The Iowa State Capitol Grounds 1913 Extension and Reconstruction Project, October 2012

The Capitol grounds have been evolving through planned and unplanned actions for more than 150 years. The 1857 Constitutio established Des Moines as the capital. The commissioners appointed to choose a site decided on land donated by Wilson Alexander Scott and Harrison Lyon. Located on the east side of the Des Moines River, on a gently rising hill, the site for the Iowa State Capitol began with fewer than 10 acres. The Old Brick Capitol was built in the center of that 10-acre plot, and the area to the north was used as a public park until work began on the present day Capitol. In 1884, the two-year process of moving from the Old Brick Capitol to the new Capitol began. The state commissioned John Weidenman to design the first formal decoration of the grounds. Weidenman’s plans for the west approach to the Capitol included planting statues, and walkways. The State held some additional land but not necessarily land adjacent to the Capitol. In 1909, legislation was passed, and in 1913, the Thirty-Fifth General Assembly enacted controversial legislation to acquire additional land. A commission was formed to locate a purposed monument honoring the long-serving U.S. Senator William B. Allison. E.L. Masqueray was hired as the architect expert focusing on the selection of a proper site for the proposed Allison Memorial. Masqueray’s plan detailed the placement of buildings and potential monuments. Growth of the Capitol Complex, as known today, began.

Load Ratings for Standard Bridges, HR-239, 1982

The load ratings for these Standard bridges were calculated in compliance with the 1978 AASHTO Manual for Maintenance Inspection of Bridges, using the appropriate allowable stresses for the materials specified by the Standard plans. Distribution of loads is in compliance with the Manual unless otherwise noted. Except for truss spans, all bridges with roadway widths of 18 ft. or less were rated for one lane of traffic. All 18 ft. roadway truss bridges were rated for both one and two lanes of traffic. All bridges with roadway widths exceeding 18 ft. were rated for two lanes of traffic. If the posting rating for two lane bridges was less than legal, then the bridges were rated for traffic restricted to one lane, or to one lane centered in the roadway, as noted on the summary sheet. The ratings are applicable to bridges built in accordance with the standard plans and which exhibit no significant deterioration or damage to the structural members, and which have no added wearing surface material in excess of that noted on the summary sheets and used in the calculations. The inventory and operating ratings were based upon the standard AASHTO HS20-44 loading. The legal load ratings were based upon the three typical Iowa legal vehicles shown on page 5. The legal load ratings were based upon the maximum allowable Operating Rating stresses specified in the Manual. Refer to notations on the summary sheets for additional qualifications on the load ratings for specific standard bridge series. Load ratings for standard bridges with wood floors must be based upon existing conditions of attachment of the wood flooring to the top flanges of longitudinal steel stringers. The ratings must be reevaluated if the existing lateral support conditions are not in accordance with conditions used for the rating and noted on the summary sheets. Details of most of the standard bridges are included in the three books of "Iowa State Highway Commission, Bridge Standards," issued in June, 1972. Copies of plans for those standard bridges that were rated, and that are not included in the original books of standard plans, are being furnished under separate cover with these rating summaries.

Alternatives for Rural Roads, HR-242, 1989

Much of the nation's rural road system is deteriorating. Many of the roads were built in the 1880s and 1890s with the most recent upgrading done in the 1940s and 1950s. Consequently, many roads and bridges do not have the capacity for the increased loads, speed, and frequent use of today's vehicles. Because of the growing demands and a dense county road system (inherited from the land settlement policies two centuries ago), revenue available to counties is inadequate to upgrade andmaintain the present system. Either revenue must be increased - an unpopular option - or costs must be reduced. To examine cost-saving options, Iowa State University conducted a study of roads and bridges in three 100 square mile areas in Iowa: • A suburban area • A rural area with a large number of paved roads, few bridges, and a high agricultural tax base and •A more rural area in a hilly terrain with many bridges and gravel roads, and a low agricultural tax base. A cost-benefit analysis was made on the present road system in these areas on such options as abandoning roads with limited use, converting some to private drives, and reducing maintenance on these types of roads. In only a few instances does abandonment of low traffic volume roads produce cost savings for counties and abutting land owners that exceed the additional travel costs to the public. In this study, the types of roads that produced net savings when abandoned were: • A small percentage (less than 5 percent) of the nonpaved county roads in the suburban area. However, net savings were very small. Cost savings from reducing the county road system in urbanized areas are very limited. • Slightly more than 5 percent of the nonpaved county roads in the most rural area that had a small number of paved county roads. • More than 12 percent of the nonpaved roads in the rural area that had a relatively large number of paved county and state roads. Converting low-volume roads to low-maintenance or Service B roads produces the largest savings of all solutions considered. However, future bridge deterioration and county liability on Service B roads are potential problems. Converting low-volume roads to private drives also produces large net savings. Abandonment of deadend roads results in greater net savings than continuous roads. However, this strategy shifts part of the public maintenance burden to land owners. Land owners also then become responsible for accident liability. Reconstruction to bring selected bridges with weight restrictions up to legal load limits reduces large truck and tractor-wagon mileage and costs. However, the reconstruction costs exceeded the reduction in travel costs. Major sources of vehicle miles on county roads are automobiles used for household purposes and pickup truck travel for farm purposes. Farm-related travel represents a relatively small percent of total travel miles, but a relatively high percentage of total travel costs.

Study of Type 'A' Asphaltic Concrete Surface Mix Design, R-232, 1968

In some asphaltic concrete mixes asphalt absorption in field mixes is difficult to predict by the routine mix design tests presently being used. Latent or slow absorption in hot mixes is hard to compensate for in field control due to aggregate gradations being near maximum density. If critical asphalt need could be changed by increasing voids in the mineral aggregate so that more freedom could be exercised in compensating for the absorption, this may aid in design. The voids in the mineral aggregate can be related to composite gradation of total aggregate in a mixture, i.e. if a composite gradation of aggregate is finer than that of maximum density curve, the V.M.A. will be greater than that of a mix of maximum density. The typical gradation of Iowa Type 'A' mixes is finer than a gradation which is near the centerline of the specification at sieves larger than the No. 30 and coarser at the lower sieve sizes. The mixes of the typical gradation will have higher V.M.A. than those of the near centerline mixes. By studying properties of the mixes of the typical gradation and comparing them with those of the mixes of maximum density, it may aid in the modification and simplification of our present testing methods and specification requirements while still maintaining control of quality of the mix by controlling voids, stability, gradation and asphalt content.

Issue review : fiscal year 2011 general fund budget projection.

This issue review provides an overall summary of Iowa's general fund budget. This issue review provides projections for the 2010 fiscal year and fiscal year 2011 budgets based on the October 7, 2009 revenue estimating conference's (REC) revenue estimate. The projection also includes the impact of the Governor's 10 percent across-the-board reduction to fiscal year 2010 general fund appropriations, and the Legislative Services Agency's most recent estimates of built-in and anticipated expenditures for fiscal year 2011.