The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1906-10-31
EXPERIMENTS IN
PAVING WITH WOOD
CONDUCTED BY the GOVERNMENT
Investigations Are Being Made to De-
termine Best Materials and Best
Methods of Laying.

Wood has long been used for street
pavements. Only within the past few
years, however. has it been satisfactorily
adopted in the cities of the United
States. Previous failures can be traced
almost entirely to improper construction
or methods OF preparation. In most
woods were used. without precautions
against decay and without adequate
foundation for the pavement. The con
sequence was that, as paving mater
ial. wood fell into disfavor.
Recent use of rectangular wooden
blocks for street pavements has given
excellent results. Many engineers be
leve that these blocks. when properly
creosoted and laid on a concrete founda
| tom make a pavement which possesses
| high excellence in Il greater number of
essential qualities than any other now
| in use. Among these qualities are
great smoothness low traction re-
sistance, minimum noise, and, consider
ing its smoothness, comparatively little
slipperiness. Slipperiness has sometimes
proved Objectionable, 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 probable that no
other pavement with equally slight trac-
ton resistance will be found less slip.
perry. Wood pavement is also easy to
clean and to maintain, and when well
laid gives promise of proving more dur
able than any other except one con-
structed of the hardest granite.
The cost of creosoted wood pavement
is at present comparatively high, averag-
ing about SO per square yard, inelud-
ing concrete foundation. In several cit
les. however, the cost OF the pavement
has been reduced materially below this
figure, and good results have been Sc
cured. In Minneapolis, Mimi, where the
city itself lays the pavement, the total
cost per yard is approximately $3.50. To
attempt to cheaper The price, however,
at the expense of thoroughness of treat
ment or careful construction is, with
creosoted wood pavement, particularly
dangerous economy. Even at the pre-
vailng price, the excellence of this pave
ment causes many engineers to regard
it as the best general purpose one now
in use.
The five cities in which the largest
amounts OF wood pavement are found
are, in order, indianapolis, New York
MINNEAPOLIS. Toledo and Boston. To
rether. these cities have more creosoted
wood pavement than all other cities in
the United States combined. The total
amount Of this pavement in use in this
country at the end of the year 1905 was
about 100000 square yards. equiva
lent to nearly so miles Of pavement on a
street 80 feet wide.
Two main causes have initiated
against a wider adoption of the creo-
| SOted DlOck pavement. oHe Has DttH thc
prejudice which was engendered by the
former experience with wood, the othei
is the rise in price of longleaf or Geor.
gia pine. which is the wood now princi-
pally used. The Forest Service is max.
ing investigations to find out what
woods are most suitable 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 pres.
ent situation, to make tests of the
suitability of various woods, and to lay
experimental pavements and not their
wear under actual traffic conditions.
An experimental pavement has now
been laid in the city of Minneapolis, as
cooperative undertaking between the
city government and the Forest Serv-
! ice. Different woods were donated, in