Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-04-01
THE IDEAL ROAD.
A Summary of the Essay That Took the
Pennsylvania University Prize.

on road construction and maintenance |
was won by Engineer Henry Irwin. |
The Chicago Herald thus condenses it:
First, as to location and construction.
In the older states, where few new roads |
are required, Mr.. Irwin thinks the ques-
,ion of location would generally become
Inc of alteration and alignment. when
hills are met with, rather than of com
plete new location. In locating high
ways in billy country it will generally
be found advantageous to follow along
water courses, and the advantage of
having the road run close to quarries
from which good road metal may be OBJ
tanned should also be kept in view
AS to grades, the steepest grades that
should be allowed on a public road is
one in twelve, and the length of such a
steep hill should not be more than 100
feet, in order that a horse may not be
overworked before reaching the top with
"A heavy load.
a grade one in fifteen may be permit
ted for about POO feet in length, but
should be avoided A long stretch of
perfectly level road should also be
dNOUlcu. III DOSSlDlt, do iltttO WdOSl lC-
quires fall of at least one in 100, or
one inch in ten feet.
Drainage is one of the most important
items in roadmaking. 1t is almost impos-
sible to make IA good road on a wet, yield
ing SOIL except at the expense of hav-
ing concrete foundation. Money spent
in securing good, firm, dry roadbed
will save vast amount of trouble in
attempting to maintain good surface
and to keep it clean. All roads should
have ditch OF drain about four feet
deep on each side.
Culverts to carry the drainage across
the road should. if possible. be made of
stone, as timber does not last long and
the caving in of wooden culverts is a
common cause of accidents. In all cases
they should be made larger than sutfi-
cient to discharge the greatest known or
estimated quantity of water which has
to pass through them. and their slope
should not he less than one in 100
Small culverts up to about feet 6 inches
square may be built of dry stone.
! Across all level lands the crown of the
road should be raised at least one foot
above the surface of the ground. And
Y in country roads, where extreme econ
|; omy may be necessary, the central part
$ of the roadway may be macadamized
i for width of only eight feet, and the
). entire roadway may be less than twenty
: feet wide. On roads for considerable
h traffic the macalanized portion should
/: be sixteen feet wide, thus leaving space
= enough for vehicles to pass without al
Il ways going into the same track and
> wearing the roadway into ruts.
J, When bank has to be made of soft
clay it is well to lay two inch planks
over the roadbed before placing the
stone on it, as the clay cln then consoli-
date before the wood rots away sutfi
GENTLY to let the stones get out of level
= The slopes of all cuttings or banks
should be sown with grass seed to pre-
j. vent their being washed away by rain
If or damaged by frost. The roadbed
) when brought to the required grade
should be rolled several times and g
t. roller of not less than ten tons in weight
ne should be used. If gravel is used the
y gravel should first be screened so as Il
. remove all stones of more than 81.
Of inches in diameter; the remainder
'e should be screened again to remove al
r. earthly matter and the small grave
which may be less than three quarters
10 of an inch in diameter
The gravel should be put on in layers
the bottom layer four or five inches thicl
= and well rolled, and the next layer tire,
or four inches, also well rolled. If
roller is not obtainable the first laye
should be allowed to remain till packed
II. together by traffic before the seconC
layer is spread. When ruts appear tn
;oii should be Immediately filled in, a.
traffic directed over all parts of the roo
IT, by putting logs or large stones on ii
in parts most Travelled over till the whol
OF surface becomes consolidated.
~. Under the head of maintenance q
IA roads Mr.. Irwin treats at length G
d Cleaning the roadbed," "Repairin
Id the surface" and Cleaning out tn
I" drains or water courses at the edges O
lis the roadway" On macadamized roads
where horse machines are not used
hand machines, such as are used in Er
rope, are most economical. Thes
of scrapers are used by two men and ar
about five feet wide. Two men with
ed scraper can clean more road surfac
OF than four men with hoes, as the actio
ali of the machine is continuous. 1t is NJ
ib' we'll to clean a macadamized road to
set closely or to sweep it too clean either
ill mud or dust, as the stones may get loos
of on the surface.
1m On the country roads, when repaired
p; no road scrapings should be put on I'll
he new stone, as it will prevent it frol
prs binding and become yielding, uneve
surface. The best time to apply tt
A. stone is during wet weather in the sprin
. and fall. The cleaning out of draiI
and water tables should be done in tt
spring before the spring thaw sets il
and in the fall all weeds and grass
the bitches should be cut and the Gu
'"- verts and bitches left in good shape fl
the the winter.
hin The following table gives the approx
VI mate percentages which can be draw