Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1906-06-15
| ROADS
AND &,
RoAD N1Ak1Ne&s..
OILED ROADS IN CALIFORNIA.
The Success Attained Should Lead
to More General Adoption.

Inc success ATTAINED SnOulQ LeaO
to More General Adoption.
The oiling of roads and streets In
California first began to attract par
ticular attention about seven years
ago, when petroleum oil was used in
Los Angeles County, in a small way
in 1898, and more In 1899, followed
by San Bernardino County In 1899,
says a writer in Good Roads Maya
zine.
The first use of oil on roads had
for its object the laying of dust.
which was almost unbearable during
the long dry summers of California.
1t was used for this purpose instead
OF water; sufficient quantities of the
latter being difficult to obtain in
some sections, and 1t was thought
that the oil would have more last
ling effect, and so be more effectual
and economical for this purpose. 1t
was found to be an excellent dust
layer. All grades Of oil were used.
from high gravity, containing but
small quantity Of asphaltum, and
charged with water and sediment to
heavy oil, free from water, and very
rich In asphaltic base. No attempt
was made In the beginning to obtain
a hard, smooth surface road. The
idea was to mix the oil with the nat
ural loose surface dirt of the road in
sufficient quantity to make 1t heavy,
SO that the dust would not rise. 1t
was thought it would be waste OF
material to use oil on a loose, sandy
road, that it would simply sink into
sand and disappear, and II used ON a
hard surface like macadam 1t would
not penetrate but run into the gut
tiers. Even the parties who claimed
to be the discoveries Of the use OF OIL
have a patent on its use (who have
never been able to substantiate their
claims), said that there must be a
loose covering of at least one inch in
depth on the road to mix with the
oil.
One of the first things to be no.
ticed, was that the larger the per-
centage OF asphaltum in the oil, the
frmer it made the surface of the
road, and so the better the results.
Another was that IL the oil was
worked in deep. especially In a
clayey soil. 1t made spongy roadbed
that was very heavy for hauling
over; and that the oiled layer became
rutted and ridged and very uneven.
There are miles of just such roads In
California to-day. Transfers con-
denim them, and they are very unsat-
isfactory, on account of their UNI
evenness, for even light rigs. 1t was
found that sandy and gravelly sur
faces absorbed the oil readily and
became very hard IL heavy asphalt
tic oil was used; that even loose
drift sand, while 1t took large
quantity Of oil, put on in a number
of applications, and considerable
time to set and harden, could be con-
verted into a smooth, hard-surfaced
roadbed. But ar absorbent, hard
compacted gravel surface, it was
found. made an ideal oiled road,
when a heavy asphaltic liquid was
used. This led up to the use OF this
kind of oil upon macadam roads, and
now we are building, what we call,
Liquid asphalt" roads and streets;
giving careful attention to all de-
tails Of carefully preparing the sub
. grade, putting down the crushed
rock layers, filler. ETC., and thor
oughly compacting this base to
hard; smooth, properly shaped sur
face, to receive the oiled or rather,
asphaltic covering; and obtaining q
result that is very similar to the reg
ulation asphalt pavement; hard. but
not quite so hard and smooth as the
latter, but furnishing better foot
ing for the horse, surface that does
not get slippery in wet weather, q
surface that Is slightly elastic. very
pleasant to travel over, and which
effectually preserves the macadam
base below.
The construction of this "Asphal.
ted Macadam" road or street In
wolves the careful building of the
macadam base, according to the most
approved specifications for this work.
attention being given to proper
drainage and to the browning OF the
surface.
It must be remembered that this
base supports the load that goes over
it. and that the super-imposed as
phalted layer is Of comparatively
thin, slightly elastic, protective COW
erIng that takes the surface wear.