The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-10-28

Important Question Being Solved
BY Experiment Of the
Government.

BY w. w. Jernane, Colorado Building, !
Washington, .. c.
Washington, Oct. 27.-Those NUM- |
CAPABILITIES which find their paving bills |
onerous will find it to their advantage,
in all probability, to keep an eye upon
Quoted by the United States depart,
ment of agriculture. There is a vivid
impression among the experts of that
department. that in comparatively
short, time they will be able to point
out the way to the cities of the country
for the adoption Of wooden block
pavement which will form the model
floor covering for streets, both to meet
the requirements of heavy traffic and
the lighter demands Of residence Sec
tons .~'..,
1t is conceded by the department
that the old forms of wooden paving,
laid in round blocks, have not given
satisfaction, especially as in most cases
the foundations were poorly con.
decay inadequate. But it is now be-
lieved that the rectangular wooden
block, laid scientifically, will prove
superior to anything else in use. At
any rate it is in that direction the de-
partment Is working. And in pursu-
ance Of the Investigations city, en-
gineers in all parts Of the country have
been consulted. From them it has
been learned that many Of them be.
lieve these blocks, when properly creo.
soted and laid on a concrete fOunda-
tion, make a pavement which possesses
high excellence in a greater number OF
essential qualities than any other now
In use.
Has Many Advantages.
Among the points it is haped to es-
Iol1 4. IL - e., oE,
srloothness, low traction resistance,
minimum noise and, considering its
smoothness, comparatively little slip
periness. In fact it is already known
that in slipperiness it is no worse than
sheet asphalt, all temperatures consid-
cred, and that wood is much less vari-
able in this respect than asphalt.
ment with equally slight traction re-
sistance will be found less slippery,N
is the department s Judgment, at this
time Further, the department. says
"wood pavement is also easy to clean
and to maintain, and when well laid
gives promise of proving more durable
than any other except one laid Of the
hardest granite a,,s...
So far as experiments have gone, the
cost Of this form of wooden block paw
ing promises to be pretty high, the
average under the contract system be-
ing So per square yard, including the
concrete foundation, but in the city Of
Minneapolis, which lays it's own wooden
pavement, the cost has been brought
down to approximately $3.50 per
gineers who regard this form Of paw
Ing the best that can be laid when the
question of endurance is taken into
consideration. The department. how
ever, is not yet ready to officially con-
firm this judgment and will not be until
its experiments have been carried on a
little further. At this time there are
but about eighty miles of this kind of
wooden paving. The five cities in
which the most Of itNis found are, in
order, indianapolis. New York, Mime
apolis, Toledo and Boston. j..
But, granting that the favorable re-
ports made on it by the various city
engineers are correct, the department
has found one great. reason why this
kind Of pavement will not rapidly be
introduced, and that is the rise in
price of long leaf Georgia pine, the
wood most generally used. In order
to learn whether this difficulty cannot
be overcome by the use of cheaper
wood, the DEPARTMENT, as journal
readers know. has recently made ar
1angeWeuJS Win inc Guy SOPSl hlHcht
Of Minneapolis for some rather ex-
tensive experiments with other woods
To this end an EXPERIMENTAL pavement
has been laid in that city, as a co,
operative undertaking between the city
and the forest service of the depart
, ment of agriculture. Different woods
were donated by different dealers in
terested in extending their market, in
lots of $4,000 feet. board measure, and
creosote and treatment were donated
by two manufacturers of wood pave
ment.
s Gets Difficult Test.
The woods used were long leaf pine
! Norway pine, tamarack. white birch
4 western larch and Washington fir. Al
blocks were laid with the grain vertica
g and were four inches Deep four niche.
wide and from four to ten inches long
i The blocks were impregnated will
creosote and laid on frst-class founda
tion of Portland cement concrete. Sue
cessive sections were laid in differen
woods, and the angles Of the course
we've also varied, one. for instance, be
ing at right angles to the traffic, an