Evening star., 1927-12-01
RESEARCH GOVERNS
HIGHWAY PROBLEM
Board Head Says Paving of
Future Hinges on Lower
Construction Costs.

The problem of improving $500, ,000
miles of unsurfaced highways in the
United States now rests largely upon
physical and chemical research.
Charles NJ. Upham, director of the
Highway Research Board, told that
F, organization this morning. at the
j opening session of its seventh an
nual meeting.
The board is branch of the engi-
neering division OF the National Re-
search Council and is conducting sev.
eral experimental projects on a ma
] tional scale towards highway improve
ment.
Economy Big Feature.
In q comparatively few years. Mr..
Tpham said. 100000 miles of American
highway have been improved, but this
has involved vast expenditure of
money. 1T is doubtless an excellent
investment" he said, but when we
consider the outstanding bonds of
States and municipalities ISSUED to
finance this work, we must realize
that we cannot expect such rapid
progress in the immediate future"
The only alternative. he said, was
for scientific research TO develop ways
of cheaper and more efficient road
building. This. he indicated, probably
would be worked out in the univer'
sities and it remained for engineers to
take advantage of the principles as
fast as they became known. One line
" OF attack, he said. is for chemists to
devise way to change the nature of
clay so that it will become suitable
road.surfacing material. A great eX-
tent of Nnimproved roads. he pointed
out. are In clay country. To improve
them necessitates bringing in eXpen.
sve materials unless something can
be added to the clay itself. Some
progress already has been made in
this line of research. he said.
Materials Little Known.
Mr.. Upham's address was plea for
closer cooperation between the re-
search scientist, interested only in
arriving at the truth without COIL
sideration of it's practical uses, and
the engineer who is interested only in
results.
Frank B. Jewett, director of the re-
search laboratories of the American
Telephone a. Telegraph Co.. spoke
on the method of procedure in indus.
ceed, he said. by exact experiment
with due considerable Of all the fac
tors involved
I'm road building, for example" Mr..
Jewett said, II have been impressed
with the fact that very little is known
about the materials used. 1t seems
to be assumed that good workmanship
will result in good road, whereas
success or failure may depend on
some extremely small ingredient in
the concrete which nobody knows any
thing about"
New Era Predicted.
Mr.. Jewett predicted a new era in
highway construction when the re-
search chemist has analyzed the ma
terial used and found out what its re-
actions are to various conditions.
The address OF welcome was deliv-
cred by DIR. Vernon Kellogg OF the
National Research Council. 7. r. Agg.
dean of engineering of Iowa State
College, presided. A. B. Fletcher OF
the Bureau of Public Roads and Sid.
ney j. Williams. director of the Ma
tionaI Safety Council, discussed the
causeA of highway accidents.
On the afternoon program these
sneakers were scheduled: w. c. Mark
ham, executive secretary of the Amer
lean Association Of State Highway
Officials: Thomas III. Mac Donald.
United states Bureau of Public Roads;
A. r. Goldbeck. National Crushed
Stone Association; c. II. Moorefeld,
State engineer of South Carolina, and
p. J.. Freeman and II. 8. Mattimore
Of the Pennsylvania State Highway
Department.
C.. F. Kettering, head of the General
Motors Research Corporation. will be
the speaker tonight at the annual
dinner.