Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1904-08-25
CEMENT SIDEWALKS
The Proper Manner of Construe.
ton and Approximate Cost.

ton and Approximate Cost.
To construct and repair sidewalks
entails expense upon every town in
the country. That cement walks are
the cheapest and best, has been estab-
lished beyond peradventure. The
policy of laying board walks should
be discontinued at once and forever.
1t is inexcusable extravaganza. The
following from the Madison Democrat
should be OF interest to the citizens of
Mineral Point:
"The general tendency of sentiment
in Madison is toward having the
walks of the entire city made of ce-
ment. Work is carried on incessaHt-
lv and some contractors have had to
increase their forces in order to care
for their orders. The contractors
seem to be actuated by the proper
spirit, in that they are using first
class material, in compliance with
city ordinances. First class workman
are also employed. For large cen
tract work cement walks are laid for
l0t and IL cents square foot. On
the ordinary length of sidewalk Il
cents is charged. Some of the newer
contractors do little extra work
such as curbing and other small
strips as an iuducement free of charge.
Sidewalks being five feet and four
inches wide, linear foot of walk cost
Ga cents, calculating at the usual price
II cents square foot. Thus, II one
has half lot, his sidewalk would be
33 linear feet, costing $2l.l2; or a full
lot would cost $42.24 for the walk. A
full lot or a corner would cost to lay
cement walks Sl26.72. This is about
twice as much as board walk costs
but the cement outlasts the board
walk so many times that it is eXtrava-
giant to build of lumber.
"While work has been carried on
in all parts of the city, it is noticeable
that walks around the capitol park
are not all cement. City Engineer
Icke establishes grades for all the new
sidewalks, but when seen yesterday he
said that no record of them Is kept by
him so that the extent of this work is
not officially ascertainable.
"Section Al of chapter 10 OF the re-
vised ordinances of Madison says:
mo cement shall be used in the
construction of sidewalks on any
street or alley unless the same shall
comply with the test for Portland ce-
ment drawn up by the committee on
masonry and approved at the fifth an
nual session of American Railway
Engineering and Maintenance of Way
association at Chicago.
ut hn lot
stipulated are for strength, soundness,
and time of hardening. The tensile
strength of cement is tested by pulling
apart square block of it by special
machine, which registers the number
of pounds of exertion required to
break it. Cement should, according
the requirement of the test, harden
within one hour and half, Sound
ness is determined by the resistance a
small quantity of hardened cement Of
fer TO strong sunlight, which in case
the cement is not strong, causes it to
crumble.
Before cement is layed it is tested
by the city surveyor or satisfactory
evidence is furnished him that the ce-
ment proposed to be used conforms to
the requirements of the test. The city
ordinance requirs that after the sur
face of the natural soil shall have
been graded to the proper depth ac-
cording to the level established by the
city surveyor layer of clean fire-box
cinders or gravel to the thickness Of
seven inches, shall be spread as a
foundation. Upon this foundation a
layer of concrete, four inches in
depth, made by mixing one part of
American Portland cement, three
parts of clean sharp sand, and five
parts of broken stone is placed. Be-
fore the concrete is set, wearing
coat of one inch, made by mixing one
part OF American Portland cement
and one and half parts of crushed
granite screenings is spread over it..
1t is also required that cement walks
shall be cut in definite blocks, SO that
the separation between each block is
perfect and distinct. On residence
streets walks are required to be at
least five feet and four inches wide.
The city surveyor determines the