Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-07-13
BRAMBLETON BOARD
Its Members Investigated Asphalt
Pavement Construction Yesterday
whore improvements Arc Being
Mndc-Tbo Board Very Fnvorabiy
Impressed.

The members OF the Bramblcton Lo-
cal Board. with the exception of Messrs.
Mamshre. J. o. Reed. Sterling and
Frank II. Gale. yesterday visited that
portion of the Norfolk Companys lands
where extensive and valuable improve
ments are in progress in the line of as
phalt paving and the laying of cement
sidewalks.
This work is being done by the War
ren-Scharf Asphal; Paving Co. OF New
York city, under the direction OF Mr..
J. z. HUMPHREYS. The company's gem
eral soliciting agent, Mr.. Arthur Brad
ley. is in the city at present ana pro-
vided Il bus to take the inspection par
ty to the scene of operations and back
10 Norfolk.
The party was taken first TO the port
able asphalt works of the company
which are located on Colonial avenue
a. the CRANKY street switch OF the Nor
folk and Western Railroad. The works
are supported on two large car trucks
and are very ingcniousiy constructed
With Il view to ready transfer to any
part of the country by rail.
Here the party witnessed the prspara-
ton Of the asphalt composition that Is;
applied over the concrete foundation.
This composition is made up of 20 per
cent. fine sand, 10 per cent. lime dust
and 10 per cent asphaltum from Trini-
dad island.
1t is thoroughly mixed by ingenious
machinery, and comes out ready for use
at Il temperature of about 800 degrees
Fahrenheit. placed in dump carts and
carried to the point where ii is to be
used.
THE FOUNDATION.
The roadway is first graded. rolled
and crowned. The concrete. composed
of crushed granite, sand and Portland
cement, is then evenly applied Ton this
particular job four inches thlck). The
mass is then tamped down by hand and
sets quickly. forming the roadway
practically, rs the asphalt is merely to
give smooth, desirable surface.
The concrete mixture is composed Of
two parts sand. one part Portland ce-
ment and four parts of crushed granite.
II is mixed by hand on large sheet iron
beds, with water added rs required
UNDER FIVE TONS PRESSURE.
The asphalt composition is laid two
inches thick on the concrete founda-
ton. spread by rakes, rolled over first
with small hand rollers. busted over
l,
with ordinary house brooms. and then
rolled with a fvc-ton steam roller. In
ordinary cool weather n roadway ST
prepared is ready 10 stand the wear
of travel in a hours. but in hot wealth
or it usually takes a little longer. as
travel should not be permitted until the
heat of the fire has left the compost
ton. The granite being used comes
from Port Deposit. Md.
CURE AND GUTTER.
The curb being constructed is a COM
bined curb and gutter OF concrete. IA
inches of gutter and inches of curb
The roadways are SO feet wide, curb
and cutters included, and have n inch
crown.
The sidewalks being laid are fee;
wide and like the usual concrete walks
of the best kind
THE PRESENT WORK.
The present improvements Of the
Norfolk Company in laying cement
.roa always and concrete sidewalks in
clude fcdgate street. two blocks finish
ed and one unfinished: Raleigh street
four long blocks. nearly all finished
Boissevain street, two blocks, all fin
ished; Manteo street. three and one
half blocks, all finished except about
! % feet. and Blow street, on which 125
The work was begun about May 18th,
and will be completed in about one
more week. The Norfolk Company
contemplates extending Boissevain ave-
nue. 325 feet toward Colonial avenue.
With this work the company will have
POOL square feet of asphalt roadway
$4,000 lineal feet of combined cement
curb and gutter and 6666 square yards
OF new concrete sidewalks.
EXPERIMENT ON DUKE STREET.
The Warren Scharf Company pro-
poses to give the public a sample OF as
phalt pavement down town. Mr.. Hum
phries has for his company, proposed
to put an asphalt surface on that por-
ton of Duke street that lies below
TaZewell street up 10 the portion of
Duke street recently closed by the c.
N o. tracks. This surface is to be laid
directly on the existing cobble stone
pavement there. as an Illustration how
q rough cobble stone pavement can be
readily converted into an excellent,
smooth asphalt pavement
THE BRAMBLETON STREETS.
The Brambcton streets to be improv
ed are Brambleton and Park avenues.
Al present these streets have stone
curos and cutters and shell roadways.
Inc members OF the Local Board ap-
peared to be much pleased with what
they saw. They questioned closely re-
garding first cost of asphalt having.
durability. cost Of repairs, etc. and
viii have much valuable informal ton
to aid them in deciding what they deem
best for future street construction in
Brambleton Ward.