Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-05-02
THE PAVING PROBLEM
WHAT AN ENGINEER SAYS OF THE yARl'
GUS FORMS OF ROADS
The Experiences Of the City Of London With de-
Strssts-Ths Cost and Life Of Material.
General Notes.

The recent publication OF two or three
articles relative 10 the brick psvements, as
laid down in this ard other cities, makes
the following from late number of the
Engineering Ne,cs Of considerable interest
to taxpayers in this city
"At late meeting of the London Socie-
ty of Engineers, paper was read upon me
shove subject by Mr. George X. Strachsn.
The paper was confined TO town roads I'M
der heavy traffic and the cost given applied
to the metropolis. The standard OF traflc
weight adopted IVES tons per yard OF widtn
Der sixteen hours. McAdam roads had
narrow limits in heavy traffic, and modern
practice differed from McAdams' practice
in three things in the use of II: First
binding material; standardization
and tbird-pavements. AS TO the use oil q
binding material McAdam obtained II
from the wear of the stones under the trai'
ic whereas modern road masters added II
at once, and claimed that thslT
I
human and expeditions. AS to
foundations, their use gave equal carrying
capacity at a less expenditure of material,
and was therefore more scientific. AS 10
paved roads, which McAdam regarded al
an actual evil, modern road makers claim
that their use was necessary under neavy
traffic. A McAdam road was mass oil
inferior concrete, made with small stones
and plastic birding material Of dirt, and
was rot body to stand severe frame
McAdam roads, as made II the metropolis,
with hard core and broken granite, cost
from three shillings ten and one-hali
pence, to five shillings per square yar6. a
two and one-iourth inch stone was suit
able for heavy traffic. Granite clippings
were not suitable binding material, and
A concrete foundation did not add to the
life of the surface. The repair of McAdsm
roads. with two inches OF new stone, cost
one shilling per square yard. The ratio oil
cost to traffic was rapidly increasing one.
When Picadilly was McAdam road the
annual cost of msintsinin~ 1t was four
shillipgs per square yard, which for a
road thirty-six feet wide, equalled
"a. 224 per mile per year. The true prin-
cipal Of road construction WIS to make the
! foundation the real road, and the ma
terisl thereon, wearing surface only. It's
use secured economy in construction and
maintenance. Roads should be made to
suit the vehicles using them, and not the
vehicles the roads. A concrete fonda
ton four inches thick would carry six
hur dred tons per ysrd per day without
deterioration. 1t should be constructed
carefully, accurately and scientifically, for
it was the actual road. Asphalt, as a
wearing surface was the best in use to-
dsy, as it posses sed The advantages, OF dur
ability, cleanliness, economy ard health
fulnets, which outweigbs Its slippiness.
When laid two and one-fourth inches
thick it gave life Of fifteen years in
Chespside at cost o; thirteen shillings
per ward. The first cost Of such road,
thirty.six feet wide, equalled el2, 1873 per
mile, and tine average annual cost for
repairs equalled 1928 per mile. The
asphalt could be renewed at half
the original cOet, and the life OF
fifteen years was again before 1t. Wood
was useful wearing suffice, and Swedish
yellow deal had given ten years OF life un-
der q traffic of 600 tons per day, and the
wear had not exceeded three inches. The
cost was nine shilliDgs ak pence per squaIe
yard. rot taking credit for old material,
and the annual cost for repairs was three
pence per square yard. The first cost OF
such road, thirty-six feet wide, squalled
50, 932 per mic, and the annual average
cost of repairs oquslled e264 per mile.
Soft woods were preferable to hard woods.
CreosotiDg blocks added to their life, and
were advisable for severe traffic. Wood
was not suitable for light traffic. Stone
pavements were practically prohibited by
the noise they made. A three-inch by
seven-inch Guernsey granite paved road on
con creie, cost fifteen shilliDgs per square
yard, and gave fifteen years life. The
first cost OF such road, thirty-six feet
wide, would be el5, $40 mile, and the
annual repairs esS per mile"