HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION/TYPES OF BRIDGES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00047R000400490006-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 29, 2013
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: June 10, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

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CLASSIFICATION
"ikMo.
SECRET
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
COUNTRY ussR4 egolia)
SUBJECT 140way Construction/Types of Bridges
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE
ACQU I RED
DATE OF INFORMikTION
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THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION ASIECTINO THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF THE UNITED STAYER, WITHIN TON MEANING OF TITLE 5, SECTIONS 71))
AND 794r OF THE U.IU'CODE, Al AMENDED, ITE TRANSMISSION OR NEVE.
LOTION Of ITS CONTENTS TO OR RECEIPT I11. AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON 'IS
PROHIBITED NY LAW, THE REPRODUCTION OF THIS PORN IS PRONISITED."
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DATE DISTR./June 1954
NO, OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO,
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
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Construction Methods
1. The methods of highway construction were relatively primitive in
Siberia, and mechanized equipment was not introduced on any significant
scale 'until around 1935. After the initial surveying and -planning
stage,the roads were levelled end graded with mechanized equipment.
Any 'necessary blasting was done with' "ammonol". The roads were
constructed with .70 meter ditches on each side for the drainage of
water. All roads in Siberia were made with a surface of gravel and
9,11 the bridges were made of wood. Bridges were constructed at right
angles to a river, even if it Meant a sharp change in direction of
theptd. There were certain set regulations governing road construc-
tion Such as the regulations for steepness of grades which provided
third class roads with not more than a 7% grade, second class not
more than 9% grades, and first class roads with a maxima's of a 3-9%
grade. Any steeper incline would have to be skirted or zig zagged
in order to remain in conformity with the specifications. The
standard gravel depth of roads vas 17 am of gravel for third class
roads, and 29 cm of gravel for first and second class roads. The
road, beds of second class roads were ten- meters in width, with eight
meters the width of the layer of gravels. For third class roads
the widths were eight meters and six meters, respectively.
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MechaUstuipment
2. Mechsailzation.in road, construction was introduced about 1930 and. was
50X1 insignificant until about 1935 or 1936. in
50X1 1.930.' the Ministry of Road
Construction, equipment then
available,, z It , cons s ,,,. a ?two caterpillars and two mechanized
graders. No trained personnel to operate them were available, so
this equipment was virtually useless. During the following years
more mechanized equipment became available, as well as trained operating
personnel,
50X1 3. zn. 1935 a road in Mongolia between
Nizhniy U1'khun;(50u 03'N - 112" 571 z),326 kilometers to Undurkhs.n
which is on the Kern len river near Mangut (OD 1121N -1120 40'E) 50X1
had three., graders eadh with a tractor of 60 horsepower. The gra ers
used were all of the American type and. came in three different widths,
twelve feet, eight feet, and six feet. There were 15 Baker shovels
with a capacity of .75 cubic meters. Five of these shovels are
pulled in a column by one 60 horsepower Ch.T.Z. tractor, so there were
three tractors for these fifteen Baker shovels. There was also one
leveller (utyugi) of about t ton drawn by a 20 horsepower Ford. tractor.
Three Zit threta-ton tru4s irre also attached to this part of the
mechanized.'column, two Of"vihich V'ere used. for carrying gasoline.
There was one 12-ton 'Soviet.TtypedUger (ruter), as well as one or two
Other Soitettypect-tOn'liggere called rykhliteli. There was also one
i.age Soviet-type r plow:(kanavOpatali) weighing four tons' and drawn
"fiY, a Ch.. 0.Z.' traitor. In'the roUing 'column were six rollers 50X1
50X1 They used. oil rather than, (steam as fuel, due to. the 'steepness
Of the grades in'thia area. The transport column for this section of
road constrUction consisted of ten, caimans of twenty-five Zia trUcks
or 250 Zis. trucks altogether'. There were no bulldozers 50X1
50X1 thi6, area. The 'bulldbzere are vhatF7Lacked most. 50X1
flI?? larger sized graders, and bigger Baker shovels, as well as more
Oil-burning rollers. During this period of road. constrnetionr?lnever 50X1
had, adequate meahariiied eanipment or sufficient trained personnel to
operate ' their, from 50X1
50X1 1941 to 1943, stVpiiee.of mechanized equipment were even more
limited ;than thetVreiie in mOnfloila,i and this situation, is probably
prevalent throughout the USEtRe.
