The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-01-20
ENGINEER DRAWING
PAVING CONTRACT
Highland Avenue is Soon to be
Improved
SPECIFICATIONS PREPARED
Superintendent strother of the United
States Wood Preserving Company
Tells of Work Done BY His
Concern In other Cities.
SPECIFICATIONS PREPARED


States Wood Preserving company for
paving a portion Of Highland avenue
with creosoted wooden blocks. This con-
tract was recently by the City Council
transferred from Dunn d Lallande Bros,
to the United States company, at the
request of the former firm of contrac-
tors.
Work on paving Highland avenue will
commence shortly. Creosoted wooden
blocks are to be used from the east curb
line of Twentieth street to the Woodward
property. and from that points to the
eastern limits of the city, bituminous
macadam to be used.
About $4,000 yards o. creosoted wooden
blocks are to be usel in making the i'm
provements. the price agreed upon being
81 per yard. The curbing is to be set out
feet, and ten cents per lineal foot will be
charged for the resetting.
This is the first creosoted wooden pave
ment contract that has been let by the
City Council.
The following are the Specifications for
the blocks
Specifications for Paving.
1. The wearing surface shall be COM
posed of long leaf, all heart, yellow pine
blocks, treated as hereinafter described.
All blocks shall De of sound timber, free
from bark, sapwood, loose or rotten
knots, or other defects which shall be
detrimental to the life of the block or
interfere with it's laying. No second
growth tiOhar will h Qll0Uad
q The blocks shall be treated through
out with an antiseptic and water proof
mixture 60 per cent of which shall be
dead oil of coal tar. commonly known
as creosote oil, the mixture being heated
and agttated until the rosin and oil are
thoroughly incorporated. The creosote
oil shall conform to the following specifi-
cations: 1t shall have specific gravity
of not less that OPS at a temperature of
95 degrees r. (35 degrees c. 1t must not
yield more than 20 per cent of its weight
by distillation up to 410 degrees Il. (210
degrees CO Between 410 degrees f. and
455 degrees T. (235 degrees c. there shall
distill off at least 40 per cent of the oil
by weight, At least % per cent shall be
what is known as heavy oil, that does not
distill until 500 degrees f. has been reach
ed. Water to the extent of 2,5 per cent
shall be allowed in oil without compen-
sation. Any amount of water over 2.05
per cent and up to s per cent shall be
compensated for by the injection of a pro-
pcrtionately larger amount of oil into the
timber. No oil with more than per cent
of water shall be used
3. After treatment the blocks shall show
such waterproof qualities that after be-
Ing dried In an oven at a temperature of
100 degrees for period of "a hours, weigh
cd, and then immersed In clear water
for a period of "a hours and weighed
the gain in weight shall not be greater
than per cent.
Treatment of Blocks.
A. Blocks are to be treated as follows
The blockc are to be placed In an air.
tight cylinder, and when the doors are
closed the dry heat Is to be raised to
216 degrees F. without pressure, for one
hour, for the purpose of getting rid of the
moisture. Then the heat is to be increased
pressure is to be applied, and both are
to be raised gradually to avoid injury to
the fibre, for two hours until the heat
has reached about 2S5 degrees and the
pressure about 30 pounds, and both are
to be held there for one hour The heat
is then to be shut off and the tanks are
to be allowed to cool gradually for one
hour At the end of this time the heat
Is to be reduced to $50 degrees and the
pressure to about 40 pounds. The pressure
further reduced. Vacuum is then to be ap-
piled until about 26 inches is reached, and
while under this vacuum the ereo-resnate
mixture is to be run into the cylinders
at a temperature of 175 to 200 degrees,
and hydraulic pressure is to be applied
reaching 200 pounds per square inch. and
kept at this point until 20 pounds of the
mixture per cubic foot has been alb
sorbed.
Concrete Foundation.
s. Upon the surface of the concrete
foundation shall be spread a bed of ce-
ment mortar one-hail inch in thickness
This mortar surface shall be composed Of
a slow settling Portland cement and
clean, sharp sand, free from pebbles over
one-fourth inch in diameter, and mixed
In the proportion of one part cement to
| four parts sand The mortar top shall be
stuck to true surface exactly paral-
10! to the top of the finished pavement
6. The blocks shall not be less than
three inches wide. eight inches long and
three inches deep. uniform in depth or
thickness They shall be laid with the
grain vertical and at such a nagle with
the curb as the engineer may direct
They shall be laid in parallel courses with
as tight points as possible, each block
being firmly embedded in the mortar
bed so as to form a true and even sur
lace. L ne JDlItS small tutn NC llitu anu
kept filled with clean fine sand
Superintendent strother Talks.
William A. Strother, superintendent of
street paving for the United States Wood
Preserving company explained yesterday
that the company he represents has been
III business ten years and has been do
ing work in wood paving in a score of
Northern cities When its work has been
done in heavy traffic streets no repairs
have been needed he says. since the
paving was put down five years ago.
The material used is the creo-resinate
block. 1t Is. Mr. Strother says. durable,
noiseless. easily cleaned, readily repaired
and, when wet. does not become slippery.
The cost of the wooden block is the
same as that of the granite block.
Mr.. Strother says his company is ready
to begin the work the moment the con-
troot is signed He expects to remain in