Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1907-02-08
THE "TAMPINGo SYSTEM.
New Process In Road Building Km
Southern CALIFORNIA;

New Process In Road Building Nm
Southern California
Two California companies have q
new system iii road construction, and
the successful results Of their new
method are greatly appreciated by all
motorists who journey to the beach.
Al piece OF oiled road has recently been
completed from the Soldiers home TO-
ward the Pacific ocean. north Of Santa
Monica. that has, In the judgment Of
experienced road builders, an impor-
iant bearing on road development IN
California, says win 8. Little In Good
Roads Magazine. 1t differs from or
binary street on road olling ln that lt
ia a verltable construction OF street
out Of natural soil with the use Of oil.
The resultant product Il In fact very
like an asphalt, lies as smooth and, it
ls believed, win last nearly as long, Il
IL SO inexpensive as to be practical for
use In cities and upon the main coun-
try thoroughfares,
This new road Is a 180 foot bOule-
ward, with a width from curb 70 curD
Of sixty feet The road Is o sandy
loan. with some admlxture Of blue and
red clay. slate and gravel; ls graded
and plowed six inches deep ana u
pulyerlzed with harrows. II II Is very
dry small amount Of water ls sprln-
kled ON and mixed In 50 as to make
it workable. on Is then applied at the
rate Of one gallon to the square yard,
and cultivators mix It In to the depth
of four inches. A second gallon OF OIL
to the square yard ls then applied and
cultivated down to six inches. The
oiled surface Is then turned under -FOUR
inches deep with turning plow, Up
10 this point the process does not ma
terlallv differ from that In general use
where careful work is done In mixing
the oil with the soil. But the next
step is radical departure and marks
| the beginning Of a new era 10 roau
construction.
The process next succeeding this ID
the common practice Of road olllng y
the rolling Of the road, which crushes
down thin scum on the surface that
later scales of and leaves the road full
of chuck holes. But with this new sys-
tenn the next process 10 one OF tamping
4 cylinder about ten feet long and six
feet Ia diameter, weighing about 0OOU
hounds and furnished with rows Of
4 aat headed teeth, Is hauled back ana
forth slowly, tamplng the oiled earth
up from the bottom to within TWO
inches OF the top, When the tamper
arst goes over the road It sinks the
teeth which are SIX inches long, their
whole length in the soft, oily earth
hut by each rolling or tamplng new
layer Of solid asphalt Ii plastered on
the bottom, and the cylinder rises .
little out Of the mass until, when the
tamplng ls completed, the mixture is sc
solid that the teeth no longer sink ~
There is vast difference between
merely crushing the surface Of an oile0
road with roller and tamping 81
inches Of oil from the bottom up. Thal
difference means greater endurance fol
the tamped road.
when the tamping IL brought to with
In two inches OF the top the road II 70
graded, and the last two inches or ioos'
surface soil are cultivated and glYeI
another gallon OF oil to the square yard
This makes three gallons to the square
yard, all applied warm, so as 70 sprln
kIe freely; again the cultivator an'
I then the tampeF this time worked unit
II reaches the surface. When the tamp
ing Is done the surface Is a little un
even from the marks Of the teeth, bu
that is taken out by roller welghinl
two tons per twelve inches Of tire.
more perfect surface can be obfaine'
by q slight sprlnkling Of grayel beror
Q the roller Is used.
This work costs about 40 cents Pc
square yard. The cost on the ordinar
street where no grading IL needle
: would amount to about 80 cents rur
ming foot OF frontage.
: Several streets In Santa Monica, Cal
J. have been constructed by the tampin
! system, and they have shown almo'
: perfect endurance. One In particuia
has borne heavy tralac for over tw
years and Is now practically as u wa
. when originally laid.