The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-03-05
GOVERNMENT ROAOMAKiNG.
Work a Construction Supplemented By
Lectures by m Expert,

Work a Construction Supplemented By
Lectures by IN Expert.
Several weeks ago the department Of
agriculture began its first experiment
in roadbuilding at New Brunswick,
N. j., under the direction Of E. B.
Harrison, special agent Of the office Of
foad inquiry.
The model road being considered 10
the first Of several which the govern.
ment is to build at the various expert.
ment stations throughout the country.
The government furnishes q rock crush
OK, screen, engine to drive steam roller,
spreading wagon and road grading ma
chine and two skilled operators. The
city furnishes the material. carts and
laborera
The road will be Of macadam pattern.
An inferior grade Of traprock is found
In abundance near New Brunswick and
this 10 being used in the substructure
Of the road. The superstructure 10 oh.
tained from the traprock deposits in
the neighborhood Of Plainfeld and the
Orangea
Tho model pavement will have q
depth Of about nine inches and the foun-
dation be made of small, wedge shaped,
broken stones Of az nearly the same di-
mensions 10 possible. The roadbed will
be prepared by thoroughly rolling with
steam roller weighing about ten tons.
Every hole will be carefully filed with
the same material that composes the
rest of the roadbed, and the finished
cross section will be formed by two
grades Of one foot in 80 feet from the
sides, uniting at the center, with the
apex slightly rounded. Four inches Of
crushed stone will be spread on the
carefully prepared roadbed to form the
foundation of the substructure. The
largest Of these stones will be crushed
20 fine as to be able to easily pass
through o two inch ring, and the small
est will be about half an inch in diam.
eter.
This foundation will then be sprin.
kled, making ;he stone as wet as posi-.
BILE without softening the roadbed, and
the roller passed over 1t few times
until the stone 10 only slightly disturbed
BY the teams returning with the empty
carts. The first foundation is not made
deeper than four inches, because 1t hai
been found that q greater thickness
causes the stones to "elbow" together
wearing of their sharp corners, making
tho bonding" which is the great de-
sideratum, o very slow process. II moi
an impossibility.
When the first foundation has beer
thoroughly sprinkled, second coat o.
similar stone three inches In thickness
will be applied. After the stone hal
been well "bonded" to this extent 1t viii
| again be sprinkled. and while very we
Q thin coating If traprock screening
will be most carefully spread over th'
surface, just thick enough to I'LL tn
small spaces between the stones. Th'
size of the stones Of this last applica
ton, which is called in the parlauce o
roadbuilding the "binder." will b
from half an inch in diameter to th'
finest dust. When the work has reaches
this stage, it viii be left untouched II
the dry state as long as practicable Il
harden and bind. The application q
water and the passage Of vehicles viii
be prevented as long as practicable.
AZ the work progresses Mr.. e. b
Harrison, who is directing the work to-
the department Of agriculture, will de
liver lectures explaining the process O
laying the road. Rutgers college stu
dents in the agricultural department
and farmers will be invited to atten'
tbe lectures and witness the work.