United States Bureau of Public Roads

This study was undertaken to determine the comparative effectiveness of chloride salts and abrasive-chloride salt mixtures for ice removal. It was also desired to study the storage characteristics of sodium chloride, calcium chloride and mixtures of these materials. Controlled field ice removal tests were run on 15 combinations of materials within three temperature ranges. Data were collected on thickness of ice; actual quantity and location of chemical or abrasive applied; and periodic condition of the ice with regard to amount of ice removed. The outdoor storage characteristics of seven bulk materials and one packaged material under a light polyethylene sheeting were studied. The materials were sampled for moisture, crusting and caking for a period of 10 months.

Mass transit's role in the overall motorized person transportation complex in the large metropolitan area is an important one. A quantitative definition of that role can therefore contribute substantially to the growing body of knowledge which will have application in an integrated approach to the solution of the metropolitan area's transportation problems - that is, an approach incorporating all vehicle and motorized person travel in the metropolitan area and the major factors influencing its patterns, such as land use and socio-economic activities. This publication reports the results of a study of mass transit person movement in the Minneapolis and St. Paul urban area. The study was undertaken jointly by the Minnesota Department of Highways, in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads, and the Twin Cities Metropolitan Planning Commission. A separate report will be published by the Twin Cities Metropolitan Planning Commission. The raw data for both publications were mainly obtained from a comprehensive body of travel survey data collected in 1958 in the Twin Cities Area Transportation Study, which was conducted by the Minnesota Highway Department in cooperation with the Bureau of Public Roads. The objectives of this report are to describe the present characteristics of mass transit travel in the Twin Cities metropolitan area and identify the major factors influencing usage of the mass transit mode. These determinations, in a quantified form, provide basic relationships for planning and forecasting the future role of mass transit as a mode of person travel in the Twin Cities metropolitan area.

Engineers who are associated with trenching in public thoroughfares have been striving for many years to find better construction methods and procedures for backfilling these trenches. We cannot expect the public to tolerate detrimental settlement if it can be avoided with a reasonable expenditure of funds. In this study the presently used procedures of backfilling and compaction were observed. It was found that these procedures can definitely be improved. The major conclusions which can be drawn from the study are listed below. The layered system is the most reliable compaction procedure for limiting settlement to a minimum. With one compactor type, the Hydra-Hammer, the entire trench backfill can be compacted in one lift irrespective of soil type or traffic volume on the street. Adequate stability, to prevent detrimental settlement, can be attained with many compactor types if the lift height is adjusted to soil type and condition, and the trench loading conditions. All vibratory type trench compactors should be used strictly on the granular soils and the lift height must be chosen with respect to the particular compactor and the traffic volume. The Pneumatic Button Head compactor can effectively compact all soil types in lifts up to 0.5 feet in thickness. The Plate Tampers are excellent compactors for all soil types and they are capable of compacting soil lifts between 1.0 and 1.5 feet depending upon the traffic load. Heavy construction equipment should be used to compact only the upper lift in a trench and this lift should be restricted to the range of 1.0 to 2.5 feet in thickness depending upon the soil type and the traffic load. Further research under more controlled field conditions is planned for 1963.

This report discusses the effects of Interstate 94 bypassing the small towns in Pine County, using Hinckley, Minnesota as an example.

This report is a continuation of the 1960 study.

This report studies the effect of a highway change in Faribault, Minnesota. In 1955, Highway 65 was rerouted, meaning that cars on the road did not travel through Faribault's Central Business District.

The Critical Feature Survey was undertaken for the study of trunk highway needs and for the determination of practical road capacities. The Critical Feature Survey was conducted on all rural 2-lane sections of the trunk highway system. The data collected relates to sight distance, gradients, curves, and superelevations of curves. Data were not taken on the so-called institutional highways or on portions of the trunk highway system under construction.

The final report in a series of memorandum reports dealing with the Grand Forks-East Grand Forks Urban Area Transportation Study. Volume Six sums up the previous five volumes and lays out the plan for street improvements in the Grand Forks-East Grand Forks urban area based on the projected traffic in 1990.

The fifth in a series of memorandum reports dealing with the Grand Forks-East Grand Forks Urban Area Transportation Study. Volume Five lays out the goals and standards that the data in the previous volumes will be used for.

The fourth in a series of memorandum reports dealing with the Grand Forks-East Grand Forks Urban Area Transportation Study. Volume 4 relates to population characteristics in 1965.