CHAPTER 5.22
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PAVING
4n important part of the work required for the development of the
Proving Ground was the work of paving large areas surrounding the ‘tower
sites, of surfacing roads, of surfacing airstrips, and of prowiding
dust palliative treatment for control of dust in parking areas and
certain scientific structures.
This large cost item was of parti
a
near
interest to J-Division and required careful study, particularly in view
of the reported difficulties with paving on Operation Sandstone.
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PAVING MATERIALS
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Considering the type and condition of materials, weather conditions
at the site of operations, and the great transportation and handling
problems involved, it was evident early in the design stage that the
most economical and practical solution from an operations viewpoint
would be the selection of one material suitable for all of the operations mentioned above and relatively easy to handle and transport in
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oceangoing vessels,
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Available weather data indicated that temperatures to be expected
ranged between 106°F and 68°F and annual rainfall was approximately 8&0
inches per year, equivalent to the wettest locations in the United States.
Like many atolls in the Pacific, the islands comprising Eniwetok
Atoll are formed entirely of coral, either in the form of ledge rock or
c¥arse sand, which is found mostly on the beaches.
Because of the
limited area and low surface elevation of the island, it was assumed
that much of the aggregate for paving purposes would come from reefs or
areas frequently inundated by high tides.
It was expected that this
aggregate would contain a high percentage of moisture, even after pro-
cessing by crushing and sereening.
Prior to September 1949, it was a moot question as to what binder
material should be used in combination with the coral aggregate to produce the most economical and suitable pavement, but it was the consensus
of opinion that one of the many widely used asphaltic materials produced
commercially in the United States would meet the requirements more satisfactorily than any other cementing material.
It was generally understood that the scientific groups had a preference for a hot-mizx, hot-laid asphaltic concrete paving, particularly
for the surfacing of the test areas surrounding the towers, referred to
also as sero areas.
A conference was held on September 21, 1949, in the Los Angeles
offices of Holmes & Narver to outline the procedure to be followed in
evaluating asphaltic products so that the most sconomical and desirable
binder material might be selected.
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Ten representatives, including the
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