TIME-SAVING IDEAS IN HIGHWAY ENGINEERING

IT BECAME APPARENT IN 1954 THAT A LIKELY EXPANSION IN THE NATION-WIDE HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM WOULD REQUIRE UTILIZATION OF EVERY ADAPTABLE TIMESAVING TECHNIQUE IN ORDER TO EXTEND TO ITS OPTIMUM THE SPECIALIZED PRODUCTION OF THE HIGHWAY ENGINEERS. IN VIEW OF THIS EMERGING NEED THE HIGHWAY RESEARCH BOARD'S COMMITTEE ON HIGHWAY ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION CONDUCTED A CANVASS OF THE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENTS OF THE 48 STATES, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, HAWAII, AND PUERTO RICO TO LEARN WHAT TIME- AND LABOR-SAVING METHODS, PROCEDURES, AND DEVICES THEY HAD DEVELOPED OR ADAPTED TO USE. NEARLY 300 HIGHWAY ENGINEERS RESPONDED, CONTRIBUTING OVER 1,500 STATEMENTS ON THE SUBJECT. THE CONTRIBUTIONS ARE NOW BEING SUMMARIZED FOR PUBLICATION. EVERY AREA OF POSSIBILITY SEEMINGLY HAS BEEN DISCUSSED IN THE RESPONSES. IT IS CLEARLY EVIDENT THAT NO SINGLE COURSE OF ACTION WILL AFFORD A SOLUTION TO THE COMPLEX SET OF PROBLEMS IN HIGHWAY ENGINEERING MANPOWER, AND THE MEMORANDA SUBMITTED SHOW THAT THE SEVERAL HIGHWAY DEPARTMENTS ARE SERIOUSLY ENGAGED IN RESOLVING THE PROBLEMS THROUGH COMBINED ADVANCE ON ALL FRONTS. /AUTHOR/