The Bismarck tribune., 1925-06-15
ALL MATERIAL
FOR HIGHWAY
WORK TESTED
Laboratory Established Here
BY State Engineer to
Find Best Grades

About $50 tests of sand and gravel
used for road construction in state
highways were made during the con-
wise, over 200 samples from metal
culverts were also tested
BY this means the State Highway
Commission, through its testing lab
oratory which is located in the state
capitol building makes sure that
the materials are the very best for
the purpose and insures strict
compliance with the specifications
promulgated by it. The testing labor
atory was established by the high
way body during 1923 under the di-
rection Of w. G. Black, chief engin-
eer and secretary.
Prior to this time all tests Of road
and bridge materials employed in the
construction of federal aid and state
highway projects were made by the
Bureau Of, Public Roads of the De-
partment of Agriculture at Washing
ton, ID. G.. But, as the work became
too heavy for that bureau, the vari-
Gus state highway commissions We're
notified that each would have to test
its own state materials in the future.
The North Dakota laboratory, which
is now in charge of p. M. Hegdol, not
only cooperates with the Bureau Of
Public Roads but also with the high
way commissions of other states to
insure the latest and best methods of
making the various tests.
Sand is tested by TIE highway
laboratory for it's grading and if too
fine or if it contains too much shale
or vegetable matter it is rejected.
Cement is tested for normal consist
ency, time of setting, tineness, sound
ness and tensile strength. Concrete
is tried for its compre essive and ten
sile strength Metal entering into
the manufacture Of corrugated metal
culverts must comply with the state
highway specific ations as to chemical
composition and manufacturers OF
sheets for this purpose desiring to do
business in this state must file the
chemical analysis Of their products
with the department for approval.
The testing division makes such
tests as are necessary to see that
the gauge of the material meets the
states specifications and that the re-
qured amount of spelter has been
applied to the sheets. This protect
i've coating is of great Importance in
the life Of metal culverts.
Any person who has gravel pit
and desires to learn whether his
gravel will make good concrete and
also complies with the states speci-
fications, can have his gravel tested
by the laboratory free Of charge.
Likewise, counties who are building
roads and bridges, can have samples
tested by the State Highway Com
mission without cost. In fact, the
highway body would welcome the
making Of such tests for the counties,
because it would insure not only
compliance with standard specifca-
tions, but also the use Of the very
best of materials in all county con
struction work.
Few persons realize that the quail
ity of materials effects the life of ce-
ment construction and that the bet
ter the material in metal culverts
the longer is the life Of the structure
built from public funds. The high
way commission is incidentally in
tereSted in the quality of county
roads because they act as feeders to
the main or arterial state highway
system, and as such constitute part
of the entire state road system. Only
one county thus far has availed it
self of the free services of the high
way commissions testing laboratory