ROAdiThAilaing viaterisaa
4. The procument of :road building Materia.laAras divided into two groups,
those 'ProcUred from cental authority and/thoseprocured from the
local:ecOnOmy, The .'supplies prOcUreg from the central authorities We're
ianally;inidequate in amount and l'Ong, delayed in arrival, Materials
such i41., iron, cement, gasoline', Oil; road building tools and mechanited
equipment had to be procUred from -ai? central authorities. All of
them arrived. in inadequate amounts, especially iron, gasoline, and
ceMent. For lack of bolts and Other' iron fittings to 'hold logs to-
gether, it was sometimes necessary to construct bridges without .them
50X1 and then insert them when the sunnlies finally arrived,;/
ProcUrement involved long delays in orders being filled through central
authorities in Moscow. The military projects always 'got first preference
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and. the leftsover materials sieresiallooated to the. routine road .construction
projects. The instruments for surveYing sad other tools were often of.
poor
poor quality and. of odd,sizes, .6.onsa of which could not even be assembled .
Measuring instrUments were especially'-scarce. Tires, for the motor vehicles
were Of synthetic rubber and of such poor quality that they..were sometimes
after a week.
,
5. There were seldom any problems in the procurement of sufficient quantities
of the supplies obtainable from the local economy, such as wood, stone and
gravely During the ple.oning stage of road, construction, provision is made
for the yrocureMent of these locally.aviailable materials, and the only ,
problems we ever faced in this respest.was the matter of transportation.
Transportation was not handled by the' central authorities, but had. to be
arranged by the local constructiors crews .t It was quite usual to have to. go
thirty kilometers for supplies of woiod or gravel,/
Tecbeal '
6. One of the problems which l recUrredfreqUently was that the road,construc-
tion personnel "did not hava,adeigantss imstruntions as to standard. operating
procedures. Th,e result .Was trhe.t. the: supervisor was plagued constantly
by au.estione of =Satinet nature and worltwas delayed unnecessarily.
Even as routine a question of whether a stuitp had to,be removed, if it pro-
jected more than six centimeters above the bed of the road., would, be re-
ferred. to the superVisor, for, his decision. \ the standard
procedures -have been'formalised by not,. and distributed to the personnel
concerned. Another, major problem was, the lack of trained, technical person-
nel and the rapid. turnover ,of -those aseigned to a construction project., .
A technical person rarely stayed. is One place for more thansts.year before
he would manage to ,get, transferred, 'In ,the,,early thirties, the technicalk
personnel would. sometittes leave On ?.a vacation and. not reburnAs in those
days, labor aslidnments iwere notsitrietly controlled arld governmental
authorization for every-,change ofsIooation,was no-t lwittited_. During ttAe
early ?years of mechanization) front..1933 to 1935, technical personnel were
sent along to help operate the new equipment, but there was a turnover of
as limb, as 50* or them each year. This resulted in a considerable waste of
time in the 'braining Of new personnel, to ,operate the, equipment.
Climatic Problems
7. Climatic sOnditions in Eastern Siberia 'p,osed-epecial problems which neces-
sitated' the development of makeshift solutions. Reviler road construction
could, be carried out only from late May or early June to October. The.
extreme, frost and snow during the. six. Months from November through :April
prevented any progress from being made except in 'the building of bridges
and. of wooden buildings ,:or the workers and maintenance .crews,
8. One specisa problem caused by the harah:Siberian winter_ was ,the.
of the 1.se on the- rivers to mountAsis over the bridges. and make it impossible
to traVel along the roads in Winter. ice
50X1 had mounted up five meters above a bridge on a road near Lake Bayk?
