UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



BULLETIN No. 555 



Contribution from the Office of Public Roads and Rural 

 Engineering, LOGAN WALLER PAGE, Director 



Washington, D. C. 



November 26, 1917 



STANDARD FORMS FOR SPECIFICATIONS, TESTS, RE- 

 PORTS, AND METHODS OF SAMPLING FOR ROAD 

 MATERIALS. 



As Recommended by the First Conference of State Highway Testing Engi- 

 neers and Chemists, Washington, D. C, Feb. 12-17, 1917. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 



Introduction 1 



Recommended standard forms of 



specifications for materials 5 



Recommended standard methods of 



testing materials 30 



Page. 



Recommended standard forms for re- 

 porting test results 38 



Recommended standard methods of 



sampling 45 



Index 53 



INTRODUCTION. 



With the joint participation of the Federal Government and 

 States in the construction of highways under the Federal aid road 

 act of July 11, 1916, it became necessary for the United States Office 

 of Public Roads and Rural Engineering to familiarize itself thor- 

 oughly with the practice of different States in highway work in 

 order to facilitate perfect cooperation. The construction of highways 

 may be considered under two main headings: (1) Materials used 

 and (2) methods used. The report of this conference has to do with 

 the first subject. 



As a result of a canvass of the various States made by circular 

 letter in the latter part of 1916, it was ascertained that less than 

 one-half of the States had proper facilities for testing materials used 

 by them in highway work, and many had no facilities at all. At 

 that time a large majority of the States indicated their willingness to 

 cooperate with the Office of Public Roads and Rural Engineering 

 and, if possible, to send representatives to attend a conference upon 

 the subject of materials used in highway work. After the conference 

 had been called it was found that many of the States which had 

 signified their willingness to cooperate could not send representa- 

 tives at the time appointed. However, a widespread interest in the 



88979°— Bull. 555—17—1 



