October 1, 2006
Selecting a smart and efficient road-maintenance strategy. By Jamie Swedberg, Ron Bygness, and C. Joel Sprague A study evaluating the cost-effectiveness of using paving fabrics in roadway maintenance projects is getting a new look. The original work was a comprehensive study of pavement repair materials and methods. It examined maintenance treatments on 370 roads in …
August 1, 2006
By Dov Leshchinsky Introduction The title of this article contains enough acronyms to confuse even the best engineers. Imagine the confusion when the abbreviations have to be translated into numbers followed by a structure. To alleviate some of the concern, here are the literal conversions: ASD=Allowable Stress Design (e.g., AASHTO 1998, 2002; or NCMA in …
A King County DOT bridge project illustrates the use of geofoam fill. Abstract An interesting project under way in the Seattle area is the reconstruction of the York Bridge on Northeast 116th Street north of Redmond, Wash. After the supports for the new bridge were completed, crews worked on the deck and approach roadways using …
April 1, 2006
Geosynthetic solution offers both separation and reinforcement for this Canadian rail project. Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) is renowned for building rail lines through some of North America’s toughest terrain. Just west of Kenora, Ontario, near the Manitoba/Ontario border, the main CPR track crosses the Telford Marsh, an area of weak organic soil. A 250 m …
By William M. Hawkins Abstract This article presents current information on geotextiles installed experimentally in an unpaved road 35 years ago. In 1972, geotextiles were largely untested, and the site was set up as an accelerated field test to determine the comparative performances of several fabrics for use as a geotextile. But because the site …