This problem was fairly easily solved by noting the locations where this
freezing over Was likely to occur, and then putting in several 1.5 or 2
meter length wooden posts in the river bed somewhat upstream of the bridge,
so that the ice would build up around the posts.
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GRET ?
9. Thawing presented. no great problem for road construction in Eastern
Siberia ai Abe...ground below!4,5 mi.remained.froien all year: around. ?iflome
..difticultiescarosa in..conneationcod.,th%the :construction of bridges and
buildingS. tte. Coundatioxis. Tern Iembedfied in the earth ;about one, meter AA
'depith'cand' tended ?to 'wit ,,thkifrozen,,ground directly beneath them; in this
fashion, they :Sometimes sank 'beim( the level intended. Efforts were made
to line the lbottaits,of the ?,.found,ations. with rocks and 'ballast to prevent
. this" sinking, but-these effortamer&never wholly suCcesiaful4 'sometimes
bridges would get pushed up by the frost and subsequent thaw, and the road
would:have to eebuilt u. overhemuto. costpensatewfOn the rise. Snow
plows, snow` fences and..isnow...13orrierscivere .used to clear the roads of snow.
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Main:tenant:ten.
10. Tiliere...tare.,three different ?types:of ;road repairaty, .minor, medium, and.
:?capital4'? 141nor i.repaire were clandtnitekall .the :time by the regUlar.
maintenance crew .,to smooth,. ovei.ltumpfx,rand Minor deteriorations in the .
road. .11e4um repairs.Were,4condlicted.AbOut every five. years ,in ,Siberia
rt.4fill up 'larger-101es' iii..,the(,rnidt,reiMh,,freah gravel.. Medi* repairs
? ?amid usually brithSpregtaar,Aroad.,maintenance crew,
amortizes .with the. help, Of tlic,1oce.12,bighway ?adininistration. Capital
repairs tOokp/ace abOut ,everyiitmentyears.-;.depending. on how rapidly the
road. deteriorated, and. involved. the complete removal of the old gravel and.
?, its replacement:1g a new layer of gravel. For this type of repair the
c;regelar'Maintenancecrew had.'to.mcCei*.M.A00 frOm,',1ithe local highway
;.44iiptetritilout, &sainting. tba,.sen4iSiCtlitoin4li4.4111thiserY.
11.',,..Permenent maintenance crews were-',asSiigned to each road.. There was a
.road,master respottnible for. Maintenance if a section, (twenty-five kilo-
:metais, ,or fifty .kilosieters.for minor road.). Each road. master had a
brigade, of eight ttti ten workers under.' his eithority. Each of these
workers was assigned to a .section of the road. from two to five .kilometers
. in length to keep good .repair. Theft* workers lived .in small govern-'
exurt-built wooden' Wailes ..Vith. their right on the section of the
road toi..which,they.. Attie andigned.i, -4They received extremely low'-wages.ii
,additiert tothe'-goternitent :donated hOttse..and laud upon. which . it was built.
tniCr;., 1.;" L: ? .
noO.,Deterieration,...-
12 The .ro olia, along ??, bettauae . the ground was very irm.
The, traffic .14ta tiever:'",4447 i.heavy ;on) the Se roads, and .major deterioration,
if.',anyi....taticeisu3ed by 'teaks only. title, j: spite of the..simple
?i-ennstiudtian methods knaliein :Vapital repairs would be .necessary
,in.Ahosa' rare: dasetii. Ithete:the.,road clan as' the clay would
expand with the spring thaw and ruin the road; completely.
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13. three principal types' of bridges nand were 50X1
the Baliehnii, the Rigel' ,?-?and.Fornii,,,Crati type.'of bridge'. All three ,of
them had,ito MaXilitUe load of sixty toris;-alid, all were made of mood with
metal used, for bolts and..)Other fastening devices. The !Permit Gnu type
also features some steel supports in addition to .the wood, and it is the one
used. for the wider rivers. The most commonly used type bridge was the
? Balichnii. ?The Balichnii and Itigtil!' type bridges have either two or four
lanes; the Pencil. Gan always MS two-, lan.es, ?one for , each direction.
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