Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-01-27
REPORT OF CITY PAVEMENT
Engineering Department Chemist and su-
psrintendent Offer eugCestionG
SOME PAYMENTS NOT WORTH PATCHING
Tests OF ola and New Pavements Made
BY Chemist Kirschbrsun Last
Year and Data Preserved
for Reference.

Chemist Lester Kirschbraun OF the city
engineering department has handed En-
gineer Rosewater a report Of the engineer
ing laboratory department for 1905. The re-
port shows the department cost 1901 for
the year and that inspection was exercised
over &c. e62 square yards Of brick pavement
1854 yards Of asphalt repair work and
q, go yards OF asphalt pavement.
Referring to tests made Of asphalts and
fuxes Chemist Kirschbraun notes:
Except material from Wyoming not ono
of these failed to pass the city specino&-
lions. Inasmuch as competition has forced
some contractors to use new and cheaper
asphalts of doubtful nature. the city speci-
fications are far too lenient as regards such
new materials. With our present analytical
knowledge Of asphalt 1t is not always pos
sible to predict with positive certainty the
results OF the use OF a new asphalt and
the city should not allow a contractor to
experiment with new material at It's ex-
pense, particularly not the artificial onea
whatever the source, without complete ana
lytical knowledge Of the material and an
additional guaranty OF not less than i've
years"
Mr. Kirschbraun reports that during the
year he made analyses OF forty OF the old
asphalt paved streets. the tests showing
that general deficiency of bltumen and
filler existed in the old asphalt pavements-
Maintains Check on Contractors.
Mentioning the work OF the laboratory
for the year the chemist states:
ut may be stated that the laboratory was
successful in checking up any errors on the
part of asphalt contractors in their mix
lures. This department was called upon TO
assist and advise regarding asphalt mix
lures and, II is hoped, was OF service not
only to the city. but to the contractors
The records of material tested and OF as
phalt streets laid are already proving to be
OF great value and the proper interpreta-
ton of such data, together with expert
ments, will no doubt continue to assist in
the Improvement of the quality of this class
Of public works"
The chemist has this to say regarding
future work of the city repair plant:
ut is the idea of this department to
conduct next years QsOD repairing by frst
going over the approved streets Of the
business district with a large gang, and
thereafter to keep a small gang continually
going over these streets. repairing small
holes and depressions as they begin to
show. In this way It would be possible
with the funds at our disposal to put and
keep in condition those streets that are
worthy of maintenance and at the same
time to give the outlying and residence
streets proper attention. There can be no
question but that some of the old streets
in the business district have outlasted their
usefulness. Their concrete foundations are
rotten and constantly soaked with mois-
ture. making further patchings under such
conditions a waste of energy and money"
Great Deal of Old Asphalt.
This suggestion is made:
"There is a great deal Of old asphalt dur
ing the repair season taken from the streets
which is capable OF becoming q source Of
revenue to the department. This material
II broken up by city prisoners into con-
venient size, would make a fine macadam
rock for use on the city's park and boule-
ward system. When rolled and handled
like macadam 1t should form surface
nearly waterproof, bonded. dustless and ca
pable OF withstanding the light traffic Of
| our parks"
Mr.. Kirschbraun recommends certain i'm
provements to the repair plant, that the
work of 1907 may be more efficient and az
tenslve.