Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1902-07-16
POORLY DRAINED EARTH ROAD.

POORLY DRAINED EARTH ROAD.
expense. but in some places il is neces-
Sary FOR various reasons to increase
the grades TO > per cent. With the ex-
ception Of mountainous regions. where
sleeper grades are often unavoidable.
the aim should be. on all public high
ways which are Travelled 10y heavily
loaded vehicles. to keep the grade
down TO > or 4 per cent and never let
IA exceed > per cent. II the road must
De constructed out OF the materials
over which it passes. il is often posi-
hlc to select route where the soil is
touc: adapted for the purpose than
that found where first located. For
instance. soils adjacent TO the beds Of
streams or in morasses and swamps,
being close and pervious, are very diff
cult 10 surface and subdrain but
roltcS over such ground can often be
toided by locating the road upon
higher ground, where the natural
drainage is better.
Another consideration in choosing
the line Of travel is that roads on
slopes having n southern or western
exposure can be much more satisfacto-
rily and economically maintained than
those located on eastern or northern
slopes. Water is the most destructive
agent TO road, and yet if n few sim
pie principles are followed it can be
easily dealt with. Earth is more sus-
ceptblc 10 the action Of water and
more easily dissolved and moved by it
than any other road material. and for
this reason too much attention can
hardly bc given TO the drainage Of
roads. Drainage alone will often
change bad road into good one,
while. on the other hand, the best
road may quickly go to ruin for lack
OF drainage.
To drain road surface properly wa
ter should be got rid of before ii gains
force or Roadway or has time TO dam
age the road. 1t is just as economical
and far more practical for the road
builder TO put in four or five twelve
inch culverts at such points as may be
found necessary in mile of roadway
as il is TO carry the water along the
higher side Of the road a mile or more
and be compelled TO deliver il in a
twenty-four inch culvert. When water
is permitted 10 remain in the founda-
ton Of road through the winter, it
freezes. expands and loOscns the soil.
One hundred volumes of water make
when frozen 100 volumes OF ice. When
the warm spring weather comes. this
ice melts, and as there is no place for
the water 10 20 the ruts in the springy
soil become deeper and deeper until
wagons often sink to their hubs and
horses founder labOriously through the
resulting slough. The remedy, there
fore, is 10 get rid of the water i'm the
foundation OF the road, and get rid Of
II before il has time 10 soften the sub
structure or freeze. For this purpose il
is advisable TO construct horizontal
drains under the roadway, which
should empty into the open drains or
the natural water courses at frequent
intervals.
After the drains have been carefully
laid. the ditch should be half filled
with rough. broken stones or, if no
stones are available, with broken brick
bats. coarse sand, gravel. cinders or
some other imperishable material A
little hay. sod or brush packed around
the tile TO prevent silt from washing in
and clogging the drains will be useful
The ditch can then be tamped full OF
firm earth. Care should be exercised
in keeping the drains open and unob-
structed at outlets. Underdrains are
useless unless outlets are provided. for
If the outlet is INSTRUCTED the water is
kept standing in the drains until it
soaks in and softens the foundation.
Where the road is built on a steep
grade some provision should be made
TO prevent the washing OF the cutters
into deep gullies. This can be done by
paving the bottoms and sides of the
cutters with bricks or field stones. In
order TO make the flow as small as pos
sible i'm side bitches it is often advisa-
bic to construct frequent outlets into
the adjacent fields or streams, or. if
possible, TO lay underground pipes or
blind drains with screened openings
into side bitches ut frequent intervals.
The size of side bitches should depend
uFon the amount of water they are ex-
p"ctcd 10 carry.