticut avenue, Washing
ton, d. c., and continuing on to Chevy
Chase, Maryland, number of sections
of various kinds have been laid and
alsola series OF experiments upon sur
face treatment of water <bcund ma
cadam inaugurated. In the grounds
OF the agricultural department at
Washington, d. c.. surface treatment
experiments are being made. The
Rockville Pike IN. Montgomery county,
Maryland, has been resurfaeed with
limestone macadan the surface treat
ed with various bftuminous materials
| in conjunction with trap rock screen
tings, gravel-limestone screenings,
the experiment being conducted to
determine the best method of main
tanning macadam roads free from
dust
i | would suggest that il this scheme
Is feasible a committee of three en-
gineers, consisting of the superintend-
ent of public works, the city and coun-
| ty engineer Of Honolulu and profess
sor In charge of the engineering de-
partment of the College Of Hawaii be
placed in charge of general plan, and
that the county engineers of the other
i counties be invited to offer sugges-
tons, or send any materials which
they might like to have used in this
road. The civil engineering .,irision
!, OF the College of Hawaii should carry
out the details and have charge of tbs
construction, maintenance and record