Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1901-06-01
STATE ROADMAKING.
REPORT OF MASSACHUSETTS HIGH
WAY COMMISSION.
Cost of Construction Per Milc-Thick-
ness Of stone on Various SOils-Ex-
periments With store and Clay.
Repair Expense.

Cost OF Construction Per Milc-Thtck-
ness of stone on Various SOiIs-Ex-
periments with store and Clay.
Repair Expense.
The report of the MaSsa chusettS
State highway commission for the year
1900 shows that since its organization
in 1899 it has built 296 miles of i'm
proved road, about 46 OF which were
completed in 1900. Roads laid out and
nearly completed ut the close of the
year bring the total up to 316 miles.
which is only "a per cent of the total
OF 1874 miles for which petitions have
been filed. The petitions came from
pa towns and p cities. From 1894 to
1900, inclusive, the legislature has ap-
propriatcd S3,JO0,OO0 for the conStruc-
ton and repair of state highways, but
% per cent Of the total cost of new
roads is borne by the counties in which
the roads are located. Beginning with
the year 1900 the cost of repairs up to
500 per mile per year is assessed upon
the several towns; also beginning with
the same year the salaries of the COM
msSioncrs, the engineers, clerks and
assistants in their office and travelling
and office expenses, amounting to
500, 800 in all, were met by Il special
appropriation outside the 100000 for
construction and repairs.
AS to the depth of stone employed in
road construction the commission says:
The commission has estimated that nonporous
soils drained OF ground water at their worst will
1,,nI nf aI,o
irch and. having in mind these figures, the thick
ness of the broken stone has been adjusted to the
traffic. On road built OF fragments of broken
stone the downward pressure takes line at
angle of IS degrees from the horizontal and is dis
tributed over equal to the square of twice
the depth of the broken stone. II division of
the load in pounds at any point by the square
Of twice the depth of the stone give quOticnt of
four less. then will the road foundation be safe
at all of the year. On sand gravel the
pressure may safely be placed at 20 pounds per
square inch.
Acting this theory, the thickness of stone
state roads varies from to 16 inches, the lesser
thickness being placed good gravel sand,
the greater over heavy clay and varying thick
pesses other soils. In where the surfacing
exceeds six inches in depth the excess may he
broken stone, stony gravel or ledge stone, the ma
teral used depending entirely upon the cost, Ell
thcr being equally effective.
IOut SliNt u IL
atively scarce in Massachusetts. Where
employed it has been used as it came
from the bank or has been screened, or
in some instances it has been crushed
and screened and then laid like mae
adam. Mr.. Charles Mills, chief en-
ginCer of the commission, says:
The screened gravel roads easily maintained,
but rapidly, and the cost of rcsuTfaCing is
nearly great as the cost OF rcsurfacing a mae
adam road il does not seem to be economy to
continue their construction, except in localities
where stony gravel is abundant and broken Stone
available only at great expense.
Some interesting experimental road
work at Truro. in which stone and
clay were tried, is described as follows
in the report:
Three years ago an experimental road built
in Truro. This road of rounded beach stone
and clay 1t has shown good wearing qualities,
but, owing to the shape and size OF the stone used
its cost greater than would result from sub
stitutng broken stone for the gravel.
The experimental mile of road built two years
ago in Truro has proved a success and is we'll
worth a description. The subgrade is loose sand
There is practically surface loan the land
adjacent to the road. The drainage is perfect
There is not much frost during winters
and the traffic is small in volume and light. The
subgrade was shaped to the grade and cross sec
tion desired, and this spread clay, natu-
rally sandy. containing one part of sand to two
parts OF clay to depth OF two inches Over this
spread layer of broken stone three inches in
DEPTH the fragments varying in sizes from
half to one and one-half inches in diameter. The
broken stone was then covered with a layer of
clay inch in depth A long toothed spike
harrow was then dragged back and forth until the
clay ard broken stone were we'll mixed, and then
r,l Hal ,t.itI
two ton horse roller An occasional sprnklng of
sand since Its completion has prevented the clay
from becoming muddy, and the surface is reason
ably smooth and tree from loose stone.
The average cost of a standard nile
of road in Massachusetts was SS,9J1
for macadam and $7,074 for gravel
during 1900. BY n standard mile is
meant one with n stone or gravel road
way II feet wide, with shoulders three
feet wide shaped to the same cross
section as the broken stone" 1t should
be noted that these figures include
painted guard rails at steep embank
ments; also culverts of vitrificd or iron
pipe or of masonry where there Is
large volume of water. The commits
sion says that "there are several rca-
sons why the average cost of state
roads in Massachusetts is greater than
it is In other states" The first one to
be cited is the selection for early con-
struction Of ''the most difficult sections
on long pctitioned lines" Another rca
son is the legislative nine hour day in
Massachusetts against ten hours in
New Jersey and 20 per cent excess
in the cost of labor and teams. In
New Jersey, we may add, culverts and
bridges over permanent streams are
provided at county expense, at least in
the eastern part Of the state, while
guard rails are not usually erected on
the state road work.