Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-08-15

stiSSl pavement uuSl. ASpUdlI s
which has the traits of gentleman:
it gives way without breaking, and IS
the better for it,
Eugene R. Cox. another Chicago
asphalt man, put it this way: A
frst-class street pavement should be
give the firmness, the surface the
cushion. Asphalt is the only
material known to man which will
give this combination and unless an
asphalt pavement has good founda-
tiol, and unless the good foundation
has a good cushion, the combination
| for a perfect street is not present.
That is why we asphalt roadmakers
put so much thought and attention on
| our street foundations"
Good Foundation Necessary.
When asphalt pavements were first
introduced the foundation consisted
of hydraulic cement concrete six
inches in thickness, with a wearing
surface of asphalt mixture two and a
| half inches in thickness when COM
pressed. But experience and tests
have shown that on light traffic
streets foundation and wearing sur
face can be made of less thickness.
1t also was found that the asphalt
wearing surface could be laid on a
foundation of old stone blocks, or
brick or mecadam which had been
consolidated and we'll packed by
years Of use. Thus in New York
over a million and quarter yards OF
asphalt pavement were laid on old
stone block pavement, and in Chicago
several fine asphalt pavements are
laid on old macadam foundations.
But in general street is graded
from the ground up for asphalt pave
ment. The Preliminary work begins
on the subgrade of the street, which
is carefully graded to within eight
and a half inches Of the finish sur
face. All spongy Or soft places n
the sub-grade are dug out and fresh
earth is filled in, rammed down and
well packed, and then a twelve-ton
steam roller makes the entire roal-
bed compact and solid.
A bed of hydraulic cement coli
crete, made of hydraulic cement,
clean, sharp sand and broken stone is
laid, six inches thick, upon the earth
foundation, and here is where good
work tells. If the concrete bed is
not well laid the wearing surface of
the asphalt roadway soon will betray
the dishonest character of the founda-
ton, for poor work. like murder, will
out
The asphalt blanket is laid on this
concrete foundation in two courses
the Cushion" or binder" and the
surface" coat. The street mixture
is brought to the work in carts and
has a temperature of about 800 de-
grees. The binder" is from one-half
to an inch thick and the surface coat
| varies from an inch and a half to two
inches in thickness.
How 'Tis Done.
The workmen handle the hot street
mixture with hot tools, for the
rakes, iron hampers, smoothers and
| other tools are always heated before
they are brought into use. Broad
| iron soles are strapped to the shoes
| of the workmen and the mixture is
| spread from Grub to Grub and tampAd
and smoothed to the proper thick
ness. A hand roller is first run over
| the mixture, then a fve-ton and
| finally a ten or twelve ton steam
roller is brought into play to pack the
| asphalt and make it even and springy
| Before the heavy rollers are passed
over the surface, hydraulic cement is
swept over the top coat and The
rollers press it into the mixture. TIL;
! street mixture is composed of from
Is to 20 per cent. of asphaltic cement
from 55 to 65 per cent. of sand and
from to IS per cent Of pulverized
carbonate Of lime.
Where an asphalt pavement is left
undisturbed little or no repairs are
made on it for years. But in large
cities where wires, gas and wat2l
pipes and sewers require the opening
up Of streets the asphalt pavements
frequently are torn up. In former
! years this proved to be a great obJec
IlOu W dSplIci1L pofiho. LIZ pAP>
! layers or sewer builders cut ou
patches Of the asphalt coating with
axes, and when they were through
the trenches were filled up and a new
coat of asphalt was laid On. The
most careful work failed to restore
the pavement to it's original homo
geneity and smoothness. So it wa
that asphalt streets were covered
with unsightly scars and soft spots.
But a bright man invented thu
surface heater" and now invisible
patches are put on asphalt streets a
we'll as on shoes. The surface heate
is a horizontal gasoline tank on Low
, iron wheels. A hood projects from
, this tank. and under the hood at
rows of burners. A hand pump TO
, COMPRISING air is attached to tn
machine, and the compressed al
forces the gasoline to the burners
The heater, which weighs about 70
pounds, is pushed to the spot wher
; the patch is to be put on. The hea
from the gasoline flames soon soften
, ! the asphalt, which is removed. FIRES
. asphalt mixture is laid on, and tn
!, new and old mixtures are intimatei
and thoroughly incorporated. TIL
patch is raked, tramped and role
until it is level with the general SUI
: face and in few days the patch Ia
disappeared and the pavement show
I. ! no signs Of having been opened.
4 Buffalo's Exhibit.
: In large cities asphalt road builde.
S - ;,,;. ,1o,+e :, which