The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-09-06
SIDEWALK CONSTRUCTION
DISCUSSED BY THE MAYOR

small blocks fitted in between two
TINS, or coure, is superior walk tn
either brick or wood but it has serious
objections. 1t is only a question of time
until these walks, as they are built in
PENSACOLA, settle down below the level
OF the curb and then they catch water
ana art every time. 1T rains. Walks of
TINS KIND can be found all over the city.
Again, some blocks settle more than
otners and no matter how little it settles
IL has tendency to hold water and
every time 1t rains passers-by get wet
feet. AS good a piece of walk of this
Kind as there Is in the city is through
the Plaza 1t was laid with a great deal
OF care and expense and yet on a rainv
DAY when one goes through the Plaza
II ne would keep his feet dry he must
get on the sidewalk. / dare say that
there is not walk of this kind in the
city that does not hold more or less water
In. puddles whenever it rains, unless the
sidewalk is rooted over. These walks do
not wear even, as any one can see who
will go up and down Palafox street and
ind some blocks worn out a great deal
more than others, unless it is new
The cities of the north have for years
been doing away with walks of this kind
and many of them have condemned
miles of walk built of these blocks, and
rebuilt them with slabs of stone run
ming clear across the sidewalk.
There are two methods of building a
solid cement sidewalk. One is to build
fInn anti oil t.
or not make, marks across the walk on
top. The other method is to build the
walk in seperate blocks, which is done
by putting a board down through the
cement until partially set, and and then
taking the board out and filling the
crevices with dry sand. This separates
the walk into blocks and when the hot
sun Of summer heats the walk and causes
it to expand the blocks simply crowds
the sand in the joints a little closer to-
gether, and when the block cools and
contracts it simply draws away small
fraction of an inch and allows more dirt
or sand to fall in between the blocks
This practice is the only one that has
withstood the frost of the north and it
is the only one that will prevent walk
and contraction in a solid cement walk
of any considerable length will eventual
ly break it to pieces.
There are a great many walks in the
city made of combination of brick and
cement. The brick walk is built and
then coated over with cement, but it will
be observed that where this has been
done the cement breaks up and peals
loose from the brick. The reason for this
is that cement and brick do not expand
alike with heat. especially where the
brick lies upon the ground and absorbs
moisture. The difference in the expan-
sion and contraction of the brick and ce-
ment in alternate heat and cold event.
ually breaks the cement loose from the
brick and, being thin coat it eventual
ly breaks in pieces There are great
MANY walks whose curbs. and sometimes
the body Of the walk, shows this disinter-
grading process, hence it is not advis-
able to combine brick and cement in
sidewalk
The city's specifications for cement
walks calls for a walk to be built OF
four parts gravel, two parts sand and
one part of best Portland cement, these
are to be properly mixed. This is also
the proportion used by the government.
The foundation for the walk should be
not less than three inches thick In any
place and on top of this should be
wearing surface or top dressing, COM
posed of one part of cement to one and
one half parts of sand, and this should
be one-half to three-fourths inches In
thickness The thickness of the walk
should be about four inches and not
less than three and three-quarters inches
in any place. Good gravel and good sand
and good cement, properly mixed and
properly worked, will make a walk that
will last a lifetime, especially if built
with expansion joints. The inside edge
of the walk is required by the Board of
Public Works to be one and one-half
inches higher than the outside, which
makes the water readily run off Of the
walk during a rain and keeps the walk
as dry as possible.
The difference between the cost OF a
good cement sidewalk and poor cement
sidewalk is so little that 1t should not |
be considered.
NV advice to citizens who are contem-
plating building sidewalks is to insist on !
having the best material and the best |
cement and good workmanship, and to
see that your walk is built about four Cd |
inches thick instead of two and one
half (21s) inches and to insist upon ex-
pansion Joints. being made every five 60 !
or six CO. feet Then, you will have a |
walk that will last as long as you want
It and not be at the expense OF having |
to rebuild ii in course of time. !