The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1906-11-17
.INDORSE WOOD PAVING
FAILURES DUE TO PoCR FOuN.
OATICas. SAY EXPERTS.
Experiments in Many Cities BEING
Watched With Grez: Interest
Precautions Urged ssains,
Decay.

Observation-Disclosures the uufasor
s1is experience of many cities. the
bureau Ot forestry Of The government
maintains that paving blocks Of
= 5pd make a very satisfactory and
economical street If adequate f5unda-
uors are aid and If proper precau-
lions against decay are taken. The
government forest experts say that
the failures Of the past have occurred
because round cedar blocks we're
used, without precautions against de-
Gag and without sufficiently strong
foundation.
The forestry bureau Is now con
ductiug an experiment which will go
"a. toward deciding which woods are
best The progress of the experimeu.
can be proftably watched by all cities
IN which street paving with wood is
considered An experimental pave
me1t has just been laid in Mirneapo
lis as cooperative undertaking be-
tween the city government and the
forest service
Different woods were used and all
were treated with creosote. pub
hcation of the bureau Of forestry says
OF the experiment:
The woods used were longleas
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
were impregnated with ereosote and
laid upon foundation OF Portland
cement concrete. Successive SEQ
tons of the pavement were laid II
different woods. Also the angles O.
the courses were. varied. one being at
right angles to the traffic. another at
i5 degrees. and q third between the
two, or 6Tia degrees
This experimental pavement was
laid on a street which carries the
heaviest traffic OF the city. SO tha,
comparative results can be obtained
in as short time as possible. Traffic
records viii be made twice "a. Jnth,
on different days of the weeF- and
from these records an accurate .Aowl-
edge OF traffic conditions may - 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. tie 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 payeinents has given
excellent results. Many engineers be
.ieye that these blocks when prop
erly creosotec and laid on concrete
foundation, make a pavement which
pos sesses high excellence in a great
er number of essential qualities than
any other now in use. Among these
Cralities are great srno0thuess, low
traction resistance. minimum noise,
ana considering its smpothness, COM
Iaratiyely little slipperiness. Slip
Ieriness has sometimes proved OBJ
jsctionable but IS not greater for
wood than for sheet asphalt all tenn
perature conditions considered; and
NteI Il III .iiL KISS N.-s -ABlt III l41ls
particular than is asphalt. 1t is prob
able that no other pavement with
equally sli-h traction resistance viii
oe 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 m iitated
against a wider adoption of the cTeo-
sotet block pavement: One has been
The prejudice which was engcEdered
by the former experience with wood,
the other s the rise in price II long
leaf or Georgia pine. which IS the
wood now principally used. The for
sst service is making Investigations
10 find OUT what woods are most -uit
aAle for use in payins. and whether
less expensive woods could not be
used to supplement the Georgia pine.
The investi- cations have been uTon
three liues-to learn the present st-
uation. to make tests OF the suitat.l-
ity Of various woods. and TO lay eS-
periuental pavemengs and note their
wear under actual trat-ic conditions