Morris tribune., 1908-09-19
IMPORTANCE OF DRAINAGE.
Some Things About Kidding Roads
of Storm and Underground
Water.

With an average of $4,000 tons Of
water falling in the form of rain or
each mile of public road in the
United States annually, it is scarcely
to be marvelled at that the ten com
mandments of the road builder car
be summed up succinctly in the word
drainage"
The saying has truth for a basis, as
good drainage is the primary requisite
for all roads. Even in sand roads
this holds true, for there 'sgood drain.
age" means such as will safely re.
move the storm water without erosion
or quilting and still retain the surface
moisture.
To secure good drainage one must
take into consideration both the sur
face water and the underground
water. The surfrce water must be
removed quickly and completely and
without subjecting the road to exces-
sive scour or erosion. For this rea-
son, the center of the road should be
raised and the slope towards the side
bitches should be from p to inch to
each foot distance, or so that the
water will run freely to the side
bitches and not flow down the road
or remain in puddles on the roadway.
The side bitches should be of ample
size to care for the severest storms
with fall of not less than inches to
each 100 feet. Frequent and ample
cross drains should be constructed
and every opportunity taken to get
the water away from the road as
quickly as possible. Any road along
which you see water standing in the
side bitches or on which puddles of
water have collected or which has
been badly quilted and eroded by the
rains has poor drainage and is in need
of immediate attention. In fact earth
roads nearly always require a little
c1UUCA1O1OA dAUCI OdCA 1b1As
The split-log drag is essen TALLY
tool to maintain good drainage on our
earth roads, and should be used after
each rain. On heavy clay or gumbo
soil the drag when properly used
tends to puddle the road surface,
keep it free from ruts, dense, smooth
and hard, thus securing the best sur
face drainage possible.
But in many places the underground
water is too near the surface and
must be removed before good road
will be possible. This means that
some form of subdrainge must be re-
sorted to, usually tile drains, of clay
Or concrete. Water from whatever
source must be gotten rid of effect
lively, for water plus clay or gumbo
equals mud when mixed in
spring and summer. Water becomes
ice in winter and as water in freezing
expand one-eighth it's volume, the
road heaves out of shape and when
the ice melts the road disappears be-
meath the rising tide of mud con-
stantly fed by rains, melting SHOWS
and underground springs.
In seepy and DOGGY places the sub
drainage in order to be fully effective
should lower the water level to not
less than three feet below the road
surface. If tiles are used they should
be carefully laid, true to- grade. Most
failures in tile drainage can be attri |
outed to carelessness in laying, or too
lat grade. Tile less than 4 inches in |
diameter should rarely be used, nor
should grade of less than inches |
20 the 100 feet be used unless absolute
y necessary. In a very tense soil,
t is always advisable to cover the tile |
% at least a depth of 6 to - inches
With coarse sand or fne'gravel. Care
should always be taken to secure a
rec outlet for the drains and to pro-
;ect the outlet with a concrete bulk
head or catchbasin, which can always
'e kept clean and the outlet free.
The kind of tile to be used depends
IN local conditions. Concrete tile if
made are equally as good as
lay tile. Which kind to use is en-
irely local question of dollars and
cents. If concrete tile can be made
more cheaply than clay tile can be
lad, use concrete; if not, use clay
lie.
One great advantage of the con-
rete tile is that they can be easily
made by the local users at or near
he place where they are to be placed
o that the freight charges are dis
ensed with as we'll as the large
reakage losses due to handling.
laced in the ground, both are dur
BILE. If concrete is used, great care
hould be taken to see that a good
rade of Portland cement is selected,
nd that the drains are properly con-
Jructed. The impression, which |