The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-01-15
FOUNDATION FOR PAVING.
Exhaustive Study of the Much
Mooted Question.
ENGINEER BROOKE UPHELD,
The Engineering News Gives IN
qualified Endorsement. The
Cost of Paving With and
Without CobbIe Founda.
dations.

AS the mattor OF providing some
kind OF foundation for the street
paving IN this city has been the
subject of considerable discussion,
HE VIRGINIAN has deemed 1t expe.
dent TO make some enquiries on the
subject, with a view of placing be.
fore the public all the information
obtained. 1t appears that the ques.
ton was first raieed by Mr.. Frank
busch at meeting of the Board OF
Street, Sewer and Drain Commits
sioners, where he advocated the
doing away with all foundation, on
tho plea OF economy. MIR. Brooke,
the City Engineer, opposed this
method as return 10 what had
proved an expensive failure and
claimed that if true economy was
desired it could only he found in
bettering Of all foundations instead
OF abandoning them. In this view he
WAS UPHELD VIGOROUSLY
by Mr.. John Couper, but not having
himself vote, Messrs. busch
aud Kellinger, majority OF
the board. carried tho propo.
sltion. SO important did MIR.
Brooke deem this question that
he begged the Board, if they were
IN doubt ss to the correctness of his
views, to submit the question o any
competent authority on the subject
they might select. This the board
unanimously consented to. and the
City Engineer was directed to CORES.
pond with the "Engineering News"
the recognized authority on all such
questions. Tho ''Engineering News"
IN no uncertain terms
ENDORSED MIR. BRooKE's VIEWS.
The whole correspondence is an
interesting one, aud as it 10 a matter
OF record HE VIRGINIAN may pub
| llsh 1t at some future issue. How
ever 1T has obtained from tue record
| the following facts, which can be
had by any one else who chooses to
apply for them:
| First Unionsstreet WAS paved by
the present board with cobble
foundation and cleaned up at a cost
OF Sl.S2 per square yard, 10 cents
per square yard of which or accu-
rately S320.74 Is charged to the
foundation. Next Chapel street was
paved without foundation, but
with tho sidewalks blocked up with
the unmoved cobble, not only lu-
oonveniencing the property holders,
but endangering life and limb and
making possible suit for damages.
1t cost over Sl.79 per square yard
Provided the board eau get the
600 or TOO loads OF cobbes hauled
away for ST., the street will have cost
exactly what Union street did with
its foundation. Here at least the
plea OF economy seems to fail.
Ono writer cites n comparison be.
tween Commerce street and Main
street, from tho Atlantic Hotel west
ward, claiming that the former,
though recently paved, has failed,
while the latter has borne
LONG AND SEVERE TRAFFIC
without signs of wenr. The City
Engineer says, on the contrary, that
Commerce street WAS paved in 1889
and that, owing to the street having
been opened just before, with three
or four deep trenches throughout it's
entire lengnt and cross.cut for
house connections, it was scarcely TO
be hoped that, even with the found
alton. tho street would last five
years without repairs, yet it has
done so. Main street, where cited,
however, except that part from New
| ton street to the wharf, which is
paved on foundation OF thorough
ly packed and amalgamaled shells,
has been
REPAIRED TIME AND AGAIN
| during the last five years and has
| twice been relaid from curb to curb.
the present paving being not much
more than six months old There ia
| no one who has at all observed the
matter will question but tia, Com
merce street, until the removal of
the market last year. bore as heavy
traffic as any street in the clty,yet
to day TO the experienced eye 1t
compares more than favorably with
| West Main street.
Another writer cites various
streets as examples of tue durability
OF pavements without foundation
upon the ordinary loan underlying
our streets. These streets arc as iol.
lows:
u First. City Hall avenue, not yet
TWO years old, but paved on
MASS OF OYSTER SHELLS
rolled in layers as the street was
raised until the foundation was al
most lime stone monolith. Here
OF course no foundation was re
quired.
Atlantic street no foundation 70.
CURED for the same reasons that ey-
isted on City Hall avenue, and not
much over six months old.
Plume street cited as an example
OF an Old pavement under heavy