Graham guardian., 1904-04-29
HIGHWAY BUILDING
The CONSTRUCTION AND Mantle
NANCE or CLAY ROADS.

some Points by n Michigan Road
Engineer = How They should Be
Drained and Crowned--Treatmen
of sand Highway.
Clay and all glasses Of wet roads
need thorough draining. says Frank r..
Rogers. consulting engineer Of the
Michigan highway commission, In Good
Roads Magazine. Where there is much
surface water large open bitches must
be provided. 1t Is important thai these
bitches have sufficient capacity 10 han
die all ordinary storms without flooding
the road. They should have continuous
grades and free outlets 10 the natural
water courses intersecting the roads. Il
may be necessary TO improve these wa
ter courses for scme distance outsid'
the road allowance to prevent baciwa
ter. When necessary this requirei,en'
should not be neglected.
Such bitches should be located alun
the side OF the road from which the
most water comes, so as TO prevent rs
much water rs possible from soakine
into the roadbed. Large open ditcL' :
may be placed between the regular gut
ters and the fence line, With oecilsionh
openings through the. shoulders be
tween the cutters and the main bitches
When large deep bitches are iocate1
alongside the roadbed they should b
protected by suitable guard rails.
All springy places and most clay
roads will be improved by under
drains, To be of the most value their
trenches should be filed with cinders
coarse gravel or broken stone up TO the
road surface; otherwise the road be
/ comes puddled ON the surface and pre-
| vents q great deal of water from enter.
ing the drains. Two lines Of tiles from
Nwo to three feet deep parallel to tEe
cenl2r line of tile road and from eight
10 ter feet distanton either side win he
found of great value TO all clay roads.
On springy hills the drains should
run liagonally from the center TO either
gutter. where suitable outlets must b,
| pro ided. The frequency Of such drain:
will depend upon the amount Of watel
to be handled.
Unoerdrains in each gutter or alonl
the .mlrgins of the grade. as above
mentioned. are of great value wher'
large open bitches are. not required t
hand le the surface water. inasInuch "a
they lower the water plain some two o.
thre feet more than would be possible
witt lout them. \ drain down the cente
of he rad. having the trench tiileI
with some coarse material. often serve
the same purpose.
| Clay roads should be kept wei
crowned. having from one-half to three
fourths of an inch rise to each foot i
width. Any more than this is a positiy
injury and should moi be tolerated
They should be smoothed down eacl
spring after the ground, has settled an
as often thereafter during the seaso
as they become rutted, After bein
leveled with seraper n good rollln
will prevent their becoming rutted S
easily again and will leave them in eH
cellent shape TO make tine summe
roads. In fact. there are no better ten
: porary roads than well shaped ella
roads when dry, smooth and hard.
Sand roads need quite different trea
ment. They should he but slight
crowned and have very shallow gu
ters. They can also be made rathe
narrow. 1t is better TO allow the side
to grass over whenever possible. The
worst enemy is dry weather. and the
should be built and repaired with
view to retaining as much moisture a
possible. Trees should be plante
along the roadside and the natural one
and much of the brush allowed
grow-in short. 1t is best TO do every
thing possible TO keep them very muc
in the condition of forest roads.
1