The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-02-16


to give in a few years at most better
roads throughout the section undertake
ing it, and SO that the work done will be
of permanent nature and lead towards
a final condition of first class roads
believe the proper way, in fact the only
way, to begin is by building the best
roads possible out of the materials i'm
mediately at hand and for many years
to come the larger part of our roads
must be built in this way or not built at
all
The construction OF any road consists
of the following operations:
/. Location. q Grading. 3. Con-
struction of road bed L. Putting on the
surfacing material.
l. Location.-T will in most in
stances consist in making a relocation
OF roads already existing If their present
condition may be called existence. The
(pig track location of the olden time,
and the "hedgerow location" of more
recent years, which is, il possible. worse,
must give place to a location made by
an engineer with reference to the typo
graphy of the country instead OF line
fences and the value of land, 50 that the
grades may be reduced to some reason
able limit. This relocation of roads
should be made with as little change as
possible from their present position. but
in some places considerable change will
be necessary, and this will no doubt
meet with opposition on the part of in
diyiduals. But unless community
makes up its mind to let the road go
where ii belongs regardless of property
lines, etc, and has law which enables
them to do this, the best results of To-
cation cannot be obtained.
There are two things to be considered
in the location Of road Letween two
points. First. ii should go as nearly as
practicable in a straight line between
these points. Second, from conside IA tons
of economy it is frequently necessary to
vary from a straight line in order TO es-
cape the necessity of excessive grading.
TO avoid marshes and other distractions.
or to find suitable places for crossing
streams. In the mountains it will gen
orally be found necessary TO vary greatly
from the straight line to avoid steep
grades. In the middle section OF our
State the deviation need not DE so great,
while in the eastern portion long sec
tions of road can generally be made per-
fcctly straight. In either case route
must be selected which satisfies as near
II as possible the first condition OF direct
ness and which can be built at reason
able cost without excessive grades.
Therefore the location adopted viii de-
pend somewhat upon the amount of
money fer construction. And for cheap
roads the location must be so chosen
that the amount of grading will be small.
2. Grading.-Howeyer carefully the To-
cation may have been made some grading
will he necessary in the hill and noun
tain sections of our State. There are
several things 10 be considered in de-
Gliding what grade shall be given at
particular point. If the read is in the
main comparatively level it is important
TO keep the grade as low as practicable
for one steep hill may cut in half the
load which team could otherwise pull
over a long section of the road. If, OH
the other hand, the road runs through
billy section and ii has been necessary
to use steep grades at other points, we
should not go to great expense in order
TO make the grade very small az this par
ticular point. Steep grades can always
be avoided liz we are not limited as to
distance or cost of construction--by cut
ting through the hills and Cling in the
valleys or by curVing the road so as to
avoid them. Thus we sec that no fixed
rules can be given as TO either location
or grading. The Romans built their
roads perfectly straight at very great
expense to get the shortest line. At
later period it was argued that road
should be winding to make it agreeable.
The modern engineer or road builder is
not bound by either of the above rules
but has for his aim to get the bet road
possible out OF the money available.
1t is generally considered that six feet
to the hundred is the steepest grade al
loWable. But where the amount OF traV
al is small, and with light vehicles,
grades as high as ten feet to the hun
dred have been used. These steep grades
should be avoided if il is possible 10 do
so with reasonable expense or increase
OF distance, since they reduce the load
which a team can pull to about one
fourth or what it is on a level road.
3. Construction of Road Bed.-This
might with equal fitness, be called
Road Drainage" since drainage is the
important if not the sole object aimed ut
in constructing the road bed THE COS
PSI VI SOOu ROADS Is through uTdludBe-
The foundation ard road bed must be
drained, and the surface must be drained.
In all ordinary cases this may be accom-
plished by having bitches of sufficient
size and depth on either side OF the road
and giving the surface a good slope from
the center towards each sides Where
there is no grading to be done and the
ground Is reasonably firm the road bed
Is built simply by digging ditch on each
side and throwing the dirt to the centre.
If nothing more than this is done, the
in the road will repay
many times the expense incurred The
bottom of the side ditch should be not
less than 21a feet below the center Of
the road, and in fiat places which are in
clined to be marshy, the depth should be
greater The slope of the surface from
the center toward each side should be
81 of an inch to the foot or more In
wet spongy places it is frequently neces-
sary to make provisions for under drain
age in addition to the side bitches This
may be done with cross drains running
from the center to the side bitches, and
rlaced not less than two feet below the
surface. or by longitudinal drain placed
under the center. of the road from two
to four feet below the surface and
emptying to one side at the first oproi