Fw: 18-32: Costly Construction Failures

VIEW FROM HERE
By Bob McDowell (Born Neil Carson)
Number 18-32
COSTLY CONSTRUCTION FAILURES Week of 2018/08/06
It was somewhat bemusing, and concerning to read a headline in the
July 25
daily paper that carried the headline: "Segments of Cimarron buckle from
extreme
heat". The story was datelined 'Oklahoma City' and credited to Barbara
Hoberock of the Tulsa World, so she must be the Capitol reporteret. The
story
begins by saying "Extremely hot temperatures have caused portions of the
Cimarron Turnpike to buckle, the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority was told
Tuesday".
For those not familiar with Oklahoma highways, there are a number
of
turnpikes that have been built since the first, 'Turner Turnpike' was
opened in
the 1950s, to my recollection. The total 'lane miles' is in the several
thousand, a
'lane mile' is one lane of pavement for one mile thus a four lane 100 mile
highway contains 400 'lane miles' of road and in my mind paved shoulders
would be added.
This caught my engineering attention since there are older highways
that
do not seem to have that trouble and have lived through much higher
temperatures,
in the 'dust bowl' era of the 1930s. In fact, it is in my memory of driving
on a
section of old US 66 Southwest of Stroud that my eyes had witnessed being
built
in the 1930s with concrete. One difference was that the concrete was being
mixed 'on site' by a self propelled mixer. It was astounding to feel the
road that
old to be much smoother than the Turner Turnpike we departed at Stroud!! If
memory serves correct, U.S. 66 was the first highway in the nation to be
fully
paved across any state and that was Oklahoma.
In any event the story struck me as furnishing evidence that
something is
missing in the construction of highways in the recent 50 years or so.
Admittedly
trucks are much heavier, but the roads should be constructed so as to carry
the
loads.
Most of the non-toll roads in Oklahoma currently are in poor
condition,
that is something less than 'velvet rides'. In the recent Gubernatorial
Primary one
candidate stressed heavily that he would 'remove the tolls' to allow and
encourage
more business along the roads. There was not a time that I was able to pose
the
question "without the tolls how could they be maintained, since the non-toll
roads
are not kept up to interstate condition now?" Neither did anyone else to my
knowledge.
Another question arises that should be asked to the highway
officials and
engineers is: "If you cannot afford to build roads well enough to withstand
the
use, how can you afford to rebuild, repair, or replace them?" It should be
noted
that major airport runways handling multi-hundred thousand pound aircraft
landing at over 150 miles per hour seem to last far much longer, but the
paving
is as thick as 36" in some, particularly military and international flight
airports.
Also the sub-base for the paving must be well laid and packed in order to
prevent cracking and buckling under stress of weight and weather.
It has been noted that in recent decades the Turnpike Authority has
begun using asphalt as an overlay or replacement paving, which in my
engineering
opinion is more like using a 'band-aid'. Given the normal summer heat in
Oklahoma that is not the best material for the job. It seems that well over
50 years
ago a certain powerful politician was able to achieve rules requiring the
use of
asphalt for road paving. It is known to 'rut and ripple' under loads no
heavier than
a loaded pick-up when stopping or just repeated traffic in the Summer heat.
In short, if roads are built right, with adequate solid base and
drainage and
then maintained properly they should stay in useable condign for many more
years than now experienced. Another weather related detiorating practice is
the
use of SALT in winter months, as it will react adversely with the concrete
and
then will rust the reinforcing rods to destruction. There are other
materials that
will be more effective melters and will not rust the vehicles using the
roads and
streets. Also I have not heard of the environment organizations ever
raising a
fuss over the use of salt for roads like they do for other uses. Maybe those
individuals feel it is more important to them to have the roads salted for
their
convenience than protect the waterways.
In any event all the extra repair/replacement comes at major extra
expense
and thus tax increases and it is my opnion that we are already overtaxed,
particularly those of us in the lower income levels!!
END
Composed July 27, 2018
Robert W. McDowell, Jr.
841 Lynwood Lane
918-451-1051 Broken Arrow
OK 74011-8608
Email: abdmcfpi@localnet.com