United States Department of Transportation
[PDF-3.84 MB]
Details:
-
Creators:
-
Corporate Creators:
-
Corporate Contributors:
-
Subject/TRT Terms:
-
Publication/ Report Number:
-
Resource Type:
-
Geographical Coverage:
-
TRIS Online Accession Number:00376807
-
Edition:Final Report
-
Corporate Publisher:
-
Abstract:The report examines the comparative costs of gravel-surfaced and paved roads capable of carrying traffic safely at 55 m.p.h. Gravel surfaces are found to be a practical alternative to asphalt concrete pavement for rural highways in many areas in Alaska. Construction costs are significantly less as a result of the elimination of paving costs and differences in the requirements for embankment material quality and thickness. Maintenance costs are found to favor paved roads where the embankment and original ground conditions are very good, but favor gravel surfaces where these conditions are fair to poor, and especially where permafrost thaw settlement is a maintenance problem. Dust control treatment of gravel-surfaced roads is found to be necessary for providing safe, high speed travel. The expense of such treatment is found to be partially, if not entirely, offset by the resulting reduction in the need for maintenance grading and surfacing gravel replacement. The report recommends that gravel-surfaced roads be given greater consideration in transportation planning for Alaska. It further recommends that the state adopt standard specifications for gravel surface course material, that a regular regraveling program for unpaved highways be initiated, and that Alaskan design limits on road embankment fines content be reexamined where the highway will not be paved. (FHWA)
-
Format:
-
Collection(s):
-
Main Document Checksum:
-
Download URL:
-
File Type:
