Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1906-11-22
.INDORSE WOOD PAVING
FAILURES DUE TO POOR FoUN.
DATloNS, SAY EXPERTS.
Experiments In Many Cities Being
Watched with Great interest
Precautions Urged Against
Decay.


able experience of many cities, the
bureau of forestry of the government
maintains that paving blocks OF
wood make a very satisfactory and
economical street If adequate founda-
tons are laid and if proper precau
tons against decay are taken. The
government forest experts say that
the failures of the past have occurred
because round cedar blocks were
used, without precautions against de.
cay and without sufficiently strong
foundation.
The forestry bureau is now con-
Quoting an experiment which will go
far toward deciding which woods are
best The progress of the experiment
can be proftably watched by all cities
in which street paving with wood is
considered. An experimental pave
ment has just been laid in Minneapo-
lis as a cooperative undertaking be-
tween the city government and the
forest service.
Different woods were used and all
were treated with creosote. A pub
llNdIiOll VI IHC eau vi lOlSoIly say
of the experiment:
"The woods used were longleaf
pine, Norway pine, tamarack, white
birch, western larch and Washington
fir. All blocks were laid with the
grain vertical, and were four inches
in depth, four inches wide, and from
four to ten inches long. These blocks
laid upon foundation of Portland
cement concrete. Successive Sec
tons Of the pavement were laid in
different woods. Also the angles of
the courses were varied, one being at
right angles to the traffic, another at
As degrees, and a third between the
two, or 671s degrees.
This experimental pavement was
laid on a street which carries the
heaviest traffic of the city, so that
comparative results can be obtained
in as short time as possible. Traffic
records will be made twice a month,
on different days of the week, and
from these records an accurate knowl-
edge of traffic conditions may be OBJ
tanned.
This investigation should furnish
definite information on the following
points: The suitability of the various
woods, the relative value of heart
wood and sapwood, the best dimen-
sions for the blocks, and the most
serviceable angle for the courses"
The government experts are posi-
tive in their belief that wood pave
ments have decided advantages. They
say:
Recent use of rectangular wooden
blocks for street pavements has given
excellent results. Many engineers be-
lieve that these blocks, when prop
erly creosoted and laid on concrete
foundation, make pavement which
possesses high excellence in great
er number of essential qualities than
any other now in use. Among these
qualities are great smoothness, low
traction resistance, minimum noise,
and considering it's smoothness, COM
paratively little slipperiness. Slip
periness has sometimes proved OBJ
jectionable, but is not greater for
wood than for sheet asphalt, all tenn
perature conditions considered; and
wood is much less variable in this
particular than is asphalt. 1t is prob
able that no other pavement with
equally slight traction resistance will
be found less slippery. Wood pave
ment is also easy to clean and to
maintain, and when well laid gives
promise of proving more durable than
any other except one constructed of
the hardest granite.
Two main causes have initiated
against a wider adoption of the creo-
soted block pavement: One has been
the prejudice which was engendered
by the former experience with wood;
the other is the rise in price of long
leaf or Georgia pine, which is the
wood now principally used. The for
est service is making investigations
to find out what woods are most suit
able for use in paving, and whether
less expensive woods could not be
used to supplement the Georgia pine
The Investigations have been upon
three lines-to learn the present sit
uation, to make tests of the suitable
ity of various woods, and to lay eX
perimental pavements and note theiE
wear under actual traffic conditions