Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1901-03-15
MAKING DIRT ROADS.
THoRoUeH DRAINAGE or UTMOST
IMPORTANCE.

not necessarily require the supervision |
of an engineer. but simply the exercise |
OF horse sense by the builder, says W. |
X. Colt In the Kansas Farmer. A
thorough knowledge OF drainage and |
the results obtainable must be his first |
consideration. How TO handle the
storm water and quickly dispose of IL
before IL can penetrate into and
through the roadway must be his CON
slant study.
To obtain dry subgrade on which
TO build his roadway will also he a
factor in his success. Covering In the
form of sOds. clOds and weeds or Vege-
table matter of any kind that Will re-
tain the moisture will tend 10 make
his work failure.
In preparing the subgrade for his
road he should pillow and scrape out on
each side the sod and rich underlying
soil, shaping up the roadway from the
subsoil underneath. after which this
rich soil that has been laid aside
should be carefully freed from sod
and spread on i'm an even layer over the
surface of the subgrade he has con-
structed, as it will effectually prevent
washing of the roadway 10y storm wa
ter and the carrying away of material
ny the wheels of vehicles.
The contour Of the roadway should
not be that of an are or the segment OF
circle. but should slope in straight
lines from the center to the outside of
the ditch on either side. In fact. Their,
should be no ditch. but the outside of
the roadway should simply Ice lower
than the center. as bitches tend to con-
fine the water and cause the washing
away of road material. If the roadway
Is round instead of running ON slopes
from the center TO the outside of the
ditch. there Is a shoulder on either side
which would prevent the water from
quickly flowing from the apex 10 the
ditch. This shoulder, from constant
travel In the center of the roadway and
wearing away of the material by vehi-
Giles. will he Increased as time passes
and eventually prevent all storm wa
ter that falls on the roadway from
reaching the ditch. retaining 1t in tho
ruts to soften the roadway
Where the road builder encounters
soft ground in the subgrade such places
should be thoroughly and properly
drained by the use of drain tile laid
along the center of the roadway on one
or more lines TO culverts intersecting
across the road. thus draining and dry
ing out the subgrade and giving a Try
foundation on which TO build, as the
moisture under the roadway would pre-
vent permanent work.
The width of the roadway should be
determined 10y the travel. On ordinary
| country roads a width of 20 feet from
| outside of ditch would he ample. A
roadway of this width. properly grad
ed, with sufficient height and slope tn
drain quickly, with stor:n water speed
| lily disposed of in the side bitches.
would give drainage and dry road ex-
| cept during storms.
The tendency of most rOaImakers IS
! W hlE VII tiAt NIblt tx VI way W.
cause ii belongs TO the township. go
! Ing from hedge to hedge, blowing and
scraping and disturbing the settled
| condition of the soil, thus losing anau-
! ally vast quantities OF valuable mate
! rial for road construction, which. be-
! ing constantly washed out. eventually
| brings the road TO lower level than
the surrounding lands. making it ca
nal instead of roadway and forcing
all water from the adjacent lands into
the canal and on to the road.
On comparatively flat lands where
slope is slight and water moves slow
ly, all grading material should be tax
en- from the lower ditch, and culverts
should be supplied wherever water
ways occur. The tendency of road
workers to attempt to carry water
long distances in upper bitches should
be discountenanced. as Ii seeps through
and into the roadway, softenng the
grade. The only obstruction TO the
flow of water down these slopes should
be the grade, which would force the
storm water into the low places, where
it could quickly be put across the road
with proper culverts. In fact. on fiat
lands there should be no upper ditch
as the grade would be a sufficient OBJ
struction to the flow of water down
the slopes, forcing ii into and through
the culvcrts to the lower ditch.
The location of these culverts de
ponds entirely upon the lay of the
ground. The size of the pipe used is
determined by the fall. The capacity
of the pipe is determined by the veloci
ty of the water in it. All fall should
be increased If possible by having eli
Their no ditch or a very shallow one Oh
the upper side of the roadway.
Road builders should conserve fal
at every opportunity, increasing 1t II
possible. thereby decreasing the size
of the pipe required and lessening the
cost of the culverts. 1t is just as eco
nomical for the roadmaker to put IL
five y inch pipes at intervals along 9
mile of road as it is for him to carry
the water along the roadway in the
upper ditch mile or more and be com
PEELED to use Il "a inch pipe If III
were to put the water across the roa(
in short runs where low places exist
ed, he would then prevent that mucl
seepage from softening the road. Ii
fact well drained road Is usually {
good road, excepting where sand oc
ours.