Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-11-18
A Road Making Experiment.


The experiment made at the New
Hampshire experiment. station In road
building is one of more than usual in
terest to New England rural communities.
The demand for some method whereby a
good road may be constructed at a cost
that will not preclude Its adoption in the
country towns, for main thoroughfares
at least, is an urgent one. The expensive
macadam road might be cheap in the end
but its first cost is so great that the ad-
vocates of good roads can make little
Roadway in getting it introduced In the
country. OF course it remains to be seen
whether this road constructed at the ex-
pertinent station will wear as well as is
expected. The bulletin gives the methods
followed in making 800 feet of expert
mental road near the college The road
has not been under trial, SO that the
bulletin at present Is valuable mainly in
its description of the methods used both
for gravel and for macadam roadbeds.
Such description serves to put our road
makers in possession Of the recognized
system of road construction. We quote as
follows:
-Four inches of gravel were placed
upon the surface Of two plots, one extend
ing 62]9 feet at the westerly end and the
other 1872 feet at easterly end 1875 feet of
a m 1A 4
with layer of broken stone to depth Of
five inches after rolling. OF this 125 feet,
%, commencing at the west end, had
gravel foundation. The next 621a feet
bad rock foundation divided as follows:
The south half was laid with flattish
stone eight to ten inches deep, set on
larger end and securely wedged together
by smaller stone driven into the spaces
between. The north half required an
average fill of about one and one-third
feet, and larger stone were Used there,
being packed together as closely as pos
sible and spaces between filled with
smaller stone and gravel. The smaller
wedged stone of the south half of the
road, forming regular Telford founda
ton, had already been covered.
'Easterly from the stone foundation,
for twenty five feet in length, the south
half was built up with some six inches of
gravel foundation, while the north half
was raised an average of ten inches by
clay overlaid with two inches of gravel.
The last twelve and one-half feet of
macadamzed road were graded from
three % twelve inches in depth with clay,
and the broken stone was placed directly
on this foundation. The hardened surface
was what is called light macadam, con-
sisting of layer of broken stone from
one aud onefourth to two and one-half
inches largest dimension, three and one
half inches in depth we'll rolled, followed
by layer from one-half to one and one
quarter inches in diameter, two inches
in depth, also we'll rolled. AS the
amount of stone dust available for surfac- |
ing was limited, layer of good packing
gravel one-half inch in depth was then |
added, followed by layer of stone dust |
nearly one-half inch in depth, and both |
were thoroughly rolled. During all roll |
ings the surface was kept well sprinkled. "
The cost Of making the several sections |
is given, forming part of the report that |
will be of most interest to those having |
in charge read improvements. The items |
of cost are named For these items
reference is made to the bulletin. The |
total cost is made up of the following |
general divisions of expense: Grading
800 feet $50 40; surfacing 1875 feet for
broken stono center and gravel sides,
Ss9.7S; surfaclng 175 feet with gravel
four inches in depth, SIS 40, and ditching
100 feet, S29.1S, making a total of
Sl91. A. This is at the rate of S240S to