The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-01-14
GOVERNMENT ROAOMAkING.
Work q ConstFsetisa Supplemented I
Lectures By IN Expert.

Work q constrsetisa Supplemented b.
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
soad inquiry.
The model road being considered is
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.
cr, screen, engine to drive steam -oller,
spreading wagon and road grac ma
chime and two skilled operator. The
city furnishes the material, cart ud
laborers.
The road will be Of macadam pattern.
An inferior grade of traprock 10 found
In abundance near New Brunswick and
this 10 being used in the substructure
of tho road The superstructure 10 OBJ
tanned from tho traprock deposits In
the neighborhood Of Plain6eld and the
Oranges.
The model pavement will have Q
depth Of about nine inches and the foun-
dation be made Of small. wedge shaped,
broken stones Of % nearly the Same d.
mensions - possible. The roadbed will
be prepared by thoroughly rolling with
Q 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
Gides. uniting at the center. with the
apex slightly rounded. Four inches OF
cfushed stone will be spread on the
carefully prepared r,adbed to form tho
foundation Of the substructure. The
largest Of these stones will be crushed
% iine "a to be able to easily pass
through Q two inch ring, and the small.
est viii be about half an inch in diam
eter.
This foundation will then be sprin-
kled, making .he stone N wet as posi-
bic without softening the roadbed, and
the roller passed over il a. few times
until the stone is only slightly disturbed
By tho teams returning with the empty
narta The first foundation IL not made
deeper than four inches, because IL has
been found that q greater thickness
causes the stones to ''elbow" together,
wearing of their sharp corners, making
the "bonding" (" which is the great de-
sideratum, very slow process. II nos
an imposdbility.
When the first foundation has been
thoroughly sprinkled, second coat Of
similar stone three inches In thickness
will be applied. After the stone has
been we'll "bonded" to this extent 1t will
again be sprinkled. and while very wet
q thin coating Of traprock screenings
will be most carefully spread over the
surface, just thick enough to I'LL the
small spaces between the stones. Tho
siDe Of the stones Of this last applica.
tion, which is called In the parlance Of
roadbuilding the "binder." will be
from half an inch In diameter 10 the
finest dust When the work has reached
this stage, it win be left untouched in
the dry state as long a practicable to
harden and bind. The application Of
water and the passage Of vehicles will
b prevented a long AZ practicable.
AZ the work progresses Mr.. E. B.
Harrison, who In directing the work for
the department Of agriculture, will de-
liver lectures explaining the process OF
laying the road. Rutgers college stu.
dents In the agricultural department
and farmers will be invited to attend
the lectures and witness the work